2016 WINNERS FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of the largest and most prestigious international spirit competition, has announced the 2016 medal and award recipients from its 16th annual competition, held March 17th through 20th at Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. Out of this year's record-breaking 1,899 entries, only 201 were awarded Double Gold medals by 39 judges.

2016 BEST COGNAC VS
Winning Double Gold Medal
Cognac Philbert Vintage Grande Champagne Rare Cask Finish Sherry Cognac

Cognac Philbert 2012 Grande Champagne finished in Oloroso Sherry Cask

2016 BEST COGNAC VSOP
Winning Double Gold Medal
A. De Fussigny Petite Champagne Cognac VSOP

Cognac A. de Fussigny VSOP

2016 BEST COGNAC Toute Categorie
et BEST COGNAC XO
Winning Double Gold Medal
Gautier Pinar del Rio Cognac XO

Cognac Gautier Pinar del Rio

2016 BEST COGNAC EXTRA
Winning Double Gold Medal
Bache-Gabrielsen Sérénité Extra Cognac

Cognac Gabrielsen Serenite Extra

There were many other prestigious brands of cognac represented this year including:

. Martell, winning a Silver Medal for its XO cognac.
. Comandon, winning a Gold Medal for its XO cognac.
. Louis Royer, winning a Silver Medal for its XO cognac.
. Merlet, winning a Silver Medal for its XO cognac.

Founded in 2000, the San Francisco World Spirits Competitionhas become an important event jumped from 292 entries in 2000 from close to 2000 entries in 2016.

Products are evaluated in a blind, consensual procedure ensuring the SFWSC maintains its reputation for the highest level of integrity.

Source: https://www.sfspiritscomp.com

HENNESSY JUST RELEASED HENNESSY 8 LAST WEEK

Last week, Hennessy Cognac unveiled one of its newest creation to a limited number of selected customers via email.

Hennessy '8'.

Hennessy 8 - Edition 250th Anniversary designed by Arik Levy

Only a few thousands people received direct communication from Hennessy that 100 bottles of the 250 bottles limited production Hennessy 8 would be released for $40,000 each.

The limited edition bottles were designed by Anik Levy a designer from Paris who had previously worked with Hennessy in 2012 on a limited edition oversized bottle of Hennessy XO.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGoPal0fyJw&w=560&h=315]

The Hennessy '8' marks the 250th anniversary of Hennessy's establishment in Cognac in 1765 which was celebrated last year in 2015, but particularly in June with multiple amazing events.

The crystal bottle is produced by Lalique and it is representing a rather standard bottle used in the cognac trade when producers exchange samples of cognac for the sake of creating blends, with multiple circles surrounding the bottle to remind of the circles one will find around a cask.

Perhaps more impressive is the packaging which is made of layered thin piece of woods which opens of the left and right of the bottle to leave a small crack in the middle when the box is closed reminescent of the Charente river running accross the whole Cognac region in south west of France.

The box, almost as large as a chest really also includes a drawer with multiple tools to allow for a very elegant ceremonial to serve the cognac. Altogether the cognac weights 60kg or about 150 pounds!

Arik Levy made a real masterpiece with these and one can see that he has a very strong opinion on design and materialism in this video.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBQYF0RRqxs&w=560&h=315]

The purchase of this cognac also gives the owner many perks such as 2 business class plane tickets from wherever to go as a special guests to visit Hennessy Cognac and get extra pampered.

This incredible extravaganza also marks the change of hands between Yann Fillioux and his nephew Renaud Fillioux taking over the cellar management of Hennessy as the tradition has been that the cellar management be given to a 'Fillioux' since the 1800s.

In fact, Yann contributed to 7 of the blends and Renaud added the 8th blend.

Source: Wallpaper

MARTELL LIMITED EDITION VSOP PARIS STYLE

Martell cognac House unveils the second limited edition of its VSOP cognac, “Paris Style”. This limited edition, created by the multi-talented artist Jean-Charles de Castelbajac features a colourful, pop-art inspired design of Montmartre, in a resolutely modern way.

Discover the second episode about this Paris Style limited edition.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mocdTzkW3rY&w=560&h=315]

Source: Martell

MIKE JONES ENDORSES COGNAC DOBBE

Rappers and HipHop artists have endorsed many cognac brands since 2000. No wonder the music business has considerably decreased in revenues since music is no almost considered a 'free' commodity.

Cognac Dobbe RNB

Cognac Dobbe also introduced premium vodkas, namely, Emperor, Versailles, Winter Palace and Imperial Exclusive.

Other brands of the Dobbe family include House of Hemery and the ‘rap-near’ Rhythm & Blues Cognac, positioned on the US market, promoted by HipHop artist Mike Jones.

Product varieties of RNB include “Free Style Selection” VS Cognac, “Dixie Band” VSOP, “The Count” XO and “The Duke” Extra.

COGNAC DOBBE SARL
4 ROUTE DE SALIGNAC
17800 PERIGNAC

Tél : 05 46 96 32 59
Fax : 05 46 96 35 33

Contact : Michel DOBBE (owner)

K&L WINES IS A GOOD SOURCE FOR SPIRITS' TRENDS

Here are quotes from the 2015 Newsletter sent by K&L wines (www.klwines.com) at the end of 2015 to thousands of followers.

They are predicting Brandy to become the next best thing in the spirit category.

In particular, they are very enthusiastic about Copper & Kings Brandy from Kentucky.

I found K&L Wines to be a good source for trends in the US for Spirits.

K&L Wines Logo

===> David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer, said:
"Welcome to the biggest story of 2015 for the K&L spirits department—the discovery of an incredible new distillery right smack in the heart of Louisville, Kentucky.

That is Copper & Kings Brandy.
As you may or may not know, we’ve immersed ourselves in the world of French brandy over the past few years. We’ve been traveling to Cognac and Armagnac, working directly with small producers ... The reaction has been quite positive from spirits fans across the nation and it was exactly that commotion that caught Joe Heron’s attention. He’d been following our foray into grape-distillates with close attention, hoping that one retailer out there would understand the incredible value that brandy possessed. You see, Joe had started a micro-distillery in the middle of Kentucky that made brandy instead of Bourbon.
The next big thing is here, spirits fans.
It's a brandy that will change the way you think about brandy. It's a brandy that will change the way you think about spirits in general."

===> David Orthenin-Girard, Spirit Buyer, said:
"Maybe it's those big old pot stills or just the Kentucky Magic, but this is brandy that will change your mind about the whole category."

Copper & Kings Brandy, Made in USA, Kentucky

===> Ryan Woodhouse, Spirit Specialist, said:
" If this was Bourbon it would be three times the price and sold out...don't sit around waiting for shortage to end (it's gonna be a long time comin') get with the program and drink smart."

===> Heather Vander Wall, Spirit Specialist, said:
"I love it when I find an unexpected spirit that changes my conception of the category."

Source: K&L Wines

COGNAC SALES WENT 16.2% HIGHER IN 2015

The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) says strong momentum from the whisk(e)y category drove spirits supplier sales up 4.1% last year to $24.1 billion, with volume rising 2.3% to 215 million cases.

What are the Drivers for this momentum?

1) Spirits’ ongoing premiumization trend is evident this past year

. The high end (spirits retailing from $20-$30) advanced 7.1% to nearly 3 million cases, creating $509 million in supplier revenue.

. Super-premium spirits (priced above $30) were up 6.5% to 1.2 million cases, generating $395 million.

. Combined, the high-end and super-premium segments comprised 95% of the $950-million increase in supplier revenue last year.

2) The whisky boom
In 2015, all whisky segments collectively reached more than 59 million cases with 12.3 million cases added since 2010, while generating $8.1 billion in supplier revenue.

. Whisky including Bourbon, rye, Tennessee and white/corn whiskey grew a combined 5.2% last year to 20.4 million cases (Scotch Whisky has regulatory body, Scotch Whisky Association, others have some regulatory council too).

But not just Whisky!

. Tequila made +7.4% by volume, and +9.4% by value (Consejo Regulator de Tequila),

. Cognac made the largest percentage growth with +14% by volume, and +16.2% by value (Bureau National Interprofessionel du Cognac), DID ANYONE NOTICED THIS?

Mixology and Bottle of Cognac

. Vodka made +1.8% by volume, and +0.5% by value (no regulatory body, probably will never have one),

. Rum was down -1.5% by volume and -2% by value (no regulatory body besides AOC Martinique Rhum Agricole).

3) Focus on craft-style, artisanal products benefiting both large and small producers;

4) Consumer fascination with provenance dovetailing with spirits’ authentic heritage;

5) Growth of micro-distilleries generating excitement in the spirits sector; and

6) Cocktail culture continuing to define nightlife in cities across the country.

7) Millennials of legal drinking age interest in discovery driving innovation and premiumization.

Source: DISCUSS

HOW MUCH IS WORTH AN OLD BOTTLE OF COGNAC?

The collector Value of a bottle of cognac is multi-dimensional:

[Age of bottle] X [Quality of cognac] X [Brand Luxury] X [Terroir] X [Rarety of the model] X [condition of the bottle] X [number available].

1. Age of Bottle:
Cognac was bottled in the seventies has less value than something produced in 1920s.

In the case of a Vintage cognac, extra value is added as there is a clear year associated with the cognac, plus it might have been re-bottled at a later stage and that dates also has a value.

2. Quality of Cognac
Most cognac is stated with these English terms as you all know cognac is mostly a spirit exported out and consumed outside of France, hence the use of English terms when qualifying cognac. Age and quality depends on the time the cognac has spent in oak casks - not the age of the bottle.

* VS= Very Special = 2 years old and more spent in oak cask. In French = Vieille Fine.

Comandon Partial Back Label VSOP

* VSOP = Very Superior Old Pale = 4 years old and more spent in oak cask. In French = Tres Vieille Fine.

* XO = Extra Old = 6 years old and more spent in oak cask. In French = Hors d'Age.
* Extra = 6 years old and more spent in oak cask, but it is supposedly older. No French translation, just another Hors d'Age.

3. Brand Luxury
Different brands have different appeal, status, prestige and notoriety.

Some are popular, other are more obscure but more famous amongst connoisseurs, etc.

4. Terroirs:
There are 7 different areas in Cognac which produces specific cognacs associated with the area.

These 7 areas have an 'unofficial picking order' which is unfortunate but a reality imposed by 100 years of political and economical reasoning. The following order is the most recognized order in terms of 'prestige of the terroirs' NOT MY OPINION.

1st Grande Champagne
2nd Petite Champagne
3rd Fine Champagne
4th Borderies
5th Fins Bois
6th Bons Bois
7th Bois Ordinaires

Petite Champagne Cognac, Partial Label

5. Condition of the Bottle:
Most important is the amount of liquid left in the bottle, the quality of closure and its condition, the condition of the labels, and the packaging. Also to consider is the design and intrinsic packaging designs. For instance, decanters are more valuable than standard bottles, as well as wood boxes are worth more than cardboard packagings.

6. Number Available:
Limited editions are more valuable in the long run than standard productions. In addition, the 'known' number of bottles still available make an impact in the overall 'exclusivity' value of the bottle.

Comandon VS Partial Label