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I had a seven-cognac dinner. It was reminiscent of my 11-Champagne lunch. The event was hosted by Delamain, the venerable French cognac house, to promote the arrival of Le Voyage: very old eau-de-vie cognac in a crystal Baccarat decanter, housed in a custom-made leather valise. Only 500 were made and the price tag is $6,500. Every now and again a cognac house will create something rare and expensive to pop the brand into view. It is the spirits equivalent of Louis Vuitton’s Murakami handbags. I delayed posting until it became available in the US (seems the import paperwork took a while). It is currently on the shelves at Zachys in NY and SF.

The dinner was quite interesting and educational, in as much as a meal fueled by so much alcohol can be. I learned that…

1. All cognac producers buy from the same negociants and growers, meaning everyone is working with the same base ingredients. The differences come in the aging.
2. Unlike wine, you never judge cognac by the color nor do you swirl before drinking. If you see someone doing either with great flourish they are not an expert but a poser.
3. Side-by-side tasting is always revelatory.
4. I do like cognac after all.