On the palate, the warming sensation of spices only serves to enhance and lift the sweet and exotic vanilla, complemented by notes of hazelnut and quince. You can still find the brand today, and though the label is different, the bottle shape is still very much recognisable, and the iconic stag still remains. But while creative partnerships help to introduce cognac to new audiences, what really matters is the quality of the liquid inside the bottle. This special edition Cognac has been produced by cellar master, Eric Forget, using a blend of 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1987 “Early Landed” Grande Champagne Cognacs that were matured in the UK, as well as some XO Cognac from Hine’s cellars in Jarnac. This is Hine’s most entry level Cognac that is blended from more than 15 Cognacs, all more than four years old.

Hine Cognac : The Whisky Exchange

The result is an extraordinary cognac that offers a finish that can evolve on the palate for an hour. These cognacs contain grapes grown in the family’s private vineyards, which are cultivated in a sustainable way to ensure the preservation of local flora and fauna. It separates itself from the competition by reducing cask strengths to 40% with faibles (low-strength cognacs) rather than with water. Fortune favours the bold, however, and not only did Hine find himself imprisoned in the middle of Cognac country, in an established Cognac house, he also found himself in the good company of Françoise-Elisabeth, the daughter of his hosts. Due to the slower maturation, the spirit, whilst aged, retains more youthful elements, producing a airy, less evolved and nutty style.

The house uses grapes grown in the Grande Champagne, shunning mass-market VS (two-year) and VSOP (four-year) cognacs to focus its efforts on producing prestigious XO. Compare this with the Scotch whisky industry, which can use casks previously used to age a variety of other spirits, like bourbon or even tequila. Being such a versatile style of Cognac, Hine Rare could play so many different roles as a pairing option. Having been in the same hands since inception and operating in the same family-owned vineyards, Camus is able to offer a range of extraordinary single-estate cognacs. The maturation of Hine Cognac also benefits from the insistence to preserve this local, familiar approach.

Hine Cognac Range Review - Sated

It is also a leader in sustainability and integrates eco-friendly practices into every step of its viticulture. This collectible bottle of Hine VSOP Fine Champagne Coganc is from the 1980s, and comes with two very round brandy glasses.Made only using Cognacs that have reached their peak maturity, it is an uber-complex and ultra-premium Cognac that any collector would be lucky to have in their collection. The character is rounded by an aroma that speaks more to fresh flowers and orange peel - evocative of the traditional Cognac. This “Early Landed” edition has been aged in the UK where humidity is higher and constant, and temperature lower and constant compared to Jarnac, meaning less oxidation, less Angel Share loss and slower maturation.

Hine Cognac - At Hine And Nowhere Else Hine Cognac - At Hine And Nowhere Else

This traditional XO with a modern design is a celebration of both old and new, a new and exciting experience in the present that simultaneously pays its respects to the past. All in all, this is a rather complex tasting experience, despite this being a VSOP and not a prestige XO bottling. A The Cognac region in south-west France lies some 110km north of Bordeaux and 450km south-west of Paris. Once it hits the mark, the master blender mixes it with other eaux-de-vie (some blends contain over 1,000) to achieve the exact aroma and taste the house desires.An exquisite and unusually shaped decanter-style bottle, this rounded edges of this XO present an antique style with a modern twist. By housing its cellar two metres below the level of the close River Charente, Hine allows high humidity to naturally engineer the conditions that lend the aging process of this Cognac to develop greater complexity and structure.