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Camus is the fifth cognac house in Cognac in terms of sales and the largest of the independent family businesses. In 2015, the turnover of CAMUS Group reached 150 million euros, having tripled in three years. More than 500 people work in the company’s representative offices around the world. House Camus has branches in China and the USA, as well as offices in Russia, Vietnam and Hong Kong.
Brand history. Cognac house founded by Jean-Baptiste Camus. The current assets of the company – 180 hectares of vineyards in the most valuable sub-region of the Borderies, 200 partner winemakers, a distillery with five cellars for storage and blending, 5 bottling lines – all this began with the fact that in 1863, together with a group of like-minded people, Jean Camus founded his own winery La Grande Marque. At first, the company sold its cognac to other trading houses, but later the ambitious entrepreneur bought out the partners’ shares and gave the House its name – Camus-La Grande Marque.
Since then, for a century and a half, five generations of the family have been united by a love for creating cognac of exceptional quality with a special character, rich taste and aroma, in which you can feel the soul of the place where the drink was born.
In 1894, the eldest son of the founder of the brand, Edmond, became a cellar master. Under his leadership, Camus was one of the first cognac houses to abandon barrels in favor of bottles with labels that improved the brand’s image. This allowed the younger brother Gaston to direct his energy to the development of exports.
In 1910 Camus received the status of the official supplier of the court of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II – according to the data of that time, Camus accounted for more than 70% of cognacs imported into the country. In 1959, a third generation, Michel Camus, entered into a supply agreement with the Soviet government, which was valid for 30 years, even in the era of total anti-alcohol campaigns. Thanks to this, in the USSR, the brand’s products began to symbolize the very concept of “French cognac”.
The merit of Jean-Paul Camus is a significant expansion of vineyards in the Borderie sub-region, which has increased the supply. In addition, he provided the company with a global presence by entering emerging Asian markets and establishing Camus as a leader in Japan and Korea. In 2000, the Camus Cognac House began producing the unique Borderies XO cognac, which has been the hallmark of the company ever since.
Today, the fifth generation of the dynasty, Cyril Camus, who was educated in France and China, is the owner and president of the CAMUS Group. It focuses on global markets, develops brand cooperation with other brands of high quality products. Under the leadership of Cyril Camus, the Elegance, Borderies XO and VSOP series, exceptional cuvees, as well as unique island cognacs Ile De Re have been created.
Awards
The Cognac Masters:
- 2017 – Gold (Camus XO Borderies) and Silver (Camus VSOP Borderies) medals.
World Spirits Competition, San Francisco:
- 2006 – silver medal (Camus Elegance XO);
- 2007 – silver medal (Camus Borderies VS);
- 2010 – 2 gold (Camus VSOP Elegance, Camus XO Elegance) and 2 silver medals (Camus VS Elegance, Camus XO Borderies);
- 2011 – Double gold (Camus VS Elegance), Gold (Camus XO Elegance) and silver (Camus XO Borderies) medals;
- 2012 – 2 Double Gold (Camus Ile de Re Fine Island, Camus Extra Elegance), Gold (Camus Ile de Re Fine Island Cognac, Double Matured) and 2 Silver medals;
- 2013 – Double gold (Camus VS Elegance), gold (Camus VSOP Borderies) and 5 silver medals;
- 2014 – 2 Double Gold (Camus VSOP Elegance, Camus Borderies VSOP), Gold (Camus XO Elegance) and Silver medals;
- 2015 – Double gold medal (Camus Borderies VSOP) and victory in the Best Cognac VSOP nomination, gold (Camus XO Elegance) and 7 silver medals;
- 2016 – 2 gold (Camus Borderies XO, Camus Extra Elegance) and 4 silver medals.
International Wine & Spirit Competition, Лондон:
- 2013 – 5 silver medals (Camus Borderies VSOP, Camus Ile de Re Fine Island, Camus VS Elegance, Camus VSOP Elegance, Camus XO Elegance);
- 2014 – 4 silver medals (Camus VS Elegance, Camus VSOP Borderies, Camus XO Elegance, Camus VSOP Elegance);
- 2015 – 2 золотые (Camus Borderies VSOP, Camus Borderies XO) and 6 серебряных медалей (Camus Extra Elegance, Camus Ile de Re Fine Island Cognac, Camus Ile de Re Fine Island Cognac Cliff Side Cellar, Camus Ile de Ré Fine Island Cognac Double Matured , Camus VSOP Elegance, Camus XO Elegance);
- 2016 – Gold (Camus Extra Elegance) and 4 silver medals (Camus Borderies VSOP, Camus Ile De Re Fine Island, Camus VS Elegance, Camus VSOP Elegance).
World Beverage Competition:
- 2016 – Gold medal (Camus VS Elegance).
Interesting Facts
A true ambassador of the French ‘art of living’, Camus is the only cognac house to launch retail stores in China, bringing expert advice and tastings of the rarest cognacs to a new audience.
In 2010, the company opened an exclusive private club Maison Camus Lounge in Beijing, where members can get acquainted with the brand’s product range, partake in high French cuisine, and create their own cognacs under the guidance of the Blender.
Types of cognac Camus
Camus Borderies VS, 40%
The youngest cognac in the line, an assemblage of spirits distilled without sediment from different sub-regions of Cognac. Opens with delicate aromas of iris, spices, nuts and a slight hint of vanilla. The taste follows the aroma: the same notes, complemented by grape freshness and cinnamon.
Especially for this drink, a 20 ml threaded cap was developed – with its help it is easy to measure the traditional bar measure when preparing cocktails. The manufacturer also recommends drinking with ice, with the addition of tonic or green tea. The arsenal of awards includes gold and silver medals from the IWSC and the international competition in San Francisco.
Camus Borderies VSOP, 40%
Released in a limited edition in 2014. For blending, spirits aged 10-15 years, aged in barrels of pre-dried wood, were used. It features an expressive bouquet with a predominance of floral and mineral notes. The taste clearly points to the origin of the Borderie grapes: notes of ripe peach, orange peel, milk chocolate, brown sugar are heard. At the prestigious international competition Ultimate Spirits Challenge, he received 94 points from the jury and the rating “Excellent. Highest Recommendations.
Camus Borderies XO, 40%
Produced in a limited series from the harvest obtained in the company’s own vineyards. In a complex aromatic palette, characteristic tones of iris, dried apricots, nuts, vanilla are distinguishable. The velvety taste allows you to guess the presence of candied fruit, peach cream and fresh pastries. Winner of many awards at international competitions. The expert jury of the Ultimate Spirits Challenge awarded the drink 95 points and the characteristic “Outstanding. Absolute recommendations.
Camus Elegance VSOP, 40%
Assembled by Cyril Camus and made from old spirits of the Borderie zone, which are characterized by floral aromas. For the new cognac, a bottle with a screw cap has been developed, which also serves as a measuring cup for quick mixing of cocktails. It has a deep golden color and an exquisite bouquet, which combines light oaky notes with hints of grapefruit, pear and coconut cookies. The taste is rounded, with a silky texture. At the international competition in New York, Ultimate Spirits Challenge-2017, he received the status of a finalist with a score of 92 points and the characteristic “Excellent. Highest Recommendations.
Camus Elegance XO, 40%
The assemblage is built on the predominance of alcohols from the Borderies. A special technology is used for aging, which provides for a gradual decrease in the level of humidity in the cellars. This method provides expressiveness of character, saturation of aroma and roundness of cognac. The range of flavors is determined by tones of apricots, figs, hazelnuts and honey. The aftertaste is warming, with subtle hints of oak.
The manufacturer’s recommended serving temperature is 18-20°C, neat or with the addition of a few drops of mineral water. Received the Beverage Testing Institute Gold Medal and many other awards.
Camus Extra Elegance, 40%
Released at the turn of the century, in 2000. The age of cognac is defined as Hors d’Age, which means that the minimum age of spirits used in the assemblage is 10 years. The color of old gold very accurately conveys the character formed by the richness of old drinks. The bouquet is characterized by a combination of notes of sweet pastries, walnuts, dry violets, expensive tobacco. The taste is devoid of any sharpness and conveys the nuances of spices, orange jam and prunes.
This gem of the collection by Cyril Camus has received a worthy “frame”: the design of a molded glass bottle with a neck and a brushed steel stopper was developed by the famous architectural bureau DDC. The result of successful cooperation was the prestigious Pentaward award, awarded for achievements in the field of design.
Camus Extra Dark and Intense, 40%
Cognac maintains the high quality bar of its predecessor – Extra Elegance. With the goal of creating a new, even brighter and more intense version of the drink, Cyril Camus and master blender Patrick Leger hand-selected the best barrels for re-roasting. This procedure restores the aromatic potential of the barrels and gives the pre-aged cognac an intense character. The bouquet is rich in hints of roasted nuts, gingerbread, apricot jam. The taste is creamy-oily, with a slight bitterness of dark chocolate.
It is poured into stylish black glass decanters, which symbolize the “dark power” of cognac, and the golden lid – flames.
Camus Ile De Re Double Matured, 40%
Cognac double exposure, distilled on the lees. A unique bouquet with hints of smoke, sea air and caramelized oranges is due to a special aging method. First, the spirits mature in the important cellars of the Ile de Ré, then they are transferred to heavily charred barrels in Cognac.
The palate is dominated by honey and fruit notes, which are replaced by sandalwood, spices and dates towards the finish. It is good to drink neat or with ice.
