A waltz of flowers, fruits, wood, spices, candies, delicacies...

The aromatic wheel of Cognacs is one of the most complex and of the most pleasant. It spreads from the world of wines to the world of perfumes: one never knows with a Cognac if it is more pleasant to smell it or to drink it.

Depending on the origin of the eaux de vie, on their aging, on the style decided by the “Nose” who created the Cognac, you will perceive waves of fragrances:

Bunches of fresh flowers: vine buds, white rose, violet, jasmine, daisy, narcissus, honeysuckle, iris… ...

Bouquets of dried flowers, herbal teas, linden, camomile, vervain, hay, straw, tea...

Harvest of fresh fruits : through green apples and pears; lemon, orange, bergamot (as in Earl Grey Tea); apricots, white and yellow peaches; red fruits, plums; pineapple, mangoes..

Dried fruits : almonds, hazelnuts, all kinds of nuts from walnuts to coconuts

Toasted or grilled aromas: toasted bread, hot woods, freshly roasted or ground coffee, smoke...

Balsamic notes : pine tree, gum resin, bee wax…some cognacs smell just like an antique wooden cupboard recently waxed by a grand-mother (the cupboard may even contain jars of jam…)

Wood: saw-dust, new oak, dry wood, cedar wood (the essence of cigar boxes), sandalwood...

Animal fragrances: especially leathers, from the fresh smell of buckskin to the leather covering the old books (of magic spells?)

Spices, mild or hot: cinnamon, caraway, ginger, saffron, black pepper…

Delicacies: vanilla, caramel, honey, chocolate, jams, apple pies or apple custards, jam and marmalades... orange skins, rich baskets full of candied dried plums, figs, dates..

...Finally the so-called le « Rancio » , which summarizes in one word a mixture of aromatic notes resulting from the slow evolution of the eaux de vie deep inside the barrels , hidden inn the cellars : concentration, slow oxidations, exchanges with wood, succession of chemical reactions…Everybody her seems to have one’s own definition of Rancio. ..

Will you find all these aromas and fragrances in any Cognac? No, of course not.
In which type of Cognac will you find them?

Cognacs of what age?
What « crus »
And by the way, what is exactly this “Rancio” smell?
More than one mystery to explore at the Ecole des Cognacs...