Hine Rare French Cognac, Smooth & Elegant Fine Champagne Cognac, Best Enjoyed Neat, Rare Hine Cognac, Grande & Fine Region Grapes, Fruity & Floral Cognac, 70cl, 40% ABV

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These single estate and single vintage Cognacs from the Bonneuil vineyard in Grand Champagne are about producing and demonstrating Cognacs with a wine approach. Both versions we try are aged to around 19 years old and come from the same plot, meaning the only difference is the year they were harvested (so what the grapes tastes like that year). There are around 8,000 bottles released and Rudolph, who is hosting our tasting, explains the expressions need longer ageing, but are still an interesting experiment into terroir. Nose In the simplest terms, cognac is a type of brandy produced using white grapes. Like champagne, a cognac can only be described as such if it is made in the Cognac region, located in France’s southwest. The grape juice is double-distilled in copper stills to produce a young spirit called eau de vie (water of life), which is then aged in oak casks. Those casks must be either brand new (virgin casks) or previously used to age cognac. Compare this with the Scotch whisky industry, which can use casks previously used to age a variety of other spirits, like bourbon or even tequila. Fortune favours the bold, however, and not only did Hine find himself imprisoned in the middle of Cognac country, in an established Cognac house, he also found himself in the good company of Françoise-Elisabeth, the daughter of his hosts. He went on to marry her (downright cheeky, if you ask me), but he assumed the family business from her father and gave it his own name in 1817. Cognac, like other brown spirits, is shaking off its reputation as an old man’s drink. Today, US demand for the luxurious spirit is growing at a rate producers can barely keep up with. The best cognac brands have successfully caught the attention of a younger generation that is more in tune with what true luxury looks and feels like.

Hine Cognac : The Whisky Exchange

The house uses grapes grown in the Grande Champagne, shunning mass-market VS (two-year) and VSOP (four-year) cognacs to focus its efforts on producing prestigious XO. Its ethos is not just to protect the heritage of cognac but to resist the general pressures of a speed-obsessed world. Great balance and length carry different sensations to an impressive, very pleasant finish. There are some orchards thrown into the overall picture, sweet leather, and a final glimpse of the exceptional base wine character that is so typical for the house of Hine. Whilst the Bonneuil Single Estate bottlings were about terroir and vintage, these next two speak to ageing. Aged 25 years, these are still young by Cognac standards, meaning that there isn’t too much oak interaction from the barrels. This “Early Landed” edition has been aged in the UK where humidity is higher and constant, and temperature lower and constant compared to Jarnac, meaning less oxidation, less Angel Share loss and slower maturation. Nose How have they done it? While the precise rules that dictate the production of cognac remain the same, the brands have successfully followed the zeitgeist by partnering with fashionable thought leaders such as Kim Jones and Lee Broom.

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Hine Rare VSOP is a blend of around twenty eaux-de-vie from Grande and Petite Champagne grapes. Their expertise ensures that the original, delicate flavour from the grapes persists through the distilling, ageing and blending process. Suave yet delicate Since that dramatic arrival to the Château de Jarnac estate, Thomas Hine & Co has seen six generations of the Hine family succeed one another as head of the company. Yet, its greatest honour was surely bestowed in 1962, when the House of Hine was awarded a Royal Warrant by Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II. To this day Hine remains the only official supplier of Cognac to the British monarchy. Dramatically different on the nose to the 2006! Much richer with dates and raisins combining with red cherries. Taste

Hine Rare The Original Cognac : The Whisky Exchange

A fresh, fruity, and rather elegant opening is dominated by red apple, apricots – almost like apricot jam – and a touch of brioche. The luscious aromas of yeast and sweet dough, slightly toasted, offer another nuance with a sprinkle of caster sugar and a caramelized finish. This Cognac offers a very elegant, floral complexity, elevated by a gentle whiff of olibanum. Hine Rare comes in the classic-looking, iconically shaped bottle that is typical for Thomas Hine & Co. It’s a worthy presentation for a beautiful spirit, which offers tremendous value for money. Closing Thoughts Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. On the banks of the river Charente is Jarnac, where in 1763 began the adventure of Hine. Two and a half centuries after Thomas Hine’s founding journey from Dorset, the historic cellars of the 16 quai de l’Orangerie see their doors opening. A solid all around well balanced XO. I found much of the typical Grande Champagne notes - candied orangey fruits, creamy chocolate, peaches, elegant vanilla and spice.This special edition Cognac has been produced by cellar master, Eric Forget, using a blend of 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1987 “Early Landed” Grande Champagne Cognacs that were matured in the UK, as well as some XO Cognac from Hine’s cellars in Jarnac. Nose Matching the nose, the Homage is fuller on the palate with lovely fresh orange oils, pepper spice, hints of nutmeg and a rich prune ending. Suggested Serve