{"title":"COGNAC \u0026 BRANDY","description":"\u003cstyle\u003e\n.mw-master-container{\n  --mw-accent: #ECDAA7;   \/* metallic foil — Hennessy XO box\/label foil (k-means) *\/\n  --mw-glow:   #641003;   \/* power color — deep cognac\/mahogany red (k-means) *\/\n  --mw-bg:     #211816;   \/* deep lowlight — box brown-black (k-means) *\/\n  --mw-text:#e0e0e0; --mw-muted:#b8b8b8; --mw-hair:#222;\n  font-family: inherit; background:var(--mw-bg); color:var(--mw-text);\n  line-height:1.7; padding:24px; margin-bottom:60px;\n}\n.mw-master-container .mw-h3{ color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; text-transform:uppercase;\n  font-size:0.9rem; letter-spacing:2px; margin-top:40px; display:block;\n  border-bottom:1px solid var(--mw-glow); padding-bottom:8px; margin-bottom:20px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-accent{ color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-accent:hover{ color:#fff; text-decoration:underline; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-info-box{ background:linear-gradient(90deg, var(--mw-bg) 0%, var(--mw-glow) 100%);\n  padding:25px; margin:25px 0; border-radius:0 4px 4px 0; border:1px solid var(--mw-hair);\n  border-left:4px solid var(--mw-accent); }\n.mw-master-container .mw-grid{ display:grid; grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr; gap:30px; margin:30px 0; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-card{ background:rgba(255,255,255,0.02); padding:25px;\n  border:1px solid var(--mw-glow); border-radius:4px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-image-gallery { display: grid; grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr; gap: 20px; margin: 30px 0; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-image-gallery img { width: 100%; height: 260px; object-fit: cover; border-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid var(--mw-hair); box-shadow: 0 8px 24px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5); }\n.mw-master-container .mw-table{ width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; margin-top:15px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-table td{ padding:14px 0; border-bottom:1px solid var(--mw-hair);\n  color:#ccc; font-size:0.95rem; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-table td:first-child{ font-weight:bold; width:34%; color:var(--mw-accent);\n  text-transform:uppercase; font-size:0.75rem; letter-spacing:1px; }\n.mw-master-container details{ background:rgba(255,255,255,0.03); border:1px solid var(--mw-hair);\n  border-radius:4px; margin-bottom:15px; }\n.mw-master-container summary{ padding:18px; color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; cursor:pointer;\n  outline:none; list-style:none; display:flex; justify-content:space-between; align-items:center;\n  text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:0.85rem; }\n.mw-master-container summary::after{ content:'+'; font-size:1.2rem; }\n.mw-master-container details[open]{ border:1px solid var(--mw-accent); }\n.mw-master-container details[open] summary::after{ content:'-'; }\n.mw-master-container .details-content{ padding:0 20px 20px 20px; font-size:0.95rem; }\n@media (max-width:768px){ \n  .mw-master-container .mw-grid,\n  .mw-master-container .mw-image-gallery { grid-template-columns:1fr; } \n  .mw-master-container .mw-image-gallery img { height: 220px; }\n}\n\u003c\/style\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"mw-master-container\"\u003e\n\n  \u003cdiv class=\"speakable\"\u003e\n    \u003cp\u003eBrandy is any spirit distilled from wine or fruit; Cognac is its most famous expression — a brandy made only in the Cognac region of France, from mostly Ugni Blanc grapes, double-distilled in copper pot stills and aged in French oak under strict AOC rules. The letters on the label — VS, VSOP, XO — are age grades set by the region's governing body, the BNIC, and refer to the youngest spirit in the blend. This is the home for Cognac and the wider brandy family in the vault.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003cspan class=\"mw-h3\"\u003eWhat Cognac Is\u003c\/span\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"mw-info-box\"\u003e\n    \u003cul style=\"margin:0; padding-left:20px; font-size:0.95rem;\"\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrandy\u003c\/strong\u003e = a spirit distilled from \u003cstrong\u003ewine or fruit\u003c\/strong\u003e; \u003cstrong\u003eCognac\u003c\/strong\u003e = a protected brandy from one French region.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eFrom the \u003cstrong\u003eCognac region\u003c\/strong\u003e (Charente), under \u003cstrong\u003eAOC\u003c\/strong\u003e rules set by the \u003cstrong\u003eBNIC\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eMade from mostly \u003cstrong\u003eUgni Blanc\u003c\/strong\u003e grapes, \u003cstrong\u003edouble-distilled in copper pot stills\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eAged in \u003cstrong\u003eFrench oak\u003c\/strong\u003e, a minimum of \u003cstrong\u003etwo years\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eGraded by age of the youngest spirit: \u003cstrong\u003eVS\u003c\/strong\u003e (≥2 yr), \u003cstrong\u003eVSOP\u003c\/strong\u003e (≥4 yr), \u003cstrong\u003eXO\u003c\/strong\u003e (≥10 yr).\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArmagnac\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eCalvados\u003c\/strong\u003e are other protected French brandies.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003cdiv class=\"mw-image-gallery\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/www.cellartours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/cognac-vs-armagnac.jpg\" alt=\"Premium crystal snifters showcasing the rich mahogany and copper hues of traditional French brandies\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/www.foodandwine.com\/thmb\/E_KGMQ0ohFZcGloB5pMjWJxHKM8=\/1500x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()\/Cognac-vs-Brandy-FT-BLOG0823-df7025f0342c4692b989fecd53d43756.jpg\" alt=\"An elegant evaluation setup displaying high-end barrel aged brandies on a tasting counter\"\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003cdiv class=\"mw-grid\"\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"mw-card\"\u003e\n      \u003cspan class=\"mw-accent\" style=\"font-size:0.75rem; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1px;\"\u003eFrom Grape to Eau-de-Vie\u003c\/span\u003e\n      \u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:20px; font-size:0.9rem;\" class=\"speakable\"\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003eCognac starts as a thin, tart white wine — high acid, low alcohol, no added sugar — pressed mostly from Ugni Blanc. That wine is distilled twice in copper pot stills: the first pass yields a cloudy \"brouillis,\" the second concentrates it to around 70% as a clear spirit called eau-de-vie. Only then does it meet oak, resting in French Limousin or Tronçais barrels where it gains colour, dried-fruit and spice notes and slowly mellows. A cellar master blends spirits of different ages and vineyard sites to build each house's style.\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"mw-card\"\u003e\n      \u003cspan class=\"mw-accent\" style=\"font-size:0.75rem; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1px;\"\u003eReading the Grade\u003c\/span\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"font-size:0.90rem; margin-top:20px;\"\u003eVS, VSOP and XO are set by the BNIC and tell you the age of the \u003cem\u003eyoungest\u003c\/em\u003e spirit in the blend — not the quality. VS is at least two years, VSOP at least four, XO at least ten (since 2018). Because Cognac is blended, a bottle can hold far older spirit than its grade. Browse Cognac and the wider brandy family here, or see \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/best-sellers\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003ewhat's most popular across the vault\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eWhat Defines Cognac\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\n      \u003ctable class=\"mw-table\" style=\"margin-top:0;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:0.8rem; padding-top:6px; border-bottom:1px solid var(--mw-glow);\"\u003eMake \u0026amp; place\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eThe Cognac region, France (Charente) — AOC, overseen by the BNIC\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eBase\u003c\/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eMostly Ugni Blanc grapes; thin high-acid wine (~7–9%), no added sugar\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eDistillation\u003c\/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eDouble-distilled in copper pot (Charentais) stills, to ~70%\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eOak\u003c\/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eFrench oak (Limousin \/ Tronçais), minimum 2 years\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:0.8rem; padding-top:22px; border-bottom:1px solid var(--mw-glow);\"\u003eThe grades (age, not quality)\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eVS\u003c\/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eVery Special — youngest spirit at least 2 years\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eVSOP\u003c\/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eVery Superior Old Pale — youngest at least 4 years\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eXO\u003c\/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eExtra Old — youngest at least 10 years (since 2018)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eCollector Note\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin:0;\"\u003eCognac's interest runs along age and house: long-aged XO and vintage or single-estate bottlings, and the older designations beyond XO that some houses now release. Because it is blended and barrel-aged, the cellar master's hand shows in the glass. The marks worth reading are the grade, the producer, and any cru (such as Grande Champagne); condition matters, so store bottles upright, cool and out of direct light. A bottled Cognac does not keep aging — its age statement refers to time in barrel, not in glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eRecommended Serving\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin:0;\"\u003eCognac is usually enjoyed neat in a tulip glass at room temperature, where the oak and dried-fruit notes open up; younger VS and VSOP also sit at the heart of classic cocktails like the Sidecar. Brandy more broadly spans the same range, from after-dinner sipping to mixing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eProduction Methodology\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin:0;\"\u003eCognac is governed end to end by AOC rules. The base wine must come from approved grapes — overwhelmingly Ugni Blanc — fermented without added sugar into a low-strength, high-acid wine. It is then distilled twice in copper pot stills within a set season, producing an eau-de-vie of roughly 70%. Aging takes place in French oak from the Limousin or Tronçais forests for at least two years, though most bottlings rest far longer, the cellar master blending across ages and crus to a house style. The BNIC certifies the result and sets the VS\/VSOP\/XO grades, which mark the age of the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n  \n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eAuthentication \u0026amp; Vault Preservation\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin:0;\"\u003eEvery bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authorized, authentic retailer, vault-stored and insured under controlled conditions, shipped with protective handling and age-verified 21-and-over signature on delivery, and authenticated by our concierge before it ships. For the details, see \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/about-the-vault\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003ethe checks behind each bottle\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/the-vault-concierge\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003evault storage and concierge\u003c\/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/faq\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003edelivery and signature\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n  \n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top:0;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's the difference between Cognac and brandy?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBrandy is the broad category: any spirit distilled from wine or fruit, made anywhere. Cognac is a specific, protected brandy — made only in the Cognac region of France, from mostly Ugni Blanc grapes, double-distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak, under AOC rules overseen by the BNIC. So all Cognac is brandy, but only brandy meeting those rules from that place may be called Cognac; Armagnac and Calvados are other protected French brandies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top:14px; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat do VS, VSOP and XO mean?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey are age grades set by the BNIC, based on the youngest eau-de-vie (the brandy) in the blend, and they describe age rather than quality. VS (Very Special) uses spirit aged at least two years, VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) at least four, and XO (Extra Old) at least ten, since the rules were tightened in 2018. Because Cognac is a blended spirit, a bottle often contains components far older than its grade requires.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"CollectionPage\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/midnightwhiskey.com\/collections\/cognac-brandy#collectionpage\",\n      \"name\": \"Cognac \u0026 Brandy\",\n      \"description\": \"Cognac and brandy at Midnight Whiskey. Brandy is a spirit distilled from wine or fruit; Cognac is a protected brandy from the Cognac region of France, made from mostly Ugni Blanc grapes, double-distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak under AOC rules set by the BNIC. Its grades — VS, VSOP and XO — mark the age of the youngest spirit in the blend (XO at least 10 years since 2018), not quality.\",\n      \"url\": \"https:\/\/midnightwhiskey.com\/collections\/cognac-brandy\"\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/midnightwhiskey.com\/collections\/cognac-brandy#breadcrumb\",\n      \"itemListElement\": [\n        { \"@type\": \"ListItem\", \"position\": 1, \"name\": \"Home\", \"item\": \"https:\/\/midnightwhiskey.com\" },\n        { \"@type\": \"ListItem\", \"position\": 2, \"name\": \"Collections\", \"item\": \"https:\/\/midnightwhiskey.com\/collections\" },\n        { \"@type\": \"ListItem\", \"position\": 3, \"name\": \"Cognac \u0026 Brandy\" }\n      ]\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/midnightwhiskey.com\/collections\/cognac-brandy#faq\",\n      \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What's the difference between Cognac and brandy?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Brandy is the broad category: any spirit distilled from wine or fruit, made anywhere. Cognac is a specific, protected brandy — made only in the Cognac region of France, from mostly Ugni Blanc grapes, double-distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak, under AOC rules overseen by the BNIC. So all Cognac is brandy, but only brandy meeting those rules from that place may be called Cognac; Armagnac and Calvados are other protected French brandies.\" }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What do VS, VSOP and XO mean?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"They are age grades set by the BNIC, based on the youngest eau-de-vie (the brandy) in the blend, and they describe age rather than quality. VS (Very Special) uses spirit aged at least two years, VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) at least four, and XO (Extra Old) at least ten, since the rules were tightened in 2018. Because Cognac is a blended spirit, a bottle often contains components far older than its grade requires.\" }\n        }\n      ]\n    }\n  ]\n}\n\u003c\/script\u003e","products":[],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/5566\/1602\/collections\/COGNAC_BRANDY.jpg?v=1780449504","url":"https:\/\/midnightwhiskey.com\/collections\/cognac-brandy.oembed","provider":"Midnight Whiskey ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}