343411 Thu Nov 16 16:42:53 -0800 2006 12 36 Spirits 0 2026849 I posted a similar thread about Port in the wine section, but I thought I'd ask what CH-ers enjoy in the Cognac category. I've been impressed with Hardy's Red Corner or Red Label, whatever it's called. Remy VS is ok too. Anyone recommend anything cheap and good? I love a nice snifter of Cognac this time of year! Thu Nov 16 16:42:53 -0800 2006 42270 HaagenDazs 1 2026928 I'm not sure what qualifies as "cheap." I tend to really like either Delamain Vesper or Hennessy XO, and I recognize that neither of those qualifies as "cheap" by anyone's standard (including mine), but I don't drink much of either and a bottle lasts a long, long time. While not super cheap either, the less-expensive cognac that I like is Hine Rare and Delicate, which at one time was available in the NH state stores for less than $40. I haven't bought any for a while, and it appears that Hine is now listing instead something called Rare VSOP, which I'm guessing is the same thing, or at least similar. Like everything imported from Europe in these days of the soaring Euro I assume it's crept up in price, unfortunately. Thu Nov 16 17:00:18 -0800 2006 2026849 10207 FlyFish 2 2026968 Cheap meaning... I'd say under $25 for a 750ml. Good & cheap means good value. I'm here in Atlanta, GA and we tend to have pretty good prices here. I've not done much price comparison in other cities, but I can get a bottle of Hardy Red corner for about $17-18. Thu Nov 16 17:09:43 -0800 2006 2026928 42270 HaagenDazs 1 2027455 Well, as a lower cost cognac I like Remy VSOP, but one of my favorites and definitely not cheap A.E. Dor Reserves... if you have not tried any of the A.E. Dor you may want to try the A.E. Dor D (Cognac Selection) and then if you agree with me that it is a great cognac go to the reserves. www.aedor.com Thu Nov 16 19:08:47 -0800 2006 2026849 41146 anejospirit 1 2028682 My favorite values are anything from Jean Fillioux or Maison Surrenne. They have many offerings at all price points, all excellent quality and none of them doctored. Fri Nov 17 01:02:35 -0800 2006 2026849 17708 warrenr 1 2030339 Montfort VS isn't bad and can be found from $25-30 a bottle Fri Nov 17 18:32:41 -0800 2006 2026849 49959 thegolferbitch 1 2030399 Does it have to be Cognac? How about some pot-distilled alambric California brandy, like Germain-Robin... great value and really good stuff. Their low end $35 fine brandy is better than most VSOP's. Not as cheap any longer, but from Spain you have Gran Duque d'Alba - now about $45. I dunno - under $25 for something decent sounds like you're going to have to lower your definition of decent... Unless you're chugging this stuff down by the gallon, I'd look for a little more quality for a little more price. Fri Nov 17 18:50:39 -0800 2006 2026849 10312 applehome 1 2058019 In all price ranges, my favorite Cognac House is Normandin-Mercier. It is generally available at wine stores that do business with Chadderdon. My favorite widely available Cognac House, in all price categories, is Martell. If you are willing to spend a little extra $ and can't find Normandin Mercier, you may try Kelt VSOP. Should be about $55 and is a clear step above the Martell (which is better, imo, than Remy, etc). Thu Nov 30 14:07:25 -0800 2006 2026849 50041 whiner 1 2062451 As with most well-known spirits, much of the price you pay is for marketing, so guided adventure pays off. Try the very useful 'spirits' search at http://www.tastings.com For about $25 (in New York), I picked up some Marquis de Gensac Grande Champagne VSOP Cognac, which is amazing. See http://www.tastings.com/search_spirits.lasso?se=k&kw=Marquis%20de%20Gensac%20&sb=All&sf=ScoreForSort But approval for distribution is a state-by-state matter, and even then many stores won't order stray bottles of obscure labels. Fri Dec 01 19:52:56 -0800 2006 2026849 56979 AlanH 1 2070500 For me, king of the hill is Germain-Robins XO: best stuff I ever had, any cost, any date, any origin. Distant second is Jepson. It is california, so technically is not cognac. But at $100, the equal to anything else with three digits in its price tag. He has a website: http://www.germain-robin.com/ Tue Dec 05 03:01:16 -0800 2006 2026849 21941 jerry i h 1 2071291 Ahh yes, $100 for a bottle - that was exactly my first thought when I said cheap ;-) Tue Dec 05 14:26:09 -0800 2006 2026849 42270 HaagenDazs 2 2073709 sorry. The company also has a regular label that is $30 a bottle at Bevmo; this is my everyday spirit. It may not be the cheapest item on the shelf, but it is a good bargain considering the quality, and certainly better than anything from France at the same price. Wed Dec 06 01:04:11 -0800 2006 2071291 21941 jerry i h 3 2074635 I'm just teasing - that's what I was looking for; good quality for a good price. Thanks! Wed Dec 06 13:28:25 -0800 2006 2073709 42270 HaagenDazs