Just rediscovered this thread with new posts after my participation. All right! Lots of merry drinkers here!
As I noted in the post, I linked that photo from Wikipedia to show the right glassware for cognac sipping. But now that I have more time to take my own photo, I think mine is "purtier". I mean the glass, not my hand in the following photo.
The bottle in the photo is a Remy Martin XO. It is unopened. And I discovered two more Camus XO bottles in the cabinet. My wife truly loves me! As I do not drink that much, these bottles will last me a while. My wife got me two sets of cognac glasses (she does not even drink wine, let alone 80-proof real stuff), but I am too scroogy to pour XO for so many guests.
I don't do after dinner sipping of my cognac, I only use it for cooking. But I do admit to sipping the cognac after soaking raisins in it for my apple strudel.
For the cooks out there: we don't drink white wine but I have several favorite recipes that call for it (a dry white). I have found dry vermouth to be an excellent alternative. It doesn't have to be refrigerated and keeps in the pantry a long time and has a convenient screw cap. And it never gives any funky "off" flavors that some whites seem contribute.
This reminded me of a bottle of Marsala I had for a while since I last made chicken marsala. Recently remembered it, and made pork marsala with a 4-yr old opened bottle. Did not taste anything funny, though my palate is admittedly not that fine.
OK, I don't know how he did it but NW Bound highlighted VSOP in red (even though it doesn't show up in the quote above). So, I am drinking it knkow as weede speek (just kidding here). Anyhow, turns out the bottle had been opened and I don't recall opening it. Note to redduck: keep a closer on eye on the wife and the pool man. Further note to redduck: we don't have a pool. Anyhow, the box the bottle it came in states it's a "very fine cognac." And, apparently it was bottled in 1715 as that is the date on the box. Was that a good year for cognac?
Sorry, but I don't think cognac can be aged that long in the barrel. I think about 40 to 50 years is about the max, before all the alcohol seeps out and leaves the liquor watery. Still, the year of 1715 is on the label, so I did some research. It was the year Martell, the maker of your cognac, went into business.
By the way, I have drunk Martell, Courvoisier, Hennessy, Remy Martin, and perhaps a few other French cognacs. They all taste fine, and in a blind test, I may not be able to pick one from the other. Once in an A/B test, my brothers and I tasted the bottles of a same brand, one a VSOP and the other the XO grade. We were able to tell that the XO was "smoother". Was it worth the money? Well, that all depends on the stock market performance of course.
Years ago, I bought a bottle of American brandy, and did not like it. Recently, bought a bottle, and found that it was getting better. Or was it that my already poor palate is aging and getting even less discriminating? Ah, this retiree is living cheaper and cheaper, just like Bernicke's spending model.
Looking at the last four posts (not including this one) might be a great example of getting your (my) ducks in a row.
So, shouldn't your screen name be
redducks now?