Great Brandies for Mother's Day

HINE is a cognac house which only uses eaux de vie from Grande and Petite Champagne growing regions. Their H by HINE is created using 20 different eaux de vie with a minimum aging of 4 years. HINE is a producer which distills its wine on the lees providing a roundness to their cognacs.

This is 100% apple brandy aged at least 3 years in charred oak barrels. It is bottled at 100 proof. The Laird's apple brandies are produced from cider that is allowed to ferment naturally; no commercial yeast strain is used.

Don't let the sleek, modern design or the name fool you - ABK6 is a traditionally-made cognac produced at Domaines Francis Abécassis (hence the abbreviated name, ABK6) in the Fins Bois region. This single-estate VSOP is produced from grapes grown in the chalky soils and higher elevations of its vineyards. Though this category calls for grapes aged a minimum of 4.5 years, ABK6 prides itself in the maturity of the fruit used in its eaux-de-vie.

This XO from Courvoisier is comprised of eaux de vie from the Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, and Borderies sub regions of Cognac. The final product incorporates parcels matured for between 11 and 25 years.

Owned and operated by three generations of the Delord family, the House of Delord has been making armagnac since the 1890s when the patriarch of the family purchased a vineyard in Lannepax in Bas-Armagnac. Delord grows all four of the major armagnac varietals (ugni blanc, colombard, Baco blanc, and folle-blanche) without pesticides or fertilizers. They distill their eaux-de-vie on-site either in traditional continuous stills or in a double-distillation process. The new-make spirit of the former goes into older bottlings, whereas the double distilled new-make typically goes into younger bottlings. This armagnac is aged at least twenty-five years. Bottled at 40% ABV.

Camus (pronounced "Kah-moo") is a five-generation cognac producing family that traces its roots in the business back to 1863. Their estate vineyards in the Borderies cru, an area within Cognac, is the primary source of wine that serves as the base for their spirits with additional eaux-de-vie sourced from all six areas within the Cognac region. For the VSOP Elegance, Maison CAMUS selects aromatic eaux-de-vie partially distilled on the lees, including some from the Borderies cru. It is aged in specially selected and seasoned barrels.

Launched in early 2017 across US markets from the House of Martell. This cognac is made from a blend of eaux-de-vie produced at one distillery which is not the norm. Its packaging in a ‘montre’ cognac bottle is a throwback to the original design of the brand's VS offering. Martell VS Single Distillery is bottled at 40% ABV.

Cordon Bleu is the shining star of Martell's core lineup, until you move your way up to the ultra-ultra premium offerings. Cordon Bleu first debuted in 1912, and incorporates eaux-de-vie aged between 10 and 25 years. While the cognac includes grapes from four regions, the majority is from Borderies. The Martell house maintains usage of roughly 50 percent of all grape production from that region.

Hennessy uses grapes grown in four of the six sub-regions of Cognac: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, and Fins Bois. Their Privilège VSOP is said to have been created in 1817 after the then Prince Regent of the UK and later King George IV requested a VSOP from Hennessy be created. This is a blend of up to 60 eaux de vie aged up to 15 years.

Dating back to 1724, Rémy Martin has a long and storied history in Cognac. This marque, 1738 Royal Accord, pays tribute to one of Rémy Martin's earliest accolades when the French King Louis XV bestowed a reward of excellence on the distillery. A blend of various eaux-de-vie, this Fine Champagne Cognac is a step up from Rémy's flagship VSOP.