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Whiskey Connoisseurs know the value of a good whiskey and are ready to shell out good money for a taste of the extraordinary ones.<br /><br /> Single malt is malt whisky from a single distillery and is typically associated with single malt Scotch while Cognac is made by distilling wine for a second time to make a clear 70 per cent alcohol known as “eau de vie” or fruit brandy. <br /><br /> In India, an 18-year old Single Malt scotch can start from Rs. 5000 while a great sipping cognac can start at Rs. 8000 because of its rarity and production process. <br /><br /><strong>Seeped in history and tradition<br /><br /></strong> In the town of Cognac, in the department of Charente, <keyword id="6354785" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="france">France</keyword> is a cognac that has its roots dating back to 1874, when <keyword id="227679" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="remy-martin">Remy Martin</keyword> himself designed a glass flask as a vessel. This vessel was named after <keyword id="5950695" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="king-louis-xiii">King Louis XIII</keyword> who encouraged the sale of ‘eau de vie’ under his reign.<br /><br /> Since then each generation of Cellar Master is entrusted with the responsibility of taking the tradition forward by selecting in the House’s cellars the oldest and greatest eaux-de-vie for the yearly <keyword id="853096" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="louis-xiii">Louis XIII</keyword> collection. <br /><br /><strong>Ten decades of opulence<br /></strong><br /> Today, Baptiste <keyword id="5565018" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="loiseau">Loiseau</keyword><sup>, </sup>the current Cellar Master selects the house’s best eaux-de-vie to age which can be used to create the Louis XIII blend in next 100 years. The final blend is composed of up to 1,200 eaux-de-vie, 100% from Grande Champagne which is the first vineyard region of the Cognac region in France.<br /><br /> When I got the opportunity to try the ultimate luxurious cognac by Remy Martin which sells at Rs. 2 Lakhs and above in India, I was curious to say the least. Mr. Loiseau guided me into the experience by telling stories entailing the journey of the bottle and his own life which revolves around carrying tradition over centuries. The fact that his work in creating the next batch of this exquisite liqueur will be tasted by patrons in the next century is a honor that he wears proudly during the tasting.  <br /><br /><strong>Experiencing a lifetime  <br /></strong><br /> Starting with the bottle, the Louis XIII is a piece of art and retains its design which has been passed on for generations. As we popped open the bottle carefully I noticed the hand-crafted crystal bottle that features French royalty symbols and a 21-carat <keyword id="18712" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gold">gold</keyword> neck. The glasses that accompany the bottle are also hand-crafted and are designed for the eaux-de-vie itself.<br /><br /> In the first sniff the 100-year old brandy wakes you up by its strong aroma. In the first sip, it stings your throat and you are overwhelmed with different flavors. When you sniff the brandy after that, it smells fruity with hints of rose, plums and honey. The next sip tastes of spices such as thyme coupled with ginger and passion fruit. It truly is an roller coaster experience for the senses.<br /><br /> Baptiste Loiseau, Cellar Master, House of Remy Martin told Business Insider, “Louis XIII is crafted for celebrations and at every sip you will enjoy the taste differently as it takes over your palette and your nose. The carefully crafted eaux-de-vie is matured in oak casks from French forests which maintain the balance with the air and the wood. The casks cannot be replaced just like the maturation method and this is what makes the Louis XIII so special as an experience.”<br /><br /> Every year, the Cellar Master selects the batch of Louis XIII that can be created and as it is a natural process dependent on the weather, the soil and the casket, only the next chosen master at the turn of the century knows when its ready to be experienced.<br />

What it's like tasting the Louis XIII de Remy Martin which is priced starting Rs. 2 lakhs

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Katie Warren/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">Cognac experts now say the best way to drink it is from a "tulip" glass.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>The best way to drink <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/cognac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cognac</a> is no longer from the traditional "balloon" glass.</li><li>According to a Cognac expert and tour guide at the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/hennessy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hennessy</a> distillery in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/france" target="_blank" rel="noopener">France</a>, the best glass is actually a "tulip" glass because it allows the aroma to get to your nose.</li><li>Experts used to suggest balloon-shaped glasses because it was thought that the warmth from the drinker's hand enhanced the taste of Cognac, but now they say it can dull the complex aromas of the spirit.</li><li>If you're drinking Cognac on the rocks, however, you should use a tumbler glass.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The best way to drink Cognac is no longer from the traditional balloon-shaped glass, but rather a tulip-shaped glass, according to a Cognac expert I talked to at the <a href="http://www.pntrs.com/t/TUJGRk5HTUJGSEhLR01CRkxGRUtJ?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reservebar.com%2Fcollections%2Fhennessy&amp;sid=bi_020719_best-way-to-drink-hennesy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hennessy</a> distillery in France. </p><p>On a recent trip to France, I made a 24-hour stop in Cognac, a small town about a five-hour drive from Paris that's famous for being the birthplace of the spirit. Hennessy, one of the major Cognac houses, was founded in 1765 and offers guided tours and tastings at its headquarters on the banks of the Charente River. It was on one of these tours that I met <span>Gwendoline Poirier, a Cognac expert and tour guide at <a href="http://www.pntrs.com/t/TUJGRk5HTUJGSEhLR01CRkxGRUtJ?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reservebar.com%2Fcollections%2Fhennessy&amp;sid=bi_020719_best-way-to-drink-hennesy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hennessy</a>, who walked us through how Cognac is made and the best way to drink it. </span></p><p><span>With a tulip glass, "you can really enjoy the color thanks to the shape and for the aroma to get to your nose," Poirier told me as we tasted different types of Cognac.</span></p><p><span>Cognac, which is made from grapes, is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-difference-between-cognac-and-brandy-drinks-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the oldest spirits in the world</a>. The only thing that differentiates it from Brandy is that Cognac must be made in the Cognac region of France, as Business Insider's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/alison-millington" data-e2e-name="byline-author-name">Alison Millington</a> previously reported.</span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Katie Warren/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">Gwendoline Poirier, a Cognac expert and tour guide at the Hennessy distillery in France.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>With the traditional balloon glass, "<span>the goal was to heat your Cognac," Poirier said. "Today, it's not something we are advising anymore because generally when you're heating your Cognac, you will feel the alcohol more and the aromas less."</span></p><p><em><strong>Read more: </strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-difference-between-cognac-and-brandy-drinks-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This is the difference between Cognac and brandy, and 6 other things you didn't know about the grape-based drink</a></em></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Sergei Malgavko\TASS via Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Cognac was traditionally served in a balloon-shaped glass.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>But you shouldn't feel limited to only drinking Cognac neat.</p><p><span>"You can taste it neat, on the rocks, in long drinks, and cocktails," Poirier said. </span></p><p><span>In fact, <a href="http://www.pntrs.com/t/TUJGRk5HTUJGSEhLR01CRkxGRUtJ?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reservebar.com%2Fcollections%2Fhennessy&amp;sid=bi_020719_best-way-to-drink-hennesy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cognac producers such as Hennessy</a> are encouraging people to drink the spirit in cocktails to make it seem more trendy and accessible, she said. </span><span>Poirier noted that if you're drinking Cognac with ice, the best glass to use is a tumbler.</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/roger-stone-donald-trump-richard-nixon-2017-2">Roger Stone explains what Trump has in common with Richard Nixon</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

I visited the Hennessy distillery in Cognac, France, and an expert told me the best way to drink the spirit is no longer in the traditional glass

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Katie Warren/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">I tried three kinds of Hennessy Cognac: VS, VSOP Privilege, and XO.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>I recently visited the Hennessy distillery in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/cognac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cognac</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/france" target="_blank" rel="noopener">France</a>, where a cognac expert and tour guide explained the best ways to drink three different types of the spirit.</li><li>The younger types of cognacs, VS and VSOP, can be used in a variety of different ways, including in cocktails.</li><li>But the <a href="https://www.clos19.com/en-us/hennessy-xo-bottle-p-100352" target="_blank" rel="noopener">XO, or "Extra Old," aged for a minimum of 10 years</a>, should be drunk either neat or on ice.</li><li>To open up the aroma of a cognac, you can add a bit of cold water if you're drinking it neat.</li></ul><p> </p><p>I recently visited the Hennessy distillery in Cognac, France, a small town about a five-hour drive from Paris. H<span>ennessy, one of the major cognac houses, was founded in 1765 and offers guided tours and tastings at its headquarters on the banks of the Charente River.</span></p><p><span>On one of these tours, cognac expert and tour guide Gwendoline Poirier explained the best ways to drink three different types of cognac.</span></p><p><span>With Poirier, I tried three different types of Hennessy cognac: VS, VSOP Privilege, and XO. </span></p><h2><span>How to drink VS cognac</span></h2><p><span>The youngest Hennessy cognac, <a href="https://www.clos19.com/en-us/hennessy-vs-bottle-p-100348#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VS or "Very Special," is aged between two and eight years</a> and is "<a href="https://www.hennessy.com/us/collection/vs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the world's most popular cognac,</a>" according to Hennessy.</span></p><p><span>Poirier described the taste as "fresh fruits, grapes, and citrus flavors. And after, I can feel more vanilla flavors, toasted almonds, creme brulée, these types of aromas."</span></p><p>You can drink the VS in a variety of different ways, <span>Poirier said.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Katie Warren/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">Gwendoline Poirier, a Cognac expert and tour guide at the Hennessy distillery in France.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>One of these ways is in a cocktail such as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/summit-cocktail/10527/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.387bae3ae036" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Summit, which includes lemonade, ginger, and lime</a>. In France, a professional committee in charge of communications for cognac is encouraging more people to try such drinks.</span></p><p><span>"They're the ones starting to talk about this cocktail and make it a little bit more trendy and something quite easy to drink and to make at home," Poirier said.</span></p><p><span>You can also, of course, drink it neat or with ice, she said, but it will taste a bit stronger than the longer-aged cognacs.</span></p><h2><span>How to drink VSOP Privilege cognac</span></h2><p><span>The next cognac, VSOP Privilege, which is aged for at least four years on average, is also used in cocktails. At my tasting, I tried a drink called the Sazerac. To make it, a tumbler glass is first "washed" with absinthe, which was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/afp-absinthe-artists-muse-makes-comeback-100-years-after-ban-2015-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">once blamed for driving drinkers to insanity</a>.</span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-strongest-drinks-in-the-world-2017-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><span></span></p><p><span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"[Absinthe] is very powerful, so you won't be able to feel the other ingredients if you have it in the blend," Poirier said.</span></span></p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-strongest-drinks-in-the-world-2017-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">These are the strongest drinks around the world</a></em></p><p>The Sazerac also includes ginseng, cinnamon and other spices, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters. My cocktail also had a non-traditional ingredient: oolong tea, in celebration of the Chinese New Year, which was coming up at the time of my visit.</p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Katie Warren/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption"> I tried the Sazerac cocktail, which is served in a tumbler glass rinsed with absinthe and includes Hennessy VSOP Privilege, ginseng, cinnamon, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters. </p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><h2><span>How to drink XO cognac</span></h2><p><span>When you level up to the older <a href="https://www.hennessy.com/us/collection/xo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hennessy XO, or "Extra Old,</a>" which is aged for at least 10 years, you want to drink it either neat or on the rocks, Poirier said. When drinking it neat, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-way-to-drink-cognac-glass-shape-neat-cocktails-2019-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">you should use a tulip-shaped glass,</a></span><span> which allows you to "really enjoy the color thanks to the shape and for the aroma to get to your nose," Poirier told me.</span></p><p><span>But if you're drinking your cognac with ice, a tumbler glass is best.</span></p><p><span>You can also simply add cold water to your cognac.</span></p><p><span>"</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Water will create a sort of explosion of the molecules, of the aromas, so it's easier to find the aromas," Poirier said. "Even the tasting committees are always adding a bit of water." </span></p><p><span>According to Poirier, the most important thing is to enjoy cognac however you like it.</span></p><p><span>"</span>We don't like to tell people, 'OK, this is the good thing, this is the bad thing. This, yes. This, no,'" she said. "It's more advice ... Otherwise, just have fun." </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-find-best-tasting-high-quality-chocolate-2017-10">There's a simple test to figure out if you're eating high-quality chocolate</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

A Hennessy expert in France told me the best way to drink 3 different types of cognac, from mixing it in an absinthe-rinsed glass to adding cold water

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Liz and Dave Murphy left their 9-to-5 jobs and traded their city home for a 17th-century hamlet.</li><li>They split the cost of the site with Liz Murphy's mother and her husband, paying 215,000 euros each.</li></ul><p><em>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Liz Murphy, a 45-year-old owner of Lac de Maison, a 17th-century French hamlet and holiday rental. The following has been edited for length and clarity.</em></p><p>My husband, Dave, and I traded our detached house in Manchester for a 17th-century village in the French countryside in pursuit of a better quality of life.</p><p>We both had 9-to-5 jobs in copywriting and marketing, and life had become a mad rush of food, baths, and bedtime.</p><p>When COVID hit, we were both furloughed. It allowed us to reflect on our lives, and we realized how much time we'd missed with our kids, Charlotte and Tom, then 6 and 9.</p><p>On a whim in August 2020, we began looking at gîte businesses — vacation-rental homes in France — that were available to purchase. We dreamed about escaping to the French countryside.</p><div type="image" title="Lac de Maison, a 17th century French hamlet and holiday rental" height="1004" width="754" msid="101725850" hostid="261" sizebytes="142906"></div><p>We'd need a property with at least two gîtes to rent and two additional houses: one for our family and one for my mom, Helen, and her husband, Terry.</p><p>By September we'd found 10 locations that met our requirements. Luckily, COVID-19 travel restrictions had lifted that month, so we flew to France and visited several sites.</p><p>As soon as we pulled up the drive of <a href="https://www.lac-de-maison.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lac de Maison</a>, a three-acre farmstead in the peaceful countryside of the Poitou-Charentes region, we knew it was the one.</p><div type="image" title="Lac de Maison, a 17th century French village" height="1476" width="2784" msid="101725851" hostid="261" sizebytes="100142"></div><p>The 500-year-old hamlet comprised an owner's home and three operational gîtes, with other derelict buildings on the site that could be renovated into additional gîtes. It also had a beautiful garden with chickens and goats.</p><p>We canceled the rest of our viewings and made an offer that day. We split the cost of the hamlet with my mom and her husband, who were joining us. The hamlet cost 430,000 euros in total. We paid 215,000 euros.</p><p>We financed the purchase by selling our house in England. Any profits beyond the price of the property went toward renovations.</p><div type="image" title="Lac de Maison, a 17th century French hamlet and holiday rental" height="1002" width="1326" msid="101725852" hostid="261" sizebytes="217772"></div><p>Though we finalized the property purchase on December 15, 2020, we didn't begin physically moving to France until January 2021.</p><p>During that time, Brexit happened, changing all the rules and turning our move into a flurry of passports and spreadsheets.</p><p>The move cost us around 6,000 euros. But by the beginning of 2021, all six of us were in France.</p><h2>We renovated 2 buildings while running the business</h2><p>Our family moved into the biggest gîte, while Mom and Terry took the old owner's home.</p><p>Two weeks in, Mom and Terry realized that space wasn't suited to their purposes. And though we hadn't budgeted for it initially, they decided to pay for a renovation.</p><div type="image" title="Lac de Maison, a 17th century French hamlet and holiday rental" height="1798" width="2500" msid="101725854" hostid="261" sizebytes="319144"></div><p>What started as a new bathroom became a complete overhaul, down to the bricks. Mom and Terry returned to the UK for about eight months while we completed the work.</p><p>We saved money by doing any labor we could — plaster, floor, roofs — an experience with a learning curve.</p><p>We'd purchased the property knowing the previous owners had a couple of bookings for spring and five or six for the summer, including the gîte we were living in. So when Mom and Terry left, we moved into their house.</p><p>We stayed in that house until the construction was so extensive that we had to move into a camper on the property that spring.</p><div type="image" title="Lac de Maison, a 17th century French hamlet and holiday rental" height="1526" width="2864" msid="101725855" hostid="261" sizebytes="165572"></div><p>At the same time, we began hosting guests — the first experience either Dave or I had in hospitality.</p><p>The learning curve was steep, but since we both love people and had been on holiday before, we knew the kind of experience we wanted to deliver.</p><p>By advertising where French people look for their holidays, we generated enough bookings to stay afloat. We also decided to remain open in the winter, when the property had previously not been open.</p><p>All this was in preparation for renovating an old ruined barn into a four-bedroom gîte and taking over one of the existing gîtes as our home.</p><div type="image" title="Lac de Maison, a 17th century French hamlet and holiday rental" height="1010" width="746" msid="101725857" hostid="261" sizebytes="60720"></div><p>In January 2022, we braced ourselves for a loss of income as we took the large gîte off the market, moved into it, and began construction on the ruin.</p><p>This shell of a building had been empty for over 100 years — no rooms, no electricity, and no water.</p><div type="image" title="Lac de Maison, a 17th century French hamlet and holiday rental" height="1800" width="2390" msid="101725858" hostid="261" sizebytes="202822"></div><p>Like with Mom and Terry's house, we did as much of the work as possible. We kept the original floors, and over nearly 10 months we turned everything around them into a new third gîte.</p><p>While we exceeded our 80,000 euro budget, it's been worth the investment. Today all three gîtes are fully occupied seven days a week from May through the beginning of September and every weekend the rest of the year.</p><div type="image" title="Lac de Maison, a 17th century French hamlet and holiday rental" height="1800" width="2374" msid="101725861" hostid="261" sizebytes="214894"></div><p>We're done renovating for now, but we continue to make minor tweaks to our residence, transforming it from a rental cottage into our home.</p><h2>Life in the countryside is wonderful</h2><p>This old farmstead is so different from our neighborhood in the UK. Our nearest neighbors are a quarter-mile, not a doorstep, away.</p><p>A bigger village is just a bit down the road where the kids go to school. There's also a movie theater, a library, and a café.</p><p>The kids have been in a French school since day one. For the first six months they despised us, the school — the whole enterprise. Two and a half years later, they're both thriving and fluent.</p><div type="image" title="Lac de Maison, a 17th century French hamlet and holiday rental" height="988" width="1508" msid="101725864" hostid="261" sizebytes="327158"></div><p>Dave and I were lucky to meet the wife of our builder, a lovely English-French lady who helped us navigate the French bureaucracy — what I found to be the most challenging part of this entire process.</p><p>For example, you must fill out forms to reregister your child for the same school, with the same teacher, every year, even if nothing changes. I think it's just because the French like paperwork.</p><div type="image" title="Lac de Maison, a 17th century French hamlet and holiday rental" height="956" width="1268" msid="101725865" hostid="261" sizebytes="215222"></div><h2>The B-and-B business allows us to live comfortably</h2><p>We didn't move to France to make money. We know we'll never be able to make as much here as we did with our big jobs in the city.</p><p>But life is just better here. We can be there as our kids and my mom and Terry grow older. This business allows us to put family first.</p><p>We essentially traded the value of our house in Manchester for Lac de Maison, and in the countryside your money goes so much further. We don't have to buy eggs — we've got them on-site.</p><p>We knew that for the first two years we'd break even. This year we can save the money we're making in the summer to keep our income steady during the slower but still occupied winter months.</p><div type="image" title="Lac de Maison, a 17th century French hamlet and holiday rental" height="1798" width="2380" msid="101725867" hostid="261" sizebytes="347544"></div><p>With no more construction planned, we'll hopefully start to reap the rewards of the money we've plowed into the business next year.</p><p>We've had our ups and downs, but it's been 100% worth it. Moving to France is the best decision we've ever made.</p>

My husband and I quit our jobs and bought a 500-year-old hamlet in the French countryside. Here's how we transformed it into a successful rental business and our dream home.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Brandy is any distilled spirit made from fermented fruit juice.</li><li>Cognac is a specific type of barrel-aged brandy made in the Cognac region of France.</li><li>Brandy is often sipped neat as an after-dinner drink, but is also used in many classic <keyword id="11897441" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cocktails" source="Orion">cocktails</keyword>. </li></ul><p>In the world of spirits and cocktails, brandy and cognac are sometimes lost in the mix. Despite being one of the oldest and most diverse spirits in the world, there's still a bit of confusion as to what brandy actually is and how to drink it.</p><p>"It's a very broad term, and there are many expressions of brandy," says veteran bartender and cocktail instructor <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/AndersErickson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anders Erickson</a>. Brandy has been distilled for centuries starting in Europe and has since spread all over the world, creating new distilling traditions and distinct stylistic variations. </p><p>With Erickson's help, we'll take you on a quick tour through the world of brandy and cognac and why these fruit-forward, aged spirits need to be marked on your map.</p><h2><strong>What is brandy?</strong></h2><p><strong></strong></p><div type="image" title="Close up of grapes on their vine." height="1414" width="2121" msid="90298387" hostid="261"></div><p>To put it simply, brandy is a distilled spirit made from fermented fruit juice. Brandy is mostly made from grapes, but there are brandies made from apples, pears, plums, and other types of fruit, all of which have their own distinct character and flavor.</p><p>"It's like taking wine to the next level by distilling it," Erickson says. The distillation process concentrates the wine, increasing the alcohol content and removing some or most of the water present in the fermented fruit. </p><p>"The historic home of the best brandy is France," Erickson says. "The regions of Cognac, Armagnac and Calvados in the North of France are the meccas of brandy." </p><p>Because it was first distilled from grapes, there are traditions of brandy distillation all over Europe's wine-producing regions, like Spain and Italy, and throughout the rest of the world as well. Regions rich with apple and pear orchards, like Northern France, are also natural homes for brandy distillation.</p><p>Brandy isn't always aged, but the most popular and recognizable styles are aged for years in wooden barrels. Aging adds an amber or brown color and added flavor notes of caramel and vanilla. </p><p>"For a brown, aged spirit, brandies tend to drink a bit sweeter and softer than whiskies in most cases," Erickson says. "You do get a hint of fruitiness and tartness from the fruit they're made of, too." </p><h2><strong>What is cognac? </strong></h2><p><strong></strong></p><div type="image" title="Person holding a glass of cognac in front of wine vines." height="1414" width="2119" msid="90298389" hostid="261"></div><p>Cognac is a specific type of brandy, just like <a href="https://www.insider.com/bourbon-vs-whiskey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bourbon</a> is a style of whiskey. Named after the Cognac region of France, this style of aged brandy is among the most revered in the world. </p><p>Cognac is prized for its smooth and soft character and the high quality grapes it's distilled from. "It's an extension of wine, in that you can still taste the grape in it. Other types of brandy don't always offer a hint of the fruit they're made from," Erickson says. "In some ways, cognac is the gold standard of brandy." </p><p>France has enacted strict quality standards to preserve the integrity of cognac and its reputation as one of the finest styles of brandy available. French law dictates that it can only be produced in the state of Charente in the Cognac region. Cognac must also be distilled from white grapes only. It's required to be distilled twice and aged for a minimum of two years in French oak barrels. </p><p>"There are different tiers, or grades, based on how long each Cognac has been aged," Erickson says. Since the aging process has such a profound effect on color, flavor and price, it's helpful to understand what each grade means when shopping for cognac.</p><table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 132px;" border="1"><tbody><tr style="height: 22px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 22px;">Cognac age grade</td><td style="width: 50%; height: 22px;">Meaning</td></tr><tr style="height: 22px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 22px;">V.S.</td><td style="width: 50%; height: 22px;">Aged two to four years</td></tr><tr style="height: 22px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 22px;">V.S.O.P.</td><td style="width: 50%; height: 22px;">Aged four to six years.</td></tr><tr style="height: 22px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 22px;">Napoléon</td><td style="width: 50%; height: 22px;">Aged six to ten years</td></tr><tr style="height: 22px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 22px;">X.O</td><td style="width: 50%; height: 22px;">Aged at least ten years</td></tr></tbody></table><h3><strong>Hennessy is a brand of cognac</strong></h3><p>Hennessy is the most familiar brand of cognac in the world. The brand's labels account for over 40% of the global cognac market. "They're a very old brand, they've been producing cognac continuously since the 1700s," Erickson says.</p><p>Hennessy, along with Rémy Martin and Courvoisier, are the three most accessible and popular brands of cognac available globally. "A lot of people think of cognac as those three brands," Erickson says. "But there are lots of smaller distilleries making affordable and high quality cognacs too." </p><p><strong>Quick tip:</strong> Erickson recommends the Maison Rouge V.S.O.P. as a less expensive alternative to pricier, big-name cognacs.</p><h2><strong>Other types of brandy </strong></h2><p>Brandy is a very diverse family of spirits that goes beyond cognac. "There are a number of styles and ways to make brandy," Erickson says. "Every producing region has their own traditions." </p><p>There are as many different styles of brandy as there are places it's made. Brandy de Jerez from Spain, Raki or Rakia in the Balkans and Mediterranean, and the grape-based Italian grappa are all standouts. There are also many brandies produced in California's wine country by large and craft distillers alike. Here is a quick rundown of some of the most well known styles of brandy.</p><p><strong>Eau de vie: </strong>French for "water of life," eau de vie is a term that describes unaged brandy. Eau de vie is a clear spirit made to showcase the ripeness and freshness of the fruits used to produce it. This term is sometimes used to describe the fruit-based distillate before it is barrel aged.</p><p><strong>Armagnac: </strong>Armagnac is a popular style of French brandy distilled in the Armagnac region Gascony, Southwestern France. It's similar to cognac, but since it is produced in a different region with different traditions, has a different protected name. Compared to cognac production, armagnac brandies are produced by much smaller distilleries in smaller amounts more for local consumption.</p><p><strong>Calvados: </strong>Made in the Calvados region of Normandy, Calvados is a French apple brandy distilled from hard apple cider. Along with Cognac and Armagnac, Calvados is a legally protected style of brandy.</p><p><strong>Pisco: </strong>Pisco is a South American grape brandy made in Peru and Chile. Peru has more strict laws dictating the production of pisco, which leads to a more consistent and high quality product. Looser regulations in Chile allow for more variation and experimentation.</p><p><strong>Applejack: </strong>Similar to calvados, Applejack is an American apple brandy that was first distilled in the late 1600s. Laird's was the first distillery to make American Applejack and is the premiere brand to this day.</p><h2><strong>Common ways to drink brandy and cognac</strong></h2><p><strong></strong></p><div type="image" title="Photo of a sidecar cocktail with a dark background." height="1414" width="2121" msid="90298390" hostid="261"></div><p>Because of its inherent sweetness, brandy and cognac are often served as a <em>digestif</em> – an after dinner drink. "The iconic way to drink brandy is neat in a big snifter glass," Erickson says. "But it's also great served on the rocks and mixes incredibly well in cocktails."</p><p>"In a lot of senses, I think brandy is undervalued in the mixing world," Erickson says. "It's great at rounding out and softening other spirits in drinks or even swapping them out entirely." The most well-known cognac-based cocktail is the Sidecar, which mixes cognac with dry Curacao and lemon juice.</p><p>"Brandy and cognac were often used in classic cocktails from New Orleans," Erickson says. Golden age drinks like the Sazerac were originally made with cognac before shortages led to the base spirit being switched to rye whiskey.</p><h2><strong>Insider's takeaway </strong></h2><p>Brandy is a wide-ranging and diverse category of spirits distilled from fermented fruit. The most recognizable style of brandy is cognac, a barrel-aged grape brandy produced in France under strict legal conditions. Although grape brandies from France get most of the attention, brandy is produced all over the world and has many unique expressions, like South American Pisco and American Applejack.</p>

What's the difference between cognac and brandy? How cognac differs from other types of brandy

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Footballer Ada Hegerberg was asked if she could twerk when she picked up world soccer's greatest individual prize.</li><li>She said no, and was laughed off stage by presenter Martin Solveig, who asked the question.</li><li>The incident provoked outrage across the soccer industry.</li><li>But Hegerberg says she does not consider the incident to be "sexual harassment."</li><li>She said she was simply happy to make history by becoming the first woman to win the prize.</li></ul><p>The sports world may be furious about Monday night's events, but Norwegian footballer Ada Hegerberg says she doesn't think being asked to twerk after receiving her Ballon d'Or trophy was "sexual harassment."</p><p>Hegerberg became the inaugural Women's Ballon d'Or winner at a glitzy awards ceremony on Monday.</p><p>Shortly after receiving her trophy, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/martin-solveig-asks-first-female-ballon-dor-winner-ada-hegerberg-to-twerk-2018-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she was asked if she could twerk by presenter DJ Martin Solveig.</a> When she said "no," he laughed her off stage.</p><p>The incident left 2018 FIFA World Cup winner Kylian <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/kylian-mbappe-stunned-ada-hegerberg-13683081" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mbappé visibly gobsmacked</a> and provoked outrage across the soccer industry.</p><p>Sports Illustrated journalist Grant Wahl said Martin Solveig's twerk question was <a href="https://twitter.com/GrantWahl/status/1069710321214996481" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"absolute trash."</a></p><p>The United States women's national team midfielder Lindsey Horan <a href="https://twitter.com/Lindseyhoran11/status/1069724313866055681" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was also critical of Solveig, and tweeted</a>: "This is an absolute joke. Unbelievable. She just won the first ever Ballon d'Or for women."</p><p>Horan then congratulated Hegerberg, and added: "You do not want this bs."</p><p><strong>Footage of the incident was posted on Twitter:</strong></p><p>Hegerberg herself has since said that Solveig approached her after the ceremony to apologise, adding that she was happy to make history by becoming the first ever women's Ballon d'Or champion - the first woman to be recognised by France Football as the best on the planet.</p><p>"He came to me afterwards and was really sad that it went that way," she said, <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/no-womens-ballon-dor-winner-ada-hegerberg-shuts-down-dj/w3b8yurxqhn91pa453uc2j4i8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the soccer website Goal.com</a>. "I didn't really consider it a sexual harassment or anything in the moment."</p><p>Hegerberg then said she was "just happy" to have won the Ballon d'Or "to be honest."</p><p><strong>Hegerberg also posted this photograph to her social media followers on Twitter:</strong></p><p>Hegerberg plays as a striker for Olympique Lyonnais and scored an astonishing 42 goals in 25 games in all competitions for the French team in the 2017-2018 season.</p><p>Her exploits in the attack helped the Lyon team win the Division 1 championship and the UEFA Women's Champions League.</p><p>Hegerberg and Lyon are next in action in a Division 1 match against Soyaux-Charente on Saturday, December 8.</p><div></div><div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/psychology-trick-curb-appetite-lose-weight-2016-8">A Harvard psychologist reveals the secret to curbing your appetite</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Ada Hegerberg says the Ballon d'Or twerk controversy was not 'sexual harassment,' and she was just happy to win

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><p class="source">REUTERS/Regis Duvignau</p><p class="caption">Janick Fetard, zoo keeper, gives a cricket to a tamarin monkey at the family-owned Palmyre Zoo in the 18 hectares (44 acres) pine forest of Les Mathes, in the Charente Maritime region, western France, November 20, 2013.</p></div><p></p></div>Stocks closed in the red for the fifth straight trading session.</p>
<p>First, the scoreboard:</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong>Dow:</strong> 15,821.4 (--68.3, -0.4%)</span><br /><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong></strong></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong>S&amp;P 500:</strong> 1,785.0  (-7.7, -0.4%)</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong>Nasdaq:</strong> 4,033.1  (-4.8, -0.1%)</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">And now the top stories</span>:</p>
<ul>
<li>A round of surprisingly strong economic data ironically may have been the cause of today's sell-off. "The key risks to markets are US growth being too strong (leading to earlier-than- expected tapering), China growth surprising on the downside, too much corporate spending (bad for margins and depreciation charges) and a European political event," <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/unexpected-risk-to-stocks-2013-12">said Credit Suisse's Andrew Garthwaite earlier this week</a>.</li>
<li>Weekly <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/initial-jobless-claims-nov-30-2013-2013-12">initial jobless claims fell to 298,000</a>. This is down from last week's 321,000, which was revised up from an earlier reading of 316,000. The 4-week moving average fell to 322,250 from 330,000 a week ago. "While we continue to note that the tone in the initial claims data has been steadily improving over the past few months, we believe that seasonal volatility has recently led the data to overstate the true voracity of labor market improvement," said TD Securities Gennadity Goldberg.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/q3-us-gdp-second-estimate-2013-12">Q3 GDP growth</a> was revised up to +3.6% from the BEA's preliminary estimate of 2.8%. This was also well ahead of the 3.1% expected by economists.  "However, the big story was the upward revision in inventories," noted BI's Matthew Boesler. "Inventories increased $116.5 billion according to the second estimate, contributing 1.7 percentage points to the headline number, up from an initial estimate of $86 billion, which had contributed 0.8 percentage points to the initial 2.8% GDP growth estimate."</li>
<li>Here's Barclays' Peter Newland on the GDP report: "Indeed, a reversal of some of the stock building is likely in Q4, although we expect domestic demand growth, particularly consumption, to be somewhat stronger as the impact of fiscal tightening fades. On this front, the backdrop for the household sector looks rosier following this report, with real disposable income growth revised up to 2.9% from 2.5% in Q3, and to 4.1% from 3.5% in Q2. This was also reflected in the savings rate, which was revised three-tenths higher in Q3, to 5.0%. "</li>
<li>Bitcoin got tons of attention today.  Early Thursday morning, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/peoples-bank-of-china-warns-on-bitcoin-2013-12">People's Bank of China announced restrictions</a> barring the country's banks from handling the digital currency. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bitcoin-falls-after-china-warning-2013-12">Bitcoin crashed 30%</a> from $1,240 to $870 in the wake of that news. "This is worse than the tulip mania," said Nout Wellink, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dutch-banker-compares-bitcoin-to-tulips-2013-12">former president of the Dutch Central Bank</a>. "At least then you got a tulip [at the end], now you get nothing."</li>
<li>Also this morning, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/baml-initiates-coverage-on-bitcoin-2013-12">Bank of America Merrill Lynch became the first major Wall Street firm</a> to offer coverage on Bitcoin. "We believe Bitcoin can become a major means of payment for e-commerce and may emerge as a serious competitor to traditional money transfer providers," wrote currency strategist David Woo in a 14-page note to clients. "As a medium of exchange, Bitcoin has clear potential for growth, in our view." Woo estimates that Bitcoin has a fair value of $1,300.</li>
<li><strong><strong>Don't Miss:</strong><span class="title"> </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-top-trades-for-2014-2013-12"><span class="title">GOLDMAN: Here Are Our Top 6 Trades For 2014</span> »</a></strong></li>
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STOCKS FALL FOR 5TH STRAIGHT DAY: Here's What You Need To Know

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><p class="source">REUTERS/ Regis Duvignau</p><p class="caption">A polar bear swims underwater at the family-owned Palmyre Zoo in the Charente Maritime region of western France.</p></div><p></p></div>Good morning. Here's what you need to know.</p>
<ul>
<li>Asian markets fell in overnight trading. Japan's Nikkei was down 1.50%, Korea's KOSPI dropped 0.10%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.07%. European markets were mixed, as were U.S. futures.</li>
<li>Bitcoin - the digital currency very much in vogue right now - <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bitcoin-falls-after-china-warning-2013-12">crashed 30%</a> this morning after China instructed its banks not to handle it. The cryptocurrency has been on an absolute hot streak lately, but today plunged from a high of $1,240 to a low of $870. And Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan raised eyebrows yesterday when he <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/alan-greenspan-bitcoin-comment-reaction-2013-12">identified Bitcoin as a bubble</a>. People snarked at the comment, seeing as Greenspan kind of "missed" the whole housing and dot-com bubble thing when he was in charge.</li>
<li>At 8:30 a.m. ET, we'll get data on U.S. GDP. Economists estimate a 3.0% print from 2.8% prior, with personal consumption growth holding at 1.5%.  "Roughly $23 billion in additional inventory building last quarter relative to what the Commerce Department had assumed will push GDP growth up to +3.2% compared to an initially reported +2.8% figure," Deutsche Bank's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/monday-scouting-report-dec-2-2013-2013-11">Joe LaVorgna wrote to clients</a>. "Importantly, there is little evidence thus far in the quarter that suggests inventories are being unwound. In fact, the inventory subcomponent of the Chicago purchasing managers' index soared 13.1 points to 61.1 in November, the highest reading since October 2006. Consequently, we expect further incremental inventory building this quarter, which is why we see growth above 3%."</li>
<li>At the same time, we'll get weekly initial jobless claims. Economists predict claims climbed to 323,000 from 316,000 a week ago. <span>"Jobless claims have bounced around a bit in November," UBS's Kevin Cummins wrote clients. "Some of the volatility likely reflects the timing of Veterans Day. The upcoming report is also subject to some heightened volatility as it will cover the Thanksgiving holiday."</span></li>
<li>The Bank of England and European Central Bank will both announce this morning whether they are increasing, decreasing, or maintaining interest rates. Economists expect the BOE to hold the key overnight borrowing interest rate at 0.50% and the ECB to maintain its rate of 0.25% (last month, the ECB surprised pretty much everybody by cutting the rate). ECB President Mario Draghi will hold a press conference after the announcement.</li>
<li>The BOE decision comes right after UK chancellor George Osborne announced <a href="http://on.ft.com/1g9jH2j">revised growth figures</a> for the British economy. The Office for Budget Responsibility expects 2013 growth to come in at 1.4% (up from March's 0.6% call) and 2014 growth to be 2.4% (up from 1.8%). Osborne also said the UK will plan on running a budget surplus come 2018.</li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">At 10:00 a.m, new data on factory orders will be released. Economists are looking for a 1.0% drop.</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #222222;"> "October factory orders likely fell, pulled down primarily by the already reported drop in durable goods," wrote Citi's Peter D'Antonio. "Falling oil prices probably contributed to lower nondurable goods orders and shipments."</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/japan-approves-182-billion-stimulus-2013-12">approved a $182 billion economic aid package</a><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;"> meant to yank the country out of deflation, Reuters' Stanley White reports. The bulk of the package, including a jolt of stimulus dollars to combat the planned national sales-tax hike in April, had already been scheduled. The Japanese Cabinet Office said the aid package will add 1% to GDP and create 250,000 jobs, Reuters reported.</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Perhaps this bodes well for holiday shopping figures - </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/christmas-tree-sales-booming-this-year-2013-12">Christmas tree sales are already through the roof</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> this season. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #222222;">"It appears that while housing is still weakening consumer spending is strengthening on many fronts, from furniture sales to Christmas tree sales," ISI chairman Ed Hyman wrote in a note to clients. In a survey of regional tree farmers and retailers, week 1 sales were at 16%, compared with the week 1 average of 7% from 2010-2012. "Juding by this, you'd better get your tree early," Hyman wrote.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">Apple and China Mobile have </span><a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304096104579238832743924434?mod=WSJ_hps_LEFTTopStories">signed a deal to offer iPhones on its massive network</a><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">, the Wall Street Journal's Lorraine Luk and Daisuke Wakabayashi report. With over 700 million subscribers, China Mobile is the world's largest carrier. The Journal reports that the iPhone rollout is due to take place later this month.</span></li>
</ul>

You Searched For "charente france" and got 8 results

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I visited the Hennessy distillery in Cognac, France, and an expert told me the best way to drink the spirit is no longer in the traditional glass

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Ada Hegerberg says the Ballon d'Or twerk controversy was not 'sexual harassment,' and she was just happy to win

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STOCKS FALL FOR 5TH STRAIGHT DAY: Here's What You Need To Know

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