A premium French drink served at the English royal table, by definition, must be outstanding.
Nevertheless, little is known to the general consumer about the products of the Hine Cognac House, and the inhabitants of Russia, with rare exceptions, are not at all familiar with it.
Vzboltay decided to correct an unfortunate omission and tell in more detail about the exquisite alcohol produced in the Grande Champagne region.
famous cognac brands
Hine brand history in brief
It is curious that the right to be called the founder of one of the oldest Cognac Houses in France belongs to an Englishman.
Young Thomas Hine, who at that time was barely 16, arrived on the banks of the Charente from his native Dorset in 1791.
Setting off on a journey with the aim of mastering cognac business, a young man from a large family hardly imagined that he would stay in foreign lands for a long time.
However, his marriage to a Frenchwoman and passion for the art of creating strong drinks were the first steps for Thomas on the path to fame and the emergence of the Hine brand, named after him.
Over the years of its existence, the company has had to go through hard times more than once.
World wars, economic crises and civil conflicts were interspersed with natural disasters in the form of the phylloxera invasion and the floods of the Charente River.
However, the great House managed not only to resist, but also to preserve the unique recipe and inimitable taste of drinks worthy of a royal tasting.
Production features
The unique bouquet of Hein drinks is not only a result of the preservation of 250-year-old traditions and the painstaking work of specialists, but also the influence of the characteristic microclimate of the region.
The noble taste of cognacs is born as a result of a combination of a number of factors:
Growing vines on fertile limestone soils that impart liveliness and subtle, graceful character to the fruits, and then to the finished products.
The use of special raw materials – white Ugni Blanc grapes, carefully harvested in two regions of the Charente department: Grande Champagne and Petit Champagne.
The fruits are harvested in autumn, after they have reached the maximum degree of maturity.
Compliance with the classic cognac technology brought to perfection.
Which includes: natural vinification, still distillation without filtering the sediment and long-term aging of aromatic spirits in barrels made of selected French oak wood.
One of the eccentric traditions of the enterprise, introduced back in the XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries, was the export of part of the cognacs bottled in barrels in France to the other side of the English Channel – to England – for storage in British cellars.
The manufacturer claims that the taste of such drinks is strikingly different from the products left in Jarnac, where the company’s main storage facilities are located.
Also Cognac House “Hein” is one of the few farms that have preserved the tradition of making millesim drinks.
Such cognacs are made from spirits of a certain year, without the inclusion of distillates from harvests of other years.
Whether this technology enriches or impoverishes the taste of the product is a moot point, which still causes heated discussions among cognac masters.
But the assertion that the result is an exclusive collection drink is beyond doubt.
what should be real cognac
Types of cognac Hine
Individual options from the range of the legendary brand are real works of art and require a truly royal attitude.
Some cognac spirits, which are part of exclusive copies, managed to celebrate their centennial anniversary.
H by Hine VSOP (“Unstoppable”)
Expressive, energetic drink, which is dominated by notes of apricot, iris, quince, white pepper, acacia.
The manufacturer recommends experimenting with feed options.
Young sunny cognac can be drunk chilled – with ice and tonic, included in cocktails, supplemented with ginger ale, a slice of cucumber, lime, a rosemary sprig, make a punch out of it or season a fruit salad.
Hine Rare VSOP
The classic version, created from 20 cognac spirits.
The taste starts with a delicate aroma of baked peaches, ripe apricots, fresh melons and ends with an exquisite confectionery sweetness of buns and juicy fruits.
Hine Antique XO
Traditional assemblage of 40 cognac spirits. The ripeness of white grapes is complemented by soft woody notes in a lively and complex bouquet.
Hints of hazelnut, sweet spices and quince jam are combined with hints of figs, white tobacco and fresh baked goods.
The manufacturer advises to have a drink with gourmet French cheeses, orange chocolate and baked fruit.
Hine Triumph
Cognac, including 50 mature spirits of the highest quality.
The bouquet excites with delicate accents of white cedar and fresh vanilla, which are replaced by bright tones of licorice, chocolate and spicy sweetness.
In the aftertaste, aromas of prunes and baked apples are guessed.
Hine Homage
An exquisite blend of 20 cognac spirits plays with notes of hot spices, pear and orange peel.
The aftertaste hints at the sweetness of candied fruit, honey and hazelnuts.
Hine Cigar RESERVE XO
The rich and full-bodied bouquet of this cognac is determined by a mixture of 20 excellent spirits.
Exotic fruits and spices, refined pungency of pepper, bitterness of tobacco and an exciting smoky plume are felt in the aroma.
The taste is dominated by cinnamon, nuts, honey. Colour: bright amber.
Hine 250
A special vintage of 1953, limited to 250 units, a real “water of life”.
The drink is characterized by an elegant shade of topaz, lively character, aroma of peaches and hazelnuts with notes of acacia honey.
The taste is dominated by tones of citrus, cardamom with a slight nuance of fresh skin.
Hine Wedding
An assemblage of 12 valuable cognac spirits, the youngest of which is almost a hundred years old.
The noble drink is produced in a crystal decanter and requires a special occasion for tasting.
On the palate there are shades of hazelnuts, roasted almonds, candied fruits, complemented by delicate woody tones.
Hine Talent
Another precious assemblage, this time including 50 mature cognac spirits of exceptional quality.
The delicately decorated crystal bottle, placed together with 4 glasses in a package made of precious wood, speaks of the special character of the drink.
Luxurious, spicy cognac with oriental notes conquers with the aroma of candied dates, cloves, dried figs.
Gingerbread and raisin shades are felt in the sweet aftertaste.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the famous “vintage collection” of the Hain House, which includes vintage cognacs of different years of production: from 1975 to 1992.
Each option, with the exception of recent years, is presented in two copies:
Jarnac – aged in Jarnac (in France).
Early landed – “aged” in England.
It is better to savor the most valuable aged drinks “Hein” in its pure form, after a meal, optionally supplementing the tasting with a cup of coffee and an expensive cigar.
cocktails with cognac
Relevance: 26.12.2018
Tags: Brandy and Cognac, Cognac Brands