While American brandies see a modest decline,
the higher-
priced cousin moves up.
By Jack Robertiello W
hen the first barrels of brandewijn left the Charente river ports in the 17th century, the distilled spirits in those casks resulted from the innovations of Dutch shippers, French distillers and local winemakers. At that time, the spirit makers in Cognac were at the cutting edge of creating a wine-based product safe for transport.
That was a long time ago, and while the region still boasts estates and brands more than 200 years old, and an incredible range of spirits valued worldwide, the spir- it of those early years of innovation sometimes seemed to fade as producers from other regions and countries increasingly tweaked, improved and developed their wares.
But while the Cogançais may be slow to change, they are not immune to modern influences. In the past few years, the major houses have produced Cognacs incorpo- rating modern ideas in aging, taste and marketing, including Hennessy Black, Courvoisier C and Remy V, as well as wine and cognac blends including Courvoisier Gold and Courvoisier Rosé. Smaller producers have decided that the right changes will benefit them as they push into the U.S. market, with such things as 90 proof Pierre Ferrand Original Formula 1840 and lately Louis Royer Force 53, a higher proof spirit also designed for cocktail culture recently relaunched in the New York market. And new brands are appearing as well, including some driven by interest from hip-hop culture, but others, like the recently introduced D'Usse, coming from major suppliers, in this case, Bacardi's House of Otard.
Sales of top-selling Hennessy Cognac reached more than 2.2 million 9-liter cases nationally last year, a 1.4% increase. The brand's line extension, Hennessy Black, is featuring this gift box for the upcoming holidays.
18 StateWays s www.stateways.com s November/December 2012
