A strong alcoholic drink takes its history back to the 12th century, when large vineyards began to be planted in the Charente River valley near the French town of Cognac, and they began to produce wine. Over time, technologies and recipes for alcoholic beverages from Charente vineyards improved, and since the second half of the 19th century, the drink from the city of Cognac has already diverged around the world not in barrels, but in bottles.
Everyone knows that cognacs are made according to special old recipes, and their modern variety will surprise a sophisticated lover of strong drinks. But we will consider in a small rating the most expensive copies of cognac drinks, and find out what is the most expensive cognac in the world.
L’Art de Martell
Poured in 1997 in honor of the transfer of Hong Kong sovereignty to China, this brandy is a desirable item, both for connoisseurs of cognac and for historians. The original glass bottles were created by the French Daumier house Daum, whose goal was to incorporate contemporary art into a traditional cognac bottle.
Courvoisier L’Esprit Decanter
$4 687
Let's start with the relatively inexpensive house manufactured by Courvoisier. The base is cinnamon, dried apricot, with light shades of flowers.
At its core, it is a synthesis of different grape alcohols. It is noteworthy, in its manufacture varieties are used that have been reported since the reign of Emperor Napoleon I. The taste of a 40-degree drink is powerful, but has a light finish, as experts say.
Jenssen arcana
$5 150
For more than a century, this cognac, with a fortress of 43 degrees, has been stored in barrels, and bottled exclusively for individual orders. At the same time, the bottle is sealed in a special way, and an exclusive number certificate is attached to it.
The tragedy of 1870 helped create a new drink when flocks of phylloxera, which came to Europe from the American continent, destroyed the entire crop of the Fol Blanche variety. A new variety was planted on the empty slope areas, which became the leading brand in the production of the elite brandy.
Hine Triomphe Talent De Thomas Hine Crystal Decanter
$5 650
Cognac of surprisingly transparent amber color is poured into special original crystal-shaped bottles, which are packed in magnificent cigar boxes.
The kit includes the same magnificent four tulip-shaped crystal glasses. Cognac is produced in the heart of the region of the same name, and its exposure is more than half a century. The aromas of the nut add sophistication to the drink, and subtle jasmine notes add refinement and freshness to it.
Frapin Cuvée 1888
$6 000
This wonderful drink is stored in an original bottle shaped by a cork made of pure gold. “Prestige of the Ages”, as this cognac is called, has incorporated the best traditions of cognac production and is the pride of the Frapen house. To a bottle decorated with gold in a wooden package is a bottle of perfume, its appearance of the package and the bottle itself will return to the time of the knights of the Middle Ages.
Made from alcohols aged more than 120 years, Frapin Cuvée is very rare and also has an exquisite taste, in which, among the main aromas, exotic notes of rare tree species are guessed.
Martell creation cognac
$7 000
The world recognized the exquisite taste and was fascinated by the aromas of Martell Creation cognac at the very beginning of the 19th century. Specialists note that the drink has a rather complex taste.
But, despite the complexity of the combination of ingredients, it is soft and sophisticated. At first, a sip of dried fruit aroma is heard, then marmalade is intoxicating, and at the very end notes of a nut and a little cedar are felt.
The drink is bottled in handmade Baccarat bottles.
Johnnie Walker: Le Voyage de Delamain
$7 400
This brandy was produced in a small batch, and it was immediately bought up by collectors from different parts of the globe. The crystal bottle in which the mixture of two drinks splashes is hidden in the original packaging in the form of a fan.
Those, not many experts who have had a chance to try a rare alcoholic drink, speak of incredibly strong aromas of skin and tobacco, which turn into a heady and soothing coffee aroma, as well as aromas of oriental spices.
Hardy le printemps
$8 225
This is a mixture of cognacs Grande Champagne, dating back to the 1920s. Printemps is the first in a series of four cognacs, each of which was released in an interval of 2 years and named after the seasons: spring ("printemps"), summer ("l'ete"), autumn ("l'automne") and winter ("l'hiver"). Drinks are poured into elegant crystal containers.
Hardy has released only 4 thousand "spring" bottles of Le Printemps. All of them are made in beautiful graphic decanters from Lalique
Hine 250
$12 000
In September 2013, Hine Cognac released a limited edition brandy spilled in search of the only 1953 Grande Champagne Cognac barrel to celebrate its 250th anniversary.
The decanter itself is made of a Baccarat crystal in an understated design resembling a rough cut diamond. It is presented in a luxurious wooden case made in the form of a jewelry box.
Hennessy ellipse
$12 000
Baccarat bottles are an updated version of the previous Hennessy Timeless and feature a new modern design. The drink is a mixture of seven eaux-de-vie selected by the master of the Hennessy cellar. Beautiful, isn't it?
Hardy Perfection 140 years
$12 100
The time has come to introduce the oldest cognac made, as documented evidence confirms over 140 years ago.
The basis of the alcohol base is a rare grape variety that grows in only one place in the province of Grand Champagne. The drink, with a strength of 41 degrees, according to experts, has a perfectly harmonious taste, in the aromatic base of which the main violin is played by notes of oak.
1762 Gautier Cognac
$46 000
One of the age representatives in the world of authentic cognacs, Gautier Cognac, which has more than three centuries of history, was sold for almost 35 thousand pounds. Cognac bottled back in 1840 and provided with the original handwritten label, bought an unknown online bidder.
Rémy Martin Cognac Black Pearl Louis XIII
$51 560
The exclusivity of this skate is that this assembly includes more than 1200 alcohols with an aging of 40 - 110 years. It also guesses the aromas of flowers and a variety of spices.
In its pairs you can also recognize the heady aromas of Cuban cigars and, dizzying notes of ginger. Among the celebrities who happened to taste the aroma of this miracle were Elton John, Winston Churchill, and Elizabeth II. The British Queen was treated with a rare drink during her visit to France in the late 50s of the last century.
Rémy Martin Louis XIII Grande Champagne Très Vieille Age Inconnu
$55 000
This original bottle of cognac was bought in 2013 for £ 41 thousand. The auction took place in Hong Kong as part of the country's first exclusively alcoholic exhibition.
1858 Cognac Croizet Cuvée Léonie
$156 700
This brandy was made in 1859 from last year's crop. It was poured into original handmade bottles by skilled glassblowers. The Croizet family vineyards in Grande Champagne have been owned by the Cuvy Leoni family since the 16th century.
Cognac gained immense popularity after it was delivered to W. Churchill and Eisenhower to celebrate the victory in World War II.
Hennessy Beaute du Siecle Cognac
$187 500
Only a true connoisseur of cognac drinks may not regret such a large sum for a bottle of elite cognac produced by the world's leading manufacturer “Hennessy”. Cognac was released on the 100th anniversary of Kilian Hennessy. The drink is blended from more than 100 different varieties of cognac.
In addition to the drink, collectors also pay for the silver tray offered to the exquisite bottle into which the expensive cognac is poured. A turn of the key, and a container with a sparkling drink surrounded by glasses, as in a fairy tale, appears on a shiny tray.
Henri IV, Cognac Grande Champagne
$1 875 000
It is difficult to imagine, but the recipe for this exclusive cognac is dated to 1776. Today, this cognac is the most expensive in the world, and its recipe is kept secret and inherited.
The manufacturer set even a high, but fixed price, and some connoisseurs at auctions sometimes pay more than $ 2 million for this masterpiece. It is clear that such an exclusive requires a chic frame. The bottle into which the drink is poured with an aging of more than a hundred years is made of gold, diamonds adorn its surface.
Such a great price for these unique drinks is sometimes caused not only by the fact that they are bottled in unusual bottles and packed in exclusive packaging, but also by the fact that the oldest technologies were used in the production, and grapes and its processing are made only by hand.
As you can see, the most expensive skates are not worth a lot of money, and sometimes are purchased as rare items in the collection of elite and expensive alcoholic beverages.
Article author: Valery Skiba