Review: Martell VS Cognac

We’ve covered many of Martell‘s Cognacs over the years, but its most foundational bottle has eluded us: Martell VS. Note that this is different from Martell VS Single Distillery: Most Cognac is a a blend of eaux-de-vie from dozens of tiny distilleries around the region, but Single Distillery was from one source. This VS is a standard blend and more representative of what Martell’s house style is like.

Martell VS Cognac Review

More fruit than floral on the nose, this is a juicy and jammy brandy that leans heavily into mixed berries and baked apples, followed by milk chocolate, ample vanilla, and baking spices. Gentle florals in the form of lavender and hibiscus provide a reminder of the often perfumed quality of Cognac, here growing more insistent with time in glass.

The palate is quite sweet — probably a little doctored to juice it up — and plump with notes of sweet raisins, mandarin oranges, and vanilla, all dusted with a hint of jasmine tea. The vanilla and milk chocolate notes are gentle but enduring, well-integrated into a body that is simply impossible not to like. To be sure, this Cognac is intended as a cocktail ingredient foremost, but it drinks just fine by itself. In fact, while it’s not at all complex, it’s awfully hard to put down — and one of the best values in Cognac.

80 proof.

A- / $30 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

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