Martell VSOP Cognac

Martell VSOP is a dry, medium-bodied cognac from France's oldest major cognac house — founded in 1715, nearly a decade before Rémy Martin and fifty years before Hennessy — imported from the Cognac commune of the Charente department and delivering over 300 years of history in a flavor profile of raisins, cream, toasted oats, mild spices, and caramelized prunes that reflects Martell's distinctive dry, elegant house style.

Martell's house style is distinctly drier and more restrained than the richer, fruit-forward profiles of Hennessy and Rémy Martin — a product of Martell's preference for Borderies and Fins Bois crus over the Champagne-dominant blends of its rivals, and a distillation approach using clarified wine that produces a lighter, more delicate spirit than the less-filtered approaches used elsewhere. The result is a VSOP with a dry, complex character — raisins and cream on the opening, followed by toasted oats, hay, and mild spices that are characteristic of Martell's drier style, before the deeper flavors of caramelized prunes and dried fruit emerge on the palate. The deep copper color reflects the house's Limousin oak aging. Works on its own neat, with lemonade or soda, or in simple mixed drinks that benefit from a drier cognac base.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Raisins and cream with toasted oats, mild spices, and hay — Martell's dry, restrained house style evident immediately
• Palate: Caramelized prunes, dried fruit, and sharp pepper — moderate sweetness with more spice and depth than the nose suggests
• Finish: Dry and warming — the spice and dried fruit character persisting through a clean, medium-length close

Specs

• Producer: Martell, Cognac, Charente, France (est. 1715)
• Style: VSOP Cognac
• Character: Dry, medium-bodied — Borderies and Fins Bois cru focus
• ABV: 40% (80 Proof)
• Size: 750ml

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