While whiskey prices shoot through the roof, the fortunes of top-end brandy are distinctly mixed.
Oh, Cognac. Where has it all gone wrong?
The brown-spirit sector is booming, with rum and – especially – whiskey enjoying all sorts of attention, plaudits and concomitant price rises, but Cognac seems to be treading water.
The last time we looked the world’s most expensive Cognac – in October, 2018 – the list was topped by the fabulously ostentatious Hennessy Beauté du Siécle. A wee little bottle all dressed up in a gaudy box designed by French artist, Jean-Michel Othoniel. At the time this precious drop commanded upwards of $265,953. However, since those heady days, offers have dwindled to the last three listed on Wine-Searcher. Although with the cheapest at $159,546 ex-tax, you may have to take out a second mortgage to get some.
Despite the Beauté du Siécle likely being the most expensive Cognac listed on Wine-Searcher, its lack of availability means it gets knocked off the list entirely, making way for the considerably cheaper Louis XIII which is a comparative bargain. A stretch perhaps? Well, when you see the what the world’s most expensive whiskies have to offer, you’ll see what we mean.
1. Louis XIII de Remy Martin Rare Cask Grande Champagne Cognac Starting off at a cool $31,300, the Rare Cask is genuinely rare, with just 15 bottles listed on Wine-Searcher and the majority of them are floating around either the American or Asian markets. With alcohol beyond the usual 40 percent, the Rare Cask is said to have deeply intense autumnal flavors, a palate dripping with dried fruits and nuts. But at $31,300, we’ll have to go on hearsay.
2. Louis XIII de Rémy Martin Black Pearl Grande Champagne Cognac Snapping at the heels of the Rare Cask is the Black Pearl, an instantly recognizable stalwart of the Rémy Martin collection. The elaborate bottle design pays tribute to a flask found in 1850, where the battle of Jarnac took place. The result is undeniably eye-catching and, with only 16 offers currently listed on Wine-Searcher, elusive too – you’ll still need a spare $30,605 to buy some. Both the Rare Cask and the Black Pearl have come marginally down in price since 2018, when they cost $31,476 and $32,398 respectively.
3. Jules Robin Vintage Cognac Still on the list but considerably down in price from last year, where it sat at $21,400. All traditionally trussed up in wax-sealed bottles with worn labels, there are only six offers listed on Wine-Searcher. There is very little supply, or information for that matter, regarding this spirit. What we do know is that Jules Robin is not the distiller but instead the négociant, and the 1789 vintage was made by a small distillery owned by the Barraud family. If anyone would like to do more digging, feel free. What is concrete, though, is its average price of $17,895.
4. Hine 250th Anniversary Limited Edition with Baccarat Decanter Dropping down in price to just the price of your average family car, comes the far more modestly yet elegantly packaged Hine 250. Made from the 1953 vintage and said to have notes of hazelnut and orange, 250 bottles were released to celebrate 250 years of the Hine house. It’s no surprise that offers are limited – we actually have 14 of the 250 currently listed on Wine-Searcher. It’s also no surprise that, due to that limited availability, prices are high averaging $17,163, a rise of $500.
5. Hardy Le Printemps Lalique Crystal Decanter The Lalique is not a subtle drop, in fact its voluptuous seasons-inspired Lalique carafe demands – if not screams – for an audience. Despite the rather showy packaging, the liquid itself is no doubt extraordinary being a blend of small batches of Grande Champagne cellared by Armand Hardy in the later stages of World War II. Although, this diva will comfortably set you back $15,839 it’s still down from 2018’s price of $16,134.
6. Hardy l’Ete Lalique Crystal Decanter Cognac L’Ete, the equally decadent golden-hued twin of Le Printemps, is a blend of six eaux-de-vies, all of which are nearing 100 years old, and is said to be a symphony of apricot, honey and cinnamon. Slightly cheaper than its sister at $14,758, it’s one of the few Cognacs to actually go up in price since last year, by $502.
7. Hardy Privilege Caryota Lalique Crystal Decanter With less exotic plumage than both the Le Printemps and L’Ete, the Privelige Caryota makes up for it with both its history – the liquid dates back to before World War I – and its scarcity. Only 333 were made, 13 of which we currently list on Wine-Searcher. So, if you want a taste of aromatic woods, nuts and cigar boxes, you’ll need to cough up $12,311, well below last year’s average price of $13,092.
8. Hennessy Timeless Cognac In the exact same place as last year, the Timeless is a blend of 11 vintages from throughout the 20th Century. Last year, it was $16,086, however, this year sees a 33-percent price slash to $10,779 – so if you happen to be a Hennessy aficionado with a bit of lolly lying around now’s the time to stock up.
9. Sazerac de Forge & Fils Cognac Finally, a newcomer to the list, although the liquid, itself hardly constitutes as new having been around since the 19th Century. Bottled by the Sazerac de Forge house in the early 1900s, we currently just have seven offers listed on Wine-Searcher. And there’s no flash packaging for this Cognac; instead, the surviving bottles are all dusty, opaque glass and peeling labels, the alcoholic equivalent of a long-forgotten tome. And a price tag of $10,234 only adds to the romance of the beverage.
10. Cave de l’Hotel de Paris Grande Champagne Cognac Bringing up the rear is possibly the rarest spirit on this list, with only five offers listed on Wine-Searcher. Another dusty bottle with very little concrete information available, apart from the fact that it’s very expensive. The best we can give you is that it’s a Grande Champagne Cognac and that it’s old, very old and costs a lot – $10,039 on average.
An article from Wine Searcher by Natalie Sellers
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2019/07/the-worlds-most-expensive-cognacs
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