The products of the Delamain brand are aged and vintage cognacs of outstanding quality, which are the pride of the creators and the close attention of collectors from all over the world.
The real “living water”, one of the best in France, is produced by the oldest and respected family company, leading its history from the time of chivalry.
It is noteworthy that the House does not own its own vineyards, so the owners buy alcohol to create cognacs from local farmers.
cocktails with cognac
History of the Delamen brand
Henri Delamain, who founded the Maison Delamain company in 1824, is considered the creator of the great Cognac House. But the start of the family brand was laid long before that.
In 1759, Henri’s grandfather, the Irishman James Delamen, left the “emerald” homeland and settled in his own estate in Jarnac. A few years later, he married the daughter of a merchant, Isaac Ranson, who was engaged in the supply of French cognac to European countries.
James became a partner in law, and some time later, a co-owner of a company called The Ranson & Delamain House.
In the XNUMXth century, the company was managed by the descendants of the founders, who laid the foundation for a unique collection of vintage spirits, which today are estimated at a fabulous amount.
In 1920, the Delamen family became the sole owner of the company, which, however, did not affect the established technology for making drinks.
For 200 years, the House has been developing and maintaining its own philosophy and traditions of creating cognacs.
Today, Delamain is one of the few French manufacturers that has retained its independence and the right to produce vintage eaux-de-vie pieces.
The annual volume of production is only 600 thousand bottles, but each of them is a real masterpiece of taste.
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Interesting Facts
The motto of the company is the words: “We start where others stop.” You can understand them only by examining the assortment of the brand. And it includes exclusively mature cognacs, the youngest of which belongs to the XO category (the “oldest” in the traditional classification).
According to legend, the company’s family archive contains correspondence between James Delamen and Richard Hennessy (the founder of another legendary French brand), in which the former teaches the latter the art of creating cognacs.
In 1935, a representative of the famous family – Robert Delamen – wrote the book “The History of Cognac”. It is still considered the most thorough work on the subject.
Since the beginning of the XNUMXst century, no less famous French manufacturer Bollinger has been involved in the management of the company. He owns part of the shares of Delamain House.
Manufacturing specifics
The brand owners consider the reverent attitude to time and traditions to be the basis of their success. There is no place for haste and negligence in Delamain technology. For 2 hundred years, the process of creating cognacs has not changed much:
The company’s specialists do not work with grapes or wine materials, they immediately purchase ready-made distillates from trusted farmers in the Grande Champagne region. Evaluation of spirits is given special attention, selecting the best of them within a few weeks.
For aging, only old French oak barrels are used. This wood contains less tannins, helping to preserve the fruity aromas and subtle character of cognacs, but requires longer maturation.
The aging process is strictly controlled by the cellar master, who tastes the drinks and, if necessary, moves the casks from one cellar to another (increasing or lowering humidity, temperature, air access, etc.).
After cognacs reach the highest degree of maturity (after 20–60 years), they proceed to “marriage” (mixing), combining alcohols of the same generation (similar age). Then the drink is given time to come into harmony, keeping the mixture in oak for another 2 years.
The strength of cognacs is reduced not with distilled water, but with weak 15% alcohols (“vieilles faibles”), introducing them in several steps so as not to upset the balance of the components.
Bottling is carried out manually from one barrel under the personal control of the owner of the House, the bottles are pre-rinsed with cognac.
Types of brandy Delamen
Each collection of Delamain cognacs is exclusive and produced in limited quantities. The main ones are 3 series:
Pale & Dry
An elegant 25-year-old range, first introduced almost 100 years ago.
It has a delicate character and rich bouquet.
The aroma is dominated by notes of apricot, vanilla, honey and citrus.
Taste: light, delicate, soft, with a long, full-bodied fruity finish.
Vesper
An exquisite collection first released in the 1950s. Aging period: 35 years. The name is translated from Latin as “evening star”, which emphasizes the quiet, but at the same time bewitching character of the drinks.
The aroma is dominated by tones of vine, vanilla, dried fruits, tobacco and honey.
Taste: soft, round, full-bodied, ripe, with a smooth satin finish.
The Most Revered
A luxurious series, aged for 45 years and embodying the highest degree of cognac art.
Aroma: intense and assertive, but at the same time delicate.
Taste: full, soft, deep, with intense fruitiness, subtle lingering notes of licorice and a refined balanced finish.
For true connoisseurs, the Delamain House regularly produces vintage cognacs that are available only to the most affluent tasters.
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Relevance: 12.06.2019
Tags: Brandy and Cognac, Cognac Brands