The Top VS Cognac Under $50

This 100% ugni blanc cognac is distilled using an old-fashioned direct-fire still and aged in new Limousin oak for three years. Lhéraud Cognacs are all made from grapes grown on the family's own vineyards. All of the packaging is designed by Mme. Lhéraud herself, while her husband Guy handles marketing and export, and their son Laurent runs the stills.

Gaston Tessendier founded the Distillerie Tessendier estate in 1880 and today is led by brothers Jérôme and Lillian Tessendier, the fourth generation Master Cellars in charge. Their VS Carte Blanche has been produced in small batches to maintain character. It is comprised of brandies blended from the Fins Bois and Petite Champagne crus. The eaux-de-vie distilled from ugni blanc grapes are kept in new Limousin casks for 6 months, and then transferred to older casks for further aging, between 4 and 8 years. This is the youngest expression in the brand's lineup and is bottled at 40% ABV.

The Paul Beau label represents one of Cognac's first growers to bottle brandy under their own name in 1895. Not that they were a young producer then, their 200 acres of prime land in the Grand Champagne have been cultivated by their family for long before that. The style here emphasizes elegance, and is achieved by removing the fine lees (expired yeast cells left over from fermentation) before distillation in their red copper still.

The Dobbé family has been producing cognac for eight generations, going back to around 1787. The family estate covers 35 hectares, two-thirds of which are in Petite Champagne, with the remainder in Fins Bois. Its cognacs are aged in Limousin oak barrels. The VS expression is bottled at 40% abv.

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.