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Feature Article: Blind Cognac Tasting

Cognac
    This month, the BoozeBasher staff decided to face one of our nemeses (no, not sobriety and how dare you bring that up).  We are talking about all things Cognac, or at least three of them.  It is no secret the BoozeBasher staff is not a fan of this French spirit, but we decided to put on the big boy pants and take a shot at tasting this stuff.  We picked out two of the more common brands popularized by the Rap/Hip-Hop scene: Hennessy and Courvoisier.  The third, Jacques Cardin VSOP, was thrown in as a similarly-priced alternative for those that do not want to buy into the hype.

 Results by Reviewer

Cognac Kevin Hunter Wade Dan Paco Average
Courvoisier V.S. 1 1 1 2 2 1.4
Jacques Cardin 2 2 2 1 3 2.0
Hennessy V.S. 3 3 3 3 1 2.6


   First off, we have never understood a liquor that requires the drinker to acquire a taste for it.  You should never have to work hard at enjoying something.  Secondly, Hennessey is a vile liquid.  We simply cannot understand why people continue to pay $35 for a bottle of this stuff.  It has an overpowering sharp taste that burns your mouth and throat as it goes down.  Just think of everything a liquor should not be, and you have Hennessy in a nutshell. 

    Courvoisier was the easy favorite of the group.  It has a lighter, smooth flavor and is considerably sweeter than Hennessy.  The BoozeBasher staff gives Busta Rhymes a gold star for picking Courvoisier to rap about, unlike a number of other artists who seem to enjoy the previously mentioned garbage.  Mixing Courvoisier with cola actually produced a pretty tasty drink, something I could see myself sipping on all night.  The final contender, Jacques Cardin, is a decent alternative if Courvoisier is unavailable and is still worlds better than Hennessy.

   After this little tasting, we still don’t like Cognac, unless it is infused with prodigious amounts of vanilla.  However, in Courvoisier, we did find a liquor that we could see ourselves spending a little time with in the future.  Eventually, we might even learn to like the stuff…but probably not.

Which of the three Cognacs is your favorite?
View Results

Comments

  1. Mike
    6 August 6:26 pm

    Jacques Cardin is sooo bad they should offer samples before purchase so you don’t get home and realize that you have purchased the worse thing since your grandmother made you take a shot of cod liver oil.

  2. Peter
    29 September 4:07 pm

    I personally prefer Remy Martin V.S.O.P. It’s a very subtle and not extremely expensive, good cognac. And if you want a cognac that smells like a sweet white wine and has no alcohol burn because of it’s flavor i recommend Courvoisier Napoleon.

  3. Joe
    25 November 8:40 pm

    Remy Martin VSOP is a good cognac.

    Hennessy is alright, as long as it’s VSOP or XO, but the VS is absolutely shit. I tried it on the rocks one night, it tasted like motor oil.

    I therefore had low expectations when I bought a 50 ml bottle of Hennessy VSOP with a Remy Martin VSOP. I liked the Remy Martin, but I actually liked the Hennessy a little better - it had less burn and was somewhat sweeter.

    But cognac cannot be put into an old fashioned glass with ice, or mixed with coke, I prefer using a snifter. I’m not a fancy person by any means - I listen to death metal and worship satan… and I’m certainly no hip-hop stuttering retard.

    Scotch is better, as are bourbons and other whiskies/whiskeys. May I suggest Knob Creek, and perhaps Talisker 10 year?

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