Gautier Cognac XO 40% - 70cl
Gautier is one of Cognac's oldest houses, distilling since 1755, and their XO was crowned World's Best Cognac back in 2015. Whatever you make of competitions, it tells you this is a serious blend at a very fair price for the category. The eaux-de-vie here are all at least ten years old, with some drawn from the house's Paradise cellar — the oldest reaching around forty years.
The blend spans four crus: Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne for finesse and length, Fins Bois and Bons Bois for roundness and fruit. That breadth is exactly why it drinks so complete. Bottled at 40%, it's polished without being tame.
Expect a generous, layered nose — candied fruit, honey, dried apricot, a lick of vanilla and a curl of gingerbread spice. The palate is full and smooth: dried fig, toffee, spice cake, roasted nuts and a hint of leather from those older eaux-de-vie. The finish is long, warm and gently spiced. This is a sip-slowly Cognac, not a mixing one — give it your attention.
Open it after a good dinner, or when you want to mark something without reaching for anything ostentatious. It punches well above its price.
How to Serve
Neat at room temperature in a tulip or copita — the narrower rim focuses the aromatics better than a wide balloon. No ice.
Where to Drink It
The American Bar at The Savoy, for old-school glamour. The Connaught Bar. Dukes Bar in St James's for a quiet, proper digestif.
Food Pairings
Beautiful with dark chocolate, or a small plate of walnuts and dried figs. It also holds its own beside a good cigar.
