Cognac Ferrand

Pierre Ferrand Launches 100-Year-Old Cognac

Filed under: Spirits

Pierre Ferrand, one of only a handful of Cognac houses in France specializing in old Cognacs from the coveted Grande Champagne region that are not blended with lesser varieties, has come out with a new 100-year-old bottling.

The limited edition L'Hommage de Pierre Ferrand was born of Cognac distilled prior to World War I stored in the shade of Ferrand's Logis d'Angeac cellar for more than a century.

Bottled in an exquisitely crafted, numbered crystal carafe, only 10 bottles will be available for sale in the U.S. by special order for the suggested retail price of about $3,000 apiece.

The aged spirit has taken on a beautiful dark shimmering bronze color after its long repose in its wooden cask. Exceptionally smooth, it has aromas of prune and candied fruits. Each bottle comes in a wooden case with a certificate of authenticity.

"We wanted to offer something supremely special from our cellars," notes Alexandre Gabriel, president/owner of Cognac Ferrand. "We chose a beautiful bottle to contain this rare Cognac [but] the taste is even more beautiful than the bottle."

Tags: brandy, Cognac, Cognac Ferrand, crystal, France, Pierre Ferrand, spirits, World War I

Citadelle Gin Creates Oak Aged Vintage

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Well this is different. France's Cognac Ferrand house (who has experimented with aging their Citadelle label before) will release their first vintage gin, distilled exclusively for oak aging, this October.

While oak aging is standard for everything from wine to whiskey, it's a rarity in the gin world. Cellar master Frederic Gilbert, along with owner Alexandre Gabriel, decided to challenge that with a specific combination of additional botanicals-violet, iris and grains of paradise (part of the 19 used in Citadelle)-designed for optimal oak barrel aging. The idea is that violet and iris provide more floral aromatics, while the grains of paradise contribute a hint of spice. The distillate was then aged for 6 months in lightly charred, 12-year-old reused oak casks. Cognac Ferrand has a bit of history with this kind of creative recycling, as the house also produces rums that receive further aging in former cognac casks. In the case of Citadelle, the oak works its magic to round off the flavor profile with an aromatic crispness and notes of cinnamon, vanilla, star anise, and of course, wood. The vintage will have a production run of 11,250 numbered bottles, worldwide.

Wine Enthusiast named Citadelle's 2009 release one of its "Top 50 Spirits of the Year," so we'll see if aging makes a good thing even better.

(750ml., $40.00)

Tags: CitadelleGin, cognac ferrand, gin, oak, reserve, spirits, vintage