A FINE COGNAC

After an especially special six-course dinner at Emeril’s Delmonico in New Orleans complete with complementary wines, I strolled into the bar to stretch my legs and allow my meal to digest. I was thinking that a snifter of cognac might aid my digestion and perused the bottles lined up behind the bar. One, in a beautifully shaped bottle, caught my eye.

The bartender brought it over to me and explained that this Kelt Petra Cognac (a Grande Champagne Cognac) has an interesting story behind its aging.

According to Kelt:

“Traditionally, spirits merchants shipped their cognacs in oak barrels and it was discovered that the cognac developed significantly during a long sea journey. With the age of branding cognac started to be bottled at the source for practical reasons. This meant that the benefits of the sea voyage disappeared as cognac does not mature once it is bottled. We now revive that old tradition of sending our Grande Champagne Cognacs on a three-month sea voyage around the world. This voyage brings out the unique flavors and aromas and produces the unmistakable elegant roundness that is Tour du Monde.

History does not relate the secret as to why the cognac develops in such a remarkable way during a long sea voyage. Some say that it is the constant movement of the liquid, caused by the rolling of the sea that brings out the hidden qualities in the cognac. Others claim that it is the temperature and pressure variations that persuade the lining of the oak wood to part with its most delicate qualities. The theories are many but the verdict is unanimous on the result—the Tour du Monde renders our cognac a remarkable quality.”

Not only did I get a delightful cognac, but a good story as well—a perfect ending to a lovely evening.

Filed Under: Culinary History