Beginner's GuideToDrinking Cognac

Before we get into the procedure we need to know that

“All cognac is brandy but not all brandy iscognac.”

Brandy can be made from any fruit from any region but cognac is made only from grapesfrom the Cognac region in France. There are several ways to drink cognac, personally I prefer to drink it neat at room temperature. Let’s get started with the guide ,1)The first and one of the most important thing when it comes to drinking cognac is to select a proper glass. A Tulip-Shaped wine glass is an ideal choice or a snifter. A snifter is a glass thathas a wide bottom and a narrow top which is mostly used to serve brandy. The reason snifter isideal while drinking cognac is because the narrow top of the snifter will help trap the aroma of cognac inside the glass so you can enjoy each sip. There are quite expensive snifters out there butan inexpensive one will do the trick as well. If you would like to see what they look like or whereyou can purchase one, please follow this link which will take you to google results page :BuySnifter .2)Now that you have the proper glass its time to get the aged cognac age a little bit more on your hands. Most people pour cognac and start drinking it immediately which is a wrong approach todrinking cognac. To truly enjoy the taste of cognac pour a small amount, preferably 20-25 MLinto the snifter and hold the glass for about 6-10 minutes. This allows the cognac to warm slowlyand aroma stays in whereas if you start sipping right away it evaporates the aroma.3)If you buy cognac yourself you can certainly tell how long it has been aged. But if you are servedcognac at a party or a gathering you might not know how long it has been aged. There is a simpletrick to it. Once you have warmed the cognac, take a look at it and you should be able to tell theage of cognac by looking at the color (not exactly but pretty close). Lighter colors usuallysymbolize that the cognac you are holding isn’t aged for too long where as stronger colors suchas amber, gold and red suggests that the cognac has been aged longer.4)Now its time to smell it. (You are probably thinking why go through all this when you cansimply pour it and start drinking but if you truly want to enjoy one please do follow the procedure.) Now that you are able to tell the age of the cognac you are holding its time to smellthe aroma that the snifter has been holding in for you. Life up the snifter slowly close to your nose and smell the aroma which is generally known as

“montant odors”

(however we prefer using the word “aroma” instead of “odor,” but thats our personal preference)5)Now slowly bring the snifter down and swirl the cognac in the snifter. This will help you unleashany aroma that has been trapped and bring the snifter up and smell once again. You will most probably find the smell to be a little stronger than before. Usually cognac has fruit or floralaromas such as rose, pear, cherry, apricot, plum, fig, quince, grapefruit, etc.6)You are ready to take the first sip of the cognac that you have been eagerly waiting for. Makesure to take a small sip and let it slowly pass over the palate. If it is a younger cognac you willfeel that the taste is much stronger whereas older cognacs are much smoother and warmer. Onceyou develop the taste for cognac you will be able to tell what kind it is with your very first sip.You can drink cognac with tonic, ice and there are many other ways you can mix it, but like I said inthe beginning I prefer mine without any mixtures. If you really want to learn and develope a liking for