“I only drink on two occassions: when its my birthday, and when it’s not” – anonymous
On my previous blog post, I mentioned the Limited Edition Remy Martin VSOP x Matthew Moore, this time we are going to dive into another Remy Martin favorite: The XO Cognac Opulence. From the word itself, “opulence” in general term is defined as something that encompasses great wealth or luxuriousness. For liquor aficionados, it signifies the richness of the cognac’s aroma, in which this bottle promises to offer: luxurious, opulent, radiant, and refined.
To further understand and appreciate the Remy Martin XO experience, we were greeted with one of the members of Remy Martin House of Ambassadors: International Ambassador Florian Heriard Dubreuil, who explained to us the full aromatic complexity that comes with every sip of your Remy Martin.
He also urged us to try out a multitude of flavors presented on the table, that is meant to uplift your drinking pleasure with Remy Martin. These flavorful treats include, but is not limited to: grapes, apricots, cinnamon, Parmesan Cheese, walnuts, chocolate, and strawberries. After trying out all the flavors available, we were asked which of the following aromas did we enjoy the most, and I voted for the dried apricot. The sweet lingering aftertaste from the apricot complemented the XO’s smooth and fruity aroma.
After the tasting, we were asked to proceed at the main dining hall to have a more casual discussion with Remy Martin International Ambassador Florian Heriard Dubreuil, who was very friendly and accepting of all our inquiries regarding the brand.
To start, for those who are just beginning to get their hands into the wines and spirits, it would be handy to know that the little names you see like: cognac, champagne, etc – are actual places in France where these drinks originated from. It really amazes me how many blogs I have read that tend to neglect these details, in hopes that people already knew them.
It is also very handy to know that cognacs are graded or labeled in accordance with their age counts :
- VS ( Very Special) aged at least 2 years in oak
- VSOP (Very Special Old Pale) aged at least 4 years in oak
- Napolean or XO ( Extra Old) aged at least 6 years in oak
It does not, perse means that the older one tastes better than the others, as it all boils down to preference – just like with wines.
Another thing I asked Florian is the difference between Cognac and Whisky, in lieu of the recently concluded Whisky Live here in the Philippines. I was curious if he can tell me more about those two so, he very calmly explained that it all boils down to one question: How was it made?
Cognac is distilled wine (grapes), and Whisky is distilled beer (grains). Although both mature inside a barrel, they are completely different. I also asked him which one does he prefer (stupid question, I know), as he obviously pointed out that he prefers the cognac champagne (duh!). Here is the teaser video on the event I released on my Facebook Page :
So that was it! All in all, I obviously enjoyed my talk with him and packed some new knowledge for myself in which I am glad to share with you too! I also want to mention Flame Restaurant in Discovery Primea for serving us during the event, with these delicious food:
To know more about the brand, you can check out their website at https://www.remymartin.com or have a taste of the bottle itself by visiting any S&R outlets, nation-wide.
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