I might as well compare the standard "B&B" bottling with a few custom Benedictine and brandy pairings that I've tried. As for the store-bought "B&B", it has the same mentholated honey on the nose, with ginger root and newfound cinnamon both contributing to a pleasant bite (see the Benedictine review for more). The main difference to note, apart from the heightened (and much welcome) dryness which is to be expected, is a baseline of tea with honey. I've noticed this tea note in the finishes of certain Cognacs before, particularly Hine, so I might be a little biased and associate it with ones I don't care for with a weak and/or boring flavor profile. I wouldn't say that this blend particularly *improves* Benedictine, it only fixes its sweetness problem in the simplest way possible (and pre-mixed B&B is typically the same price anyway). If this is a drink you like, then I would highly recommend exploring various brandies to see what mixes well; and if they happen to be less than the price of "B&B", then it's an even greater value. The ones referenced below are all VSOP, just because it happens to be Remy Martin's baseline age statement (and I guess I'm a snob). As for the "big four": Remy Martin, while 1738 is probably my favorite standalone Cognac so far, none of its expressions do enough to temper Benedictine's sweetness with their "cinnamon apple pie" character - they are better to be sipped alone. Similar for Hennessy VSOP; while it is a little more complex than Remy, its dark brooding nature is not a good fit either (it's also stupidly expensive for what it is). The cheaper Martell comes close, being a little drier, but the red fruits just aren't quite right... The clear winner of this contest is: Courvoisier VSOP. The brand is already a little hotter and drier than the others, and its floral citrus character pushes it over the top to make it the perfect companion to Benedictine (not to mention a decent sipper itself). A "C&B" made with Courvoisier is at least a quarter point higher in my book. An honorable mention goes to Hennessy Black, Hennessy's happy-go-lucky younger cousin (which happens to be marketed as a mixer), mainly because of its cheaper price and floral nature. It is about equal to store-bought B&B in quality though, except now you can adjust the dryness to your liking.