Review – Landy VSOP Cognac

Cognac is a classic cocktail staple and Landy is a strong contender for the only Cognac I need in my bar at all.  Landy has a light amber hue but the nose is where it really starts to get interesting.  Stone fruits and specifically black cherry are the stars with vanilla, maple and spice notes playing the chorus.  The aroma is tremendously smooth with no notable alcohol zing.

The flavor follows hand in hand with the stone fruit flavors.  Black cherry continues to shine the brightest with sweet notes of vanilla and spice bringing up the rear.  The finish is medium-long with a great fruitcake flavor of dried fruit, subtle spice and lingering sweetness.

We wanted to pair this Cognac with a classic cocktail.  Having some extra sparkling wine around we settled on the Stiletto from The Bubbly Bar by Maria Hunt.  The Stiletto is a riff (to use the word liberally) on the classic Champagne Cocktail and it was great.  The Landy really shone through and played extremely well with the orange flavor of the Grand Marnier.  I think the sweetness of the Proseco we used was a good choice as it gave the cocktail a light sweetness without being cloying.

Stiletto

1/2 - 1 oz Cognac
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
4 oz Sparkling Wine
1 Drop of Bitters

1) Combine the Cognac, Grand Marnier and Sparkling Wine in a flute
2) Add one drop of bitters

Having sampled Landy VSOP both straight and in a cocktail, it plays both roles tremendously well.  It’s flavors are distinct and smooth enough to call for you to have a snifter and it’s strong enough to stand up to other ingredients in a cocktail.  Definitely one to keep an eye out for.

† The product reviewed here was provided to me as a free sample. If you’re wondering what that means check out my sample policy.