I will freely admit to knowing almost nothing about cognac. I don't know anything about the place in France, and I don't know anything about the beverage. I had to look up what the "very special" on the label meant. It appears that it means that this is the lowest official grade of cognac. That said, it seems like this is the drink of choice for many people who are covered by the media. I know I stuck this in the wrong kind of glass, and I'm not really sure I care. Also, I am led to understand that cognac is a kind of brandy in that it is effectively wine that has been allowed to ferment twice and age in wood. I just want to know what it tastes like. You guys can read Wikipedia yourself.
The 40% ABV is quite detectable by even a novice drinker. In fact, I might even have guessed that it was higher. That said, the oak flavors combine with vanilla and what tastes to me like banana, and the heavy alcohol doesn't seem to be spoiling the flavor too much. I can't imagine anyone gulping this beverage. It is a bit harsh for that kind of thing, but it's not like a burning moonshine. What strikes me as strange is that I don't really taste the grapes that I expected to taste. I don't know where they went, and I don't know if I'm supposed to taste them.
Subsequent sips reaffirm the fact that this is something for sipping rather than gulping, and I didn't notice the dryness that the beverage brings nearly as much the first go around. Every subsequent sip brings out considerably more dryness than I would expect from this kind of beverage, but I didn't really know what to expect, anyway. I'm still wondering where the grapes went. They would've been nice in the flavor.
Bottom Line: Still not my kind of beverage, but not bad.
2.0/5
