The Heart of Cognac Experience By Remy Martin

Getting invited to any cognac related event has lately become something akin to music to my ears, because generally speaking, these cognac fellas know how to host a party.  And Remy Martin is really a name that I've grown up with, so it's almost like visiting with an old uncle you haven't seen in years.

The event was held at Maison Francaise, a lovely place for any event really, not to mention dinner.  I have had the pleasure of dining here before, as posted HERE.

The House of Remy Martin, since 1724, is the Heart of Cognac.  It is the only company that uses exclusively rare grapes from the most after vineyard of Grand & Petite Champagne, two of the best growth areas in the Cognac region.

The ageing process for a Remy Martin cognac is between 10-37 years, as opposed to most other brands, which is about 6 years.

The purpose of this event is to bring the feel and spirit of Cognac to KL, for many more consumers to experience.

As the event was in two shifts, the 2nd batch could warm up at the bar with the numerous Remy Martin cocktails, shaken by three rather expert mixers.  But, as with all cocktails, I found them all a bit on the sweet side, and would anytime prefer the un-adulterated taste of the nectar of the gods directly titillating my tongue.

We are ushered into a room, which kind of resembled a school laboratory, with beakers, graduated cylinders, Erienmeyer flasks, all very exciting.

The Remy Martin Brand Ambassador, Brandon, who hails from Singapore, very articulately and passionately explains the history of Remy Martin, and how cognacs are made, etc etc.  Actually, I never knew that it was THAT complex a process of mixing various eaux de vies, of various ages, to come up with the perfect blend.

We are given the chance of mixing our own Eaux De Vies, comprising 4 year old, 8 year old and 14 year old.  The 8 year old is the base for VSOP (which I learnt stands for Very Special Old Pale...who'd have thought, I expected it to be some fancy unpronouncable French term) .  My mix was 17 ml of 4 YO, 25 Ml of 8 YO and 8ml of  14 YO.  The correct blend however, according to the Brand Ambassador, is 10 ml of the 4 YO, 35 ml of the 8, and 5 ml of the 14.  To yield 50 ml.

Rows and rows of the various Eaux De Vies

After that fascinating experience we move to the next room, which is a replica of a section of a typical cellar in the Remy Martin House.  Well, with a fertile imagination, one can smell the dampness of the centuries and the mustiness of the barrels...

We are given a sample of the Remy Martin XO, and the Remy Martin Club, both of which are delectably smooth, and when swirled around the glass, leave a curtain of tears, like a viscous fluid.

Brandon demonstrates how the Cognac is extracted from the barrel, using a pipette.  Unfortunately we did not get to sample the Louis XIII, which is a few thousand ringgit.  Well, looking at it optimistically, HAD we tried it, there would be nowhere to go but further up...and that might render us bankrupt by the time we're 70.

For the latest news on the House of Remy Martin, follow www.facebook.com/RemyMartinMalaysia.

For media information, please contact
Nikola Hassan
MD, Avant Garde
nikolahassan@avantgarde.com.my