Swanky VSOP blend, neat or in a cocktail.
Every part of the world has its own "water of life." For Scotland and Kentucky it's Whisky; for Russia it's Vodka; for Mad Max Australia, it's gasoline. But ask any French person and they'll tell you it's either Wine or Cognac. The Merlet & Fils Distillery from Saint-Sauvant in the Cognac region has been making Cognacs since 1850, when USA had only 30 states. In 1973, Gilles Merlet took over the distillery and his sons are the fifth generation distilling astounding Spirits. In 2010, after 160 years distilling for large Cognac houses, Merlet developed their own Cognac and since then, created numerous blockbusters. In addition to that, the distillery organizes its own cocktail competition in almost twenty countries.
For their VSOP Cognac (Very Superior Old Pale, where the youngest Brandy is barreled for at least four years), the Merlet trio blended Spirits from various Cognac regions, the majority coming from Fins Bois crus, known for their fruitiness and fast maturation. The complexity comes from Petit Champagne Cognacs. Merlet's VSOP is rich and intense, yet subtle in its fruity notes and round palate. It should be enjoyed straight or in a flamboyant cocktail such as Brandy Alexander, Vieux Carre, or Cognac Collins.