Cognac basics: VS, VSOP and XO

Cognac looks complicated because the labels use initials. They are simpler than they look.

What cognac is

Cognac is brandy, and brandy is distilled wine. Cognac specifically comes from the Cognac region of western France, is made mostly from ugni blanc grapes, is distilled twice in copper pot stills, and is aged in French oak. That is the whole definition. Armagnac is its neighbour, distilled once, a little rustier and more rustic. Brandy made anywhere else is just brandy, and some of it is very good.

The initials are age minimums

VS, sometimes called three star, means the youngest brandy in the blend spent at least two years in oak. It is bright, grapey and a little hot, which is exactly what you want in a sidecar or with ginger ale.

VSOP means the youngest component is at least four years old. This is the middle of the shelf and the most useful bottle to own: round enough to sip, still sturdy enough to mix.

XO means at least ten years. Softer, darker, with dried fig, orange peel, leather and oak. This is an after-dinner pour, not a cocktail base.

Napoléon sits between VSOP and XO at six years. XXO, where you see it, is at least fourteen.

Everything is a blend, so those numbers describe the youngest part of the blend, not the average.

Regions inside cognac

The crus, printed on better bottles, tell you where the grapes grew. Grande Champagne is the most prized, chalky soil, floral and long-lived. Petite Champagne is similar and a little lighter. Fine Champagne means a blend of the two. Borderies is rounder and nutty. Fins Bois is fruitier and matures faster. None of this is wine, despite the word Champagne; it is a soil description.

How to drink it

Neat in a tulip glass at room temperature is the traditional way, and an XO deserves it. Do not warm the glass over a flame; it burns off the aromatics.

On a large cube, a VSOP opens up nicely without losing shape.

In cocktails, a VS or VSOP is the base of a sidecar, a brandy old fashioned, a French 75 variation, or the classic mix with ginger ale and a lemon twist.

Cognac versus other brandies

Armagnac is drier and more rustic. Spanish brandy de Jerez is aged in sherry casks and comes out sweet and raisiny. American grape brandy is usually softer and made for mixing. Apple brandy and calvados are a different fruit entirely and pair beautifully with pork and autumn cooking. Pisco is unaged grape brandy from South America and belongs in sours.

Serving after dinner

Cognac is a natural with dark chocolate, coffee, blue cheese and toasted nuts. An XO with a square of 70 percent chocolate is one of the easiest good pairings there is.

Buying for a gift

Cognac gifts well because the bottles are heavy, the boxes are good and the initials tell the recipient exactly what they are holding. A VSOP is a confident everyday gift; an XO reads as an occasion.