Cognac Otard: history, overview of species, how to drink + interesting facts

Cognac Otard belongs to the most popular brand of strong alcoholic beverages produced in France. The brand bears the name of its founder.

cocktails with cognac

History of the drink

Back in 1795, Baron Jean-Baptiste and his friend Jean Dupuy organized a cognac house and gave it the name Otard-Dupuy.

In 1796, they bought an ancient castle with a unique location of cellars at a level below the river. Thanks to this structure, a constant humidity of 90% and a temperature of 15 ° C are maintained in the room, which is optimal for cognac aging for many years.

Production was active until the end of the XNUMXth century, after which there was a decline. Dupuis decided to sell his stake, after which the company changed its name to Otard.

In 1993, Bacardi Limited became the new owner. She, in turn, changed the shape of the bottle to the now known “drop of cognac tear”.

In 2011, the historic name was returned to the brand of cognac and the design of the bottle was changed to a more modern one in the form of a “techno-drop”.

All these changes by the new owners indicate respect for the creator of the brand, in addition, the manufactured products have acquired the title of founder Jean Baptiste in addition to the name.

Types of cognac Otard

  1. Strong and faithful

    It belongs to the most expensive types of cognac in the world. To create elite alcohol, cognac spirits aged for more than 100 years are used.

    Expensive cognac with an unusual strong taste in a combination of aromas of nuts, plums and orange peel, as well as a long floral aftertaste.

  2. Extra 1795 series

    Premium cognac using a raw material base that has been aged in barrels for 40–120 years.

    It has a complex blend of prunes, hazelnuts and citrus notes.

  3. Napoleon

    For the production of this drink, cognac spirits languish in barrels for 10 to 15 years.

    It has a delicate, light woody bouquet with hints of dried fruits and coconuts.

  4. XO Gold Series

    The color of the drink is dark amber. To create cognacs of this series, it is necessary to withstand alcohols for 15–35 years.

    On the palate there are notes of cheeses, the aroma of hazelnuts and the sweetness of honey.

  5. VS Series

    It has a golden color with yellow tints. The main note of aroma of the drink is a flowering vine.

    Withstand spirits over 2 years and has the taste of grapes and candied fruit.

    It belongs to the most demanded and popular series among consumers in the market of alcoholic beverages.

  6. VSOP series

    It has a golden color with copper tints.

    The taste is soft with hints of citrus and vanilla, with an aftertaste of pear and tobacco.

    As an aperitif, it is combined with tonic and ice. Produced from spirits aged in barrels from 4,5 to 16 years.

  7. Vintage series

    The dark amber color of the drink reveals fruity aromas with hints of citrus and sandalwood.

    Soft balanced taste with an aftertaste of prunes and oak barrels.

How and with what to drink cognac Otard

In order to maximize and fully enjoy the taste sensations of this elite alcohol, the rules for serving and drinking are important.

The drink is poured at a temperature of 20-25 ° C into special glasses in the shape of a glass – snifters (wide glasses made of the thinnest glass).

By tradition, cognac in such glasses is held in hands for a long time until the desired temperature is reached and sipped in small sips.

A delicate sweetish aroma reveals vanilla notes with a delicate aftertaste of honey. The warmed drink reveals a bouquet of floral and fruity notes. In the final aftertaste, the aroma has notes of oak.

Almost all types of Otard cognac are not usually served in combination with a snack, they are savored after a meal and used as a digestif.

Young cognac of the VS series can be served with ice cubes in addition to an appetizer of fruits, cheeses and seafood.

Interesting Facts

  1. It is believed that if the name of cognac is indicated on the bottle without a title, then the blend refers to the period of production of the drink from 1991 to 2010, in the same years the drink was produced in a bottle in the traditional “drop” form. If the word “Baron” is added to the name, these are blends from 2011.

  2. For the production of Otard cognacs and their aging, barrels made from the oaks of the Tronce and Limousin forests are used. This wood contributes to the acquisition of an unusual cognac taste by the drink.

  3. Today, in many factories, the production of alcoholic beverages is fully automated. The Otard company makes its cognacs using exclusively manual labor.

what should be real cognac

Relevance: 04.02.2020

Tags: Brandy and Cognac, Cognac Brands

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