[Review] Hine - Rare VSOP 40%
I know this is meant to be a blog about whisky, but I decided to branch out tonight with a bottle of Cognac which I think is really worth reviewing. I have never really drunk much Cognac, but having got into aged spirit with whisky, I thought I should give it a go. And what's more, I grew up about an hour away from the Cognac region so now feel I should try to support my "home terroir". My first bottle of Cognac was an XO from an independent producer who actually distilled the grapes and aged the spirit to turn it into Cognac. Why do I mention that? Simply because most Cognac brands do not actually distill the spirit themselves, they buy it from small local producers to blend it ultimately. Unlike whisky, Cognac bottles do not tend to have an age statement of their labels but a few letters instead, so you need to be able to know what they mean to be able to understand how old your spirit is: V.S. = Very Special, the youngest spirit used in the blend has been age...