Giorgio Armani once said "to create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly focussed on the smallest detail". The same can be said in the art of creating brandy and cognac, from choosing only the best grapes for distillation and the casks chosen for the maturation of this fine spirit we enjoy. These small details ensure the ensemble of notes and flavours we experience are at their very finest, whilst not forgetting the heritage and history of brandy, the prowess of the small batches that were made for private consumption.

The forefathers of brandy paid special care so much so that the pot stills used for open flame distillation had to be perfect; choosing only the heart of the wine distilled thus leaving us with what I like to call the soul of the wine. No one brandy or cognac is the same; there are subtle differences, the undertone of one maybe dominant in the next, same can be said about palates.

It is not only the master distiller who should pay attention to detail when blending brandy or cognac but you also should and when tasting, whether you be an avid connoisseur or a newbie, pay careful attention to detail, listen to your palate, the details lie on your taste buds. Whether we enjoy the sweetness of honey or citrus or the robustness of roasted nuts and fresh brewed coffee, relentless attention to detail make or break your next brandy-cognac experience.

On that note or I should rather say palate, here’s a tipple now sip and enjoy.