A Little Old King Louie (not the monkey)

It was March 4^th in Manhattan, a Thursday morning much like any other morning. One Kristopher Carpenter emerged from the hole in the ground at 8^th Street where he had gotten off of the R train. The air was brisk and he turned up his collar to walk against a slight wind from the south. He looked just like any business person, walking toward a meeting perhaps. But this morning wouldn’t be starting off like other mornings; this morning would be starting off with, cognac. A lot of cognac.

It was nearing 9:30 when he swung left onto East 4^th Street and the Astor Wine Center loomed red brick and black iron before him. Would he be able to function like a normal human after drinking cognac at 10:00 in the morning? He didn’t know. But he did know that inside the castle-like front doors of the Astor Center, somewhere in its multi-leveled reaches, there was a bottle – a black-crystal bottle fashioned into a decanter by artisans at baccarat – and within that bottle, 750ml of Remy Martin Louis XIII Cognac worth $15,000. And Kristopher, was going to drink some.

So there I was on the second floor of the Astor Wine Center, talking to my friends from Susan Magrino PR and introducing myself to my co-imbibers. I spent a few minutes near the elevator talking to a very pleasant food and wine writer named Brian Freedman, mostly about his epic haul that morning by bus from Philadelphia (I guess when $15,000 cognac knocks, you answer) and the snow that our fair cities had respectively received in February. The group began to swell and we moved closer to the tasting room. I know a little about liquor – I’d venture to say more than many – but I could tell from talking to a few of the folks gathered around me, that this was no group of rookies, and we were all eager to dig in. My first surprise was that Remy Martin’s esteemed cask-master Pierre Trechet, is a woman. I guess this shouldn’t be a huge surprise since it’s scientifically known that women have more taste buds than men do, and on average, a better sense of smell to match. The name threw me off.

It was named such because this single cask, a blend of 1,200 brandies aged between 40 and 100 years had an elevated alcohol percentage. Its brethren had mellowed to the normal levels of alcohol during the aging processes which are usually just under 40%. But this batch had refused to settle down and brazenly remained at 43.8% alcohol taunting the other casks mercilessly in its show of alcoholic bravado. In 2004, while tasting the entire inventory, Pierre noticed a richness both in this cask’s flavors and aromas that she had never before encountered. So, Ms. Trechet watched over that barrel of elevated alcoholic goodness for another four years before deciding that, for the first time in the history of Louis XIII, they’d sell the contents of that one cask as a distinct, limited edition offering. The cask was then (very carefully) poured into 786 numbered decanters. Only thirty of these will be sold in the United States and they will be available as of May 1^st.

Many bottles of liquor or wine cost this much because the bottle is itself studded with diamonds and made entirely of platinum, or for what they are rather than what’s in them. For example a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite that was completely undrinkable vinegar, but belonged to Thomas Jefferson and bore the mark of his cellars sold at a Southeby’s auction for $160,000 in 1985, which is approximately $322,000 in today’s dollars. That is not the case with this bottle of cognac, you’re paying for the miracle inside the bottle and it’s meant to be swilled euphorically. Well, sipped in slow ecstasy anyway.

Another vastly pleasant surprise was that we did not dive directly into the Louis XIII Rare Cask. To begin, we received a lesson on Eaux-de-vie from Ms. Trechet – of course she doesn’t speak English, so we got it through an interpreter – but it was fun to see the look in her eyes while she talked about the processes inherent to distilling and aging fine cognacs. She obviously loves her job.

(That's the back of my head)

A quick note on cognac from our friends at Wikipedia before we start: According to French Law, in order to bear the name, Cognac must meet strict legal requirements, ensuring that the 300-year old production process remains unchanged. It must be made from at least 90% Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche or Colombard grapes, although of these, Ugni Blanc, known locally as Saint-Emilion, is the variety most used today. It must be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Tronçais. The region authorized to produce cognac is divided up into six zones. The six zones are, from most to least desired: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bon Bois and finally Bois Ordinaire.

Ok, so hopefully that’ll answer the important questions that you’ll have as I unfurl. Pierre told us that Remy Martin’s Louis XIII Cognac’s are all made from 100% Grande Champagne, so highly sought after because the grapes in this region thrive during the hot summer months when others have difficulty getting moisture. This is because the high limestone content in this region allows the vines to get deep water from the soil and the weather there is the most climate of all the territories. Remy Martin also distills their cognac in small pot stills which makes the flavors more complex and opulent, also keeping as much of the aromas present as possible.

Before us lay 6 glasses of variously hued liquids. We began at left with a 2009 Eaux-de-vie, (by the way eaux-de-vie means water of life) which is the crystal clear, 140 proof product of distillation, obviously this is illegal to distribute in New York so Remy Martin had to obtain a special permit for the tasting. The taste is lovely, light and biting; with finishes of hawthorne blossom and fresh fruits like peach, and pear. The second was a more drinkable variation with water added. Pierre told us many people prefer drinking it this way because it dilutes some of the alcohol smell, and really makes the pear aroma stand out. At this stage, just a year into the game, they know whether this will be a good enough vintage to keep aging in preparation for distribution.

Our second venture into the world of Remy Martin was aged 8-10 years in their Limousin oak barrels, it is 130 proof, has just begun to take on some of the caramel colorization of the cask aging process, and the aromas and flavors tend toward apricot, peach, and vanilla. At this stage the cognac has been aged only in new casks. The finish begins to lengthen here and is slightly softer with notes of almond and marzipan.

The next was the 20-25 year old sample where the aromas move from fresh fruit to dry and candied fruits. Just as I was thinking it had a strong aroma of figs, Pierre said that her most prevalent aroma was of jammed figs. I’ve never had fig jam but that made sense. The first spicy notes of clove and cinnamon occur here and the alcohol percentage has mellowed to 55 percent.

Second to last was the 47 percent alcohol 40 year aged sample. The color here has become a caramel brown and sweetness starts to take over. It certainly looks and smells like good cognac as one that drinks it casually would note. Finish has notes of port, honeysuckle and slight elderflower aromas.

Rounding out the pack was the 70-100 year, this is the Louis XIII that resides on the top shelf at the liquor store, begging to be purchased at $1,500 or more. It begins with a well rounded smoothness, tastes of Ginger and candied Ginger. I thought it had a slight hint of bergamot. At this point it weighs in right around 38-40% alcohol.

With our quick trip through 100 years of cognac finished, we took a short break and then it was time for the big show. The Rare Cask was circulating; the others were being taken away. The woman next to me lunged after what was left of her 40 and 70 year glasses asking wild eyed “Are you going to throw these away?!”

“Uh yeah…” came the response from the young man clearing our glasses. She wasn’t having it; she held tightly onto both of them and continued to drink in their aroma in deep breaths and quick sips.

So, was the $15,000 cognac really that good? That’s what you all want to know right? Was it that much better than the $1,500 cognac that my friend and colleague wouldn’t relinquish? Well in a word, yes.

Here is everything I can put into words about it from my notes:

There is an unparalleled bell curve of flavors in this cognac. I’ve never had a liquor that starts and ends with the same flavors while hitting such a myriad of tastes and accompanying aromas in the middle. The dominant start and finish is a mushroom taste. But not a run of the mill mushroom taste, think the best mushrooms you’ve ever had. It begins with a sweeter, wild mushroom taste and then quickly ramps up to even sweeter prune, then vanilla, beeswax, gingerbread, fresh mint and a bit of passion fruit roll over the tongue and nose, with a dabble of honey mixed in. The finish is mushrooms again but sautéed mushrooms, the smell that everyone on earth likes even if they hate mushrooms. The rich aroma bathes the tongue and boils from gaping mouth in a buttery ecstasy. You know that taste sensation that Kikkoman Soy Sauce paid the Food Network to invent? “Umami.” Generally known as savory-ness, this is the first libation that I can say actually made me think of that silly, made up word.

Here it is in the words of whoever wrote the press kit because I think they did a nice job, and I love the word supplanted so we'll end our journey with them:

“First, a formidable bouquet of wild mushrooms. Then a chorus of more lifted underwood notes that summon up visions of the forest in autumn. These are followed in turn by a sparkling display of full, spicy tones that speak of 100 years aging in Limousin oak. Then gingerbread, wax, nuts and fresh mint. Strength on the palate is supplanted here by a wave of rounded textures. From the first sip, the palate is showered with a thousand ornaments, marked by dense notes of mushroom joining in celebration with bold tones of candied fruit. You can almost taste the stone walls of the cellars. With that breath of extra strength comes a degree of richness that exceeds all expectations, and a balance of harmony and romatic intensity that touches on perfection. The famous length of Louis XIII is rendered as nectar, with a presence and density in the mouth that seems to know no limit. This is cognac at the outer limits of perfection. What are the factors that might have produced this special cask? Slight movements in the casks at the time of the blendings may have played their part, combined with historic conditions at certain moments in the aging process. But any explanation is strictly theoretical. There is no way to replicate the conditions that might produce another LOUIS XIII RARE CASK. An event of this kind will forever remain beyond the reach of prediction.”

And that’s all folks. Let me know if you want to buy a bottle because I totally have the Brand Ambassador’s card, and I’ll give you his info at the low-low commission price of one glass of Rare Cask per bottle that you purchase.

Till next time friends, cheers, drink merrily, and trust to good verses.