In France, a Cognac Tasting Tour at the Source
With an alcohol by volume strength of 70 percent, the aroma alone of the eau-de-vie, the double-distilled brandy that would eventually be blended into a Cognac, was enough to make me feel tipsy. I stood in the 13th-century cellars of Delamain, a Cognac house in Jarnac, France, inhaling the sting of the colorless liquid and found myself clutching an oak cask for support.
Delamain’s master blender, Dominique Touteau, cautioned me against a taste. “Even a tiny sip will burn your throat,” he said.
I had come to the Cognac region to learn more about the eponymous spirit, and understanding this essential ingredient was part of my orientation. I’ve had a longtime association with Cognac, the drink. As a child and into my teenage years, my father occasionally made me a concoction of Cognac, honey and hot water to relieve a sore throat and clear congestion.
Excerpt taken from:
New York Times Travel
Author: Shivani Vora
