When it comes to cognacs, I’ll be the first to openly admit I don’t know much about them, and I usually don’t drink the stuff.  Now with that little truth out of the way, I let me tell you about Courvoisier cognac and how it changed my view of this corner of the booze world.  Hell, we might even learn something…well until we get too wasted, and memory loss sets in.  But until that happens, this will be like the Reading Rainbow for Courvoisier.

    Courvoisier dates back to the early 19th century with a chance meeting between two connoisseurs of booze, Emmanuel Courvoisier and Louis Gallois.  It wasn’t long before Courvoisier, based out of Jarnac in southwest France, received recognition from the Royal courts.  Even when Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena after the battle of Waterloo, he liked Courvoisier so much that he insisted hundreds of bottles be sent with him into exile. That’s why all the bottles have the title “the cognac of Napoleon” and that little depiction of him.  I just hope when the hammer finally falls upon me and probably most of our readers, that we are given such a choice.  Back to the history lesson.  Unlike brandy, which can be made anywhere, a decree made by French authorities in 1909 stipulated that for a spirit to take the name of “cognac,” it must be made in the cognac region. Courvoisier uses Ugni grapes that are stored at least two years after distillation.  Unfortunately, during its maturation, 2.5% of the booze’s volume is lost through evaporation, which is referred to as” la part des anges” or in English, “the angel’s share.”  Damn the greedy angels for taking our booze!  Science needs to do something about this before it gets out of hand.  I’m going to save that job for someone else.  I drink far too much to make time for that.  Then again, I guess even angels have bad days and need a little liquor lovin’.  There’s something special about this cognac.  Busta Rhymes even made a song called “Pass the Courvoisier.”  With all this acclaim, I have no choice but to try it.

     From just the smell, I could tell there was something in this bottle that is going to make me happy, and after tasting a bit, I see why a song was needed.  Courvoiser has a really smooth, light barrel taste up front and a powerful, fruity, almost flowery grape taste with a hint of alcohol.  It kind of feels like a sweet bourbon or rye with barely any alcohol burn at all.  One of my favorite things about this booze is the barrel grape flavor lingers in your throat  afterwards.  It doesn’t linger in a bad way but rather in a pleasant “I’m here to help you relax” kind of way.

    I know cognacs usually come solo in a snifter, but I tried it mixed with a little cola (because I’m a heathen).  It was still pretty good.  It was actually more than good.  With the right amounts mixed, the flavor from the cognac became even stronger.  It seems like the clash of the favor difference between cola and Courvoisier makes that delicious flavor become more potent.  Whatever it is, its worth trying at least once.

    The level of intoxication that comes from this cognac wasn’t quite as good as its taste.  It gave me a buzz that was a little a little stronger than noticeable.  I expected a more from an 80-proof booze, but that’s all she would give me.  I could tell though that if I kept drinking until half of the bottle was gone, that I would be in a better or, according to some people, a worse place.  The feeling was good enough to get me up and out about town without too much trouble.  It did come with the extra bouns that the next morning wasn’t too harsh.  I awoke with a “friendly” headache and the occasional burp to remind me what I was drinking the night before…and what I’ll be drinking later.

     So for the price of around $37, which seems to be the standard for most good cognacs, it’s a solid buy.  Busta Rhymes endorses Courvoisier.  Napoleon endorses Courvoisier; and I can openly say I endorse Courvoisier as well.  Even if you aren’t a cognac drinker, this one seems like a good place to start.  I think I’ve found a new favorite in the booze world.  Now if I could only find one of those silly hats and a nice blue coat to strike a memorable pose.

Sipability - 5.5

Mixability - 8.0

Drunkability - 6.5

Hangover-ability - 8.0

Bang for the Buck - 6.5

Overall -  7.0  
 

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    Though I claim ignorance of most pop culture, especially “urban” stuff or anything perpetuated by the cancer that is MTV, I knew we couldn’t escape reviewing Hennessy.  Hennessy V.S cognac has been made popular in recent years by Hip-Hip/Rap music, so all of the self-proclaimed urbanites flock to it at the bar when they want to feel classy or upscale.  That’s just wonderful, but is this a liquor that is worth the hype?  Once again, we at BoozeBasher do the dirty work of discovery for you. 

    Hennessy ages their V.S cognac for up to 8 years in new Limousin French oak casks.  They claim V.S is a blend of 40 or so different brandies that are selected from the cognac region of France.  They claim the blend and maturation give the final product a bold yet harmonious taste with very subtle nuances.  It’s packaged in a simple bottle with a logo of what looks to be a knight’s arm holding a battle axe.  I’m too lazy to research its meaning, but I’m going to assume it means that the “bold” taste is going to slaughter your taste buds. 

    The smell of Hennessy is pretty potent.  A whiff of this stuff will have you backpedaling if you aren’t prepared for its boldness.   If you can get past the slap in the face of the fruit aromas that are reminiscent of a cheap red wine,  you will notice a subltle spiciness with hints of vanilla and oak.  I was hoping the taste would be dominated by those subtle flavors, but it just wasn’t in the cards.

    In the traditional fashion, we sipped Hennessy neat to give our sipability rating.  No one was impressed by the neat taste.  Hennessy is extremely “bold” up front, so “bold” in fact that it makes my tongue cringe every time it enters my mouth.  All of the flavors combine to give you an upper-cut to the gut.  Maybe I should have taken the battle axe on the bottle as a warning.  The finish, unfortunately,  is also quite strong.  If you focus really hard on the taste and ignore your watering eyes, you can taste the yummy little vanilla and oaky spiciness that, as I previously mentioned, was hoping would dominate this cognac’s taste.  You have to pay close attention though because soon after Hennessy goes down your throat, a sinister burn quickly follows.  I’m all about bold and complex flavors, but Hennessy’s V.S really takes the boldness too far.  The finish is a dry one with a hint of oakiness, but the flavor of rotten grape comes along too.  With those flavors combined, the finish can be likened to licking a used ashtray.  Honestly, it was that offensive to my pallet.  when it comes to liquor, I expect a much more pleasant experience for a $35 750ml bottle. 

    Hennessy proved to be more drinkable when mixed with Coke.  The Coke takes away most of the sucker punch to the gut, but at the same time, it drowns out the yummy spicy and oaky flavors.  It would be much cheaper to purchase a can of Coke and drink it from a dirty ashtray, and the taste might be comparable.  The finish with Coke is still pretty foul, and there is still a slight burn.  Though not tasty, the mixture is much easier to stomach and made for relatively easy consumption.  After a few drinks,  I began to convince myself that I was just drinking a coke that was garnished with bad fruit.  I was easily able to toss back the four shots worth of Hennessy V.S after cutting it with the Coke.

    After tossing back the required amount of this stuff and cursing MTV and pop culture for making this stuff popular,  I noticed a slight buzz.  It definitely wasn’t anything too fantastic, but I became mellow and felt like my nerves had been calmed a little.  That was a plus, but the fact that I was only slightly buzzed makes me doubt Hennessy’s 80-proof punch.  After consuming my Hennessy, I felt the need to enjoy a little video  “entertainment” on my computer.  I was baffled by the trendy elevator music that blared from my speakers when I depressed the power button.  I didn’t recall having heard that music washing out the brilliant intellectual discourse in my video previously, and I was even more startled when the music didn’t pause with my video.  I noticed the Hennessy website window was minimized and let loose a sigh of relief when the music stopped after closing it.  Hooray for uninterrupted entertainment!

    The morning after my Hennessy debauchery, I felt like a new man.  I was a little groggy but overall, refreshed and alert.  Though they may have failed when it comes to taste, Hennessy must actually use quality ingredients to make their product.  My lack of a hangover stands as proof.  Maybe they just need to rethink the mixture of everything, or perhaps my taste buds just aren’t refined enough to derive pleasure from drinking Hennessy V.S, but it would take a good bit to convince me of that.  If you think you can handle it, give the stuff a try and let us know your opinion.   

Sipability - 4.0

Mixability - 6.0

Drunkability - 5.5

Hangover-ability - 9.0

Bang for the Buck - 6.0

Overall -  6.0   

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    When most people think of Cognac, thoughts of an oppressively strong flavor and a heat that burns from the tip of the tongue all the way to the pit of the stomach dominate their opinion.  Tupac Shakur, Outkast, and Busta Rhymes also come to mind as cognac has become the drink of choice in the hip-hop world.  The House of Grand Marnier launched Navan in 2004 to take advantage of the new-found popularity cognac distillers were enjoying.  However, you should not think of Navan as a gimmick designed to suck money from the wallets of those that spend too much time watching MTV.  Navan is truly a joy to drink and may change your opinion of what makes a good cognac.

     The House of Grand Marnier has been producing fruit flavor spirits ever since its distillery was founded in 1827.  The most famous of these liquors was created when Louis-Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle decided to blend a rare variety of orange, the “Citrus Bigaradia,” with cognac.  As a result, “Curacao Marnier,” or Grand Marnier as we know it today, was created.  The distillery’s newest creation, Navan, earned its name from the small town of Navana on the east side of Madagascar.  Here, the rare black vanilla is harvested and shipped back to France to be combined with the finest cognac.  The distiller’s years of experience flavoring liquors are evident as soon as the bottle is opened and the aroma of vanilla assaults your nose, but in a very pleasant way.  Pour it over some ice, take a sip, and your mouth is filled with the sweet flavors of vanilla and caramel.  The sweetness and caramel flavor linger on the palette long after the vanilla is gone.  Honestly, this liquor is a little too sweet for me to enjoy more than a couple of drinks on the rocks.  Now, add just a splash of Coke© and the situation changes entirely.  You have a creation that tastes almost exactly like vanilla coke with the bonus that is mostly 80 proof liquor.  Wade also invented a concoction that makes the drinker yearn for a beach, two palm trees, and a hammock. 

     Navan did not hit me as hard as other liquors of the same proof.  However, it did give me a very relaxed, long lasting buzz.  The downside of an 80 proof liquor with the sugar content of Navan is that you will regret exactly how easily this stuff goes down.  I woke up the next day with a horrible case of cotton mouth, and I was dehydrated all day despite the prodigious amount of water I consumed.   

     At around $46, Navan is a little on the pricey side, but you really are buying something wonderful.  Overall, Navan is fantastic whether it is simply poured over the rocks or mixed with just about anything.  Traditional cognac drinkers will probably turn their collective noses up at this flavored cognac, but all that really means is that there is more for me.

Wade’s Tropical Navan Drink:
1 part Navan
1 part unsweetened pineapple juice
1/3 part lemon juice

Sipability - 8.5

Mixability - 8.5

Drunkability - 7.0

Hangover-ability - 6.5

Bang for the Buck - 6.0

Overall - 7.5 

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