Brandy isn’t for everyone — 18th-century English writer Samuel Johnson said it was a drink fit for heroes, but 19th-century English Baptist minister Robert Hall called it a “glass of liquid fire and distilled damnation.”
Nevertheless, I enjoy a good brandy.
What exactly is brandy? Well, it might help to know that the word derives from the Dutch “gebrande wijn” or “roasted wine,” and refers to a spirit produced by distilling wine or a fermented fruit mash.
For our purposes, we’ll be dealing with the higher-end, wine-based brandy called cognac.
To be a true cognac, it must be made using a certain grape variety that is found in the Cognac region of southwestern France. And it has to be twice-distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in very specific French oak barrels.
Nearly all cognacs are blended with aged brandies. The youngest of the blends will be identified on the label: A blend that is 2 years old will be labeled V.S. or “Very Special/Superior.” But some cognacs might contain brandy that is 10, 20 or 30 years old. For the designation V.S.O.P. (“Very Special/Superior Old Pale”), the youngest brandy in the blend must have been aged a minimum of four years. The X.O. (“extra old”) & Napoleon Cognac is aged a minimum of six years, but might be 20 years old (as of April 10, the minimum age for any brandy in X.O. cognacs will change to 10 years).
Alright, enough with the education. Time for a drink.
When enjoying a cognac, one’s surroundings can add to the experience, which is why I headed to The Library Bar at Amy’s Place at 80 Cottage St. in Easthampton, where the atmosphere is cozy, the lighting is low and the bar stools are comfortable. As I kicked back and slowly savored my Remy Martin V.S.O.P. cognac, I felt the weight of the day slip away.
Tim Driscoll is a bartender, a former bar owner and a perpetual student of mixology.
How to drink Martin V.S.O.P.
Pour 2 ounces of the brandy into a large snifter glass, no ice
Savor