courvoisier XO

AFAIK, brandy does not improve once bottled, but it doesn't go bad, either, as long as it's been properly sealed and hasn't evaporated.

I have a bottle of Clos des Ducs VSOP Armagnac that was gifted to me in

1994, and I still haven't opened it. I recently rediscovered it in my cellar, and am waiting for the proper company.

So regarding age, any value assigned to it would be on account of it being an XO, and time in bottle would be irrelevant.

However, I'm willing to stand corrected.

- Chris

"Mirek" skrev i melding news: snipped-for-privacy@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...

Wrong group,actually. This is for wine. Cognac doesn't develop in bottle, like any spirit - so the value is that of a 'new' bottle - i.e. 80-100 USD. Drink if you like smooth brandy, it is not bad at all. Serve at room temperature, sip and sniff. hth Anders

great, thanks, i'll drink it :D

In news: snipped-for-privacy@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com, Mirek types these words of wisdom:

It is Cognac and I see you had some good answers from your post in the Scotch group:)

If it's the standard (=VSOP) bottling and not something better (XO, Extra etc.), don't expect too much: It's the most basic Brandy, with markedly less depth of flavor than basic Cognac.

M.

VS is the basic bottling, VSOP middle of the road, and XO is the highest. And I happen to like Armagnac better than Cognac, and would say that even basic Armagnacs have more depth of flavor than even great Cognacs.

Or does VS not exist in Armagnac, thus making VSOP the low end?

- Chris

"Chris Sprague" skrev i melding news: snipped-for-privacy@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

I'd tend to agree with you there, Chris. The dictionary says: Armagnac employs the local black oak for aging instead of the Limousin oak used for Cognac. Black oak imparts more flavor to the Armagnac and allows for faster aging. The result is that Armagnac is silky smooth but fuller-flavored than Cognac, although it generally doesn't have the finesse of the finest Cognacs. Anders