The first quarter of 2023 has been a busy one for Cognac brands. From Hennessy’s partnership with Grammy award-winner Alicia Keys to Bacardi’s multi-billion-dollar investment in rapper Jay-Z’s D’Ussé Cognac, the category has been active. Bottle number one of D’Ussé 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition Grande Champagne Cognac will be sold at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on 13 March.

The XO Single Estate round that followed created another Master winner: Cognac Frapin 15 Years Old. It made a positive impression on Kiely’s panel for its “nicely balanced fruit, spice and wood influence” with a “well-integrated higher-ABV and long finish”. Bates added: “This is lovely, lovely, lovely – really delicious.” Method:Rinse a chilled old-fashioned glass with the absinthe, add crushed ice and set it aside. Stir the remaining ingredients over ice and set it aside. Discard the ice and any excess absinthe from the prepared glass, and strain the drink into the glass. Garnish with a lemon peel. Sidecar Achim Schleuning/Wikimedia They are located at the iconic Château de Cognac which was, in fact, the birthplace of François I king of France. Sitting on the banks of the Charente, you couldn’t get a more scenic spot for producing Cognac. Figuring out how to build muscle can be terribly confusing. Between the madness of the latest trends in health, fad diets, the newest "must-have" workout gear, and toxic weight-loss culture, it's easy to want to throw in the towel and reach for a box of Twinkies. But hidden in all of this confusion, there are some things about fitness and muscle growth that are just always true. The biggest truth of them all is that abs really are made in the kitchen. You can work yourself into a frenzy with a fancy gym membership, but without proper nutrition, your body is just running on toxic fumes. It was a tough act to follow, but the following No Age Statement flight also had some strong medal contenders – three Gold winners, which were: Rémy Martin Tercet, which ad “decent length”; Rémy Martin Club, which delivered “luscious dried fruits”; and Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal, for its “nice wood and spice towards the end”.The main differences between D'Ussé and brands like Hennessy and Rémy Martin are the eau-de-vie used to make the products and the product ranges. Brands like Hennessy and Rémy Martin exist for much longer and offer a broader spectrum of products in comparison to D'Ussé. It is close to the River Charente, resulting in two different climates - a humid cellar that results in fruity, floral notes, and the dry cellar creates woody, spicy flavors of the Cognac. Blending the two eaux-de-vie is the secret to their bottles, the VSOP and XO. Cognac has been produced at this property for over 200 years. Michel Cassavecchia, D’USSÉ Cellar Master According to Men's Book, Casavecchia was excited for his collaboration with D'USSÉ because most cellarmasters merely continue the traditions laid down before them and maintain the "house style." However, in this instance, he was able to build a new spirit from the ground up. He intentionally made a product that is approachable but with the depth of flavor that a connoisseur could appreciate.

D'ussé was originally envisioned by the longest-serving cellar master Michel Casavecchia and launched by Sovereign Brands but was acquired by Jay-Z and the Bacardi Group. The two-barred cross decanter is both cutting edge and wonderfully rustic. With a simple cork and no label on the cork... it is somewhat regal; an interesting mix of medieval, bourgeois and somehow a bit rough. The bottle is dome-shaped, with a coppery gold metallic Cross of Lorraine etched into it. The sector is renowned for its quality – and the annual Cognac Masters has garnered a reputation for quality spirits. The 2023 tasting took place at The Carriage in the Great Northern Hotel in London, where entrants were put through their paces spanning categories from price points and age statements, to single-cru expressions. The vintage bottling impressed so much that following the retasting of the Master medallists, it was voted the ‘best in class’ of the day – The Cognac Taste Master 2023. The judges were divided into two panels, the first of which was led by Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business and chair of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions (GSMC). She was joined by: Ruchira Neotia, partner – Collectivino; and Ed Bates, founder of Distilled London.

I ordered for the first time and did not lose

Nose: Spirited and aromatic. Woody and spicy notes of cinnamon and cloves mingle with fruity aromas.