Alcademics

Cognac has long been a category marketed as a luxury item like jewelry or precision watches: You don't need to know how it's made (they seem to be saying), just trust in the brand. 

But over the years, particularly in the past couple years, I've been able to learn a bit more about the category. Like whisky and later gin (anyone remember when every brand's botanical mix was a secret?), cognac brands seem to be coming around to transparency. Consumers (nerds and otherwise) want to know where their food comes from, and their booze too. 

Long story short, in this post I've pulled together some of my favorite previous cognac writing. 

All About Cognac. This post, from 2009(!) is an intro to the category. 

The Complicated Aging Process for Cognac, as Seen at Cognac Hardy. This (2015) was the first time I really got to know about how dynamic aging can be in cognac production. 

What's the Difference Between Cognac and Armagnac? A charticle.

A Visit to Merlet Cognac and Liqueurs in France. I've been to a bunch of cognac distilleries (click the cognac tag at the bottom of this post to scroll through all the cognac posts) but this one was interesting because they also make liqueurs. 

Between the Heart and the Tails, the 'Seconds'. A post dedicated to a narrow cut of cognac- and rum! 

A Fascinating Interview with Remy Martin Cognac Cellarmaster Baptiste Loiseau. A really interesting (so says me) article that gets to the heart of what interests me about cognac: It is a directed exercise; cognac is crafted, not just blended from random barrels. 

Ramping up Aromatics in Cognac: How Camus Does it.  Camus cognac showing the numbers on how they try to make their cognac aromatic. 

Cognac Hine series - A wrote a series of posts (sponsored by Hine importer Hotaling & Co) about how this brand of cognac is produced. I learned so much doing so, particularly around early landed cognac, aging conditions, and additives. 

• Cognac from grapes to wine. 
• Cognac distillation and the impact of distillation on the lees.
• Wood and barrels used for cognac.
• Aging conditions for cognac.
• The strange exception of early landed cognac.
• Dilution and Additives in Cognac.

I hope my fellow cognac nerds will take time to read through some of these.