Discovery is everything. - Makro

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Tips
Pick several cognacs for tasting. All should be tasted, one at a time, in a tulip
or balloon glass. Fill the glass one-fi fth full. Warm the glass with the palms of
the hand right before tasting to enhance the cognac fl avor.
Hold the glass to the light to evaluate its color. Good cognac should have a
clear, rich amber color.
Bring the nose to the glass and inhale the initial aroma. Th en swirl the glass to
release the full bouquet and smell again. Each cognac will present a diff erent
combination of fl oral, nut, fruit and spice scents.
Taste the cognac and roll it around the mouth to activate all the taste
receptors: sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Swallow the cognac. A good cognac
will leave a lingering, pleasant impression.
• Cognac is classifi ed in grades based on aging; the longer the aging, the better the
cognac. Th ese grades are: VS, or Very Special, aged at least 2.5 years; VSOP, or Very
Special Old Pale, aged at least 4.5 to 6 years; XO, or Extra Old, aged at least 6.5 years.
Most cognac houses will age their cognac longer than the required time; some XO
cognacs are aged a minimum of 20 years.
• Try eating chocolate while sipping cognac. Th e two fl avours enhance each other.
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