The 7 best cognacs for your home bar, recommended by mixologists

Cognac is a style of French brandy distilled from fermented grapes. To be labeled a cognac, production must abide by a series of rules set by the French government known as the appellation d'origine contrôlée. Essentially, all cognac must be produced in France, and all of the grapes used for production are grown in specific regions known as Crus. Cognac must be distilled twice using copper pot stills. The unaged grape brandy, known as eau-de-vie, is required to be aged for a minimum of two years in barrels made of French oak.

Cognacs are sorted by grades that tell the minimum length for which each cognac was aged:

• VS: Aged two to four years.
• VSOP: Aged four to six years.
• Napoléon: Aged six to ten years.
• XO: Aged at least ten years.

Cognac Park Borderies Single Vineyard/Total Wine, Tyler Le/Business Insider

Distilled entirely from grapes from the Borderies region, this cognac does not disappoint. "It's incredibly easy to enjoy with those lovely distinctive floral notes that only eau-de-vies from Borderies can provide," says Marshall.

This cognac is blended from barrels aged around 10 to 15 years, so the floral aroma is backed up by rich, round flavors. "It's a wonderful overall cognac," says Cyr. "The nose has hints of violet and the palate has notes of butterscotch and bananas foster."

If you can't find the Cognac Park bottle, we also loved Courvoisier VSOP. This cognac is made with grapes from multiple growing sites and barrel-aged to create a balanced, approachable, and affordable VSOP bottle.

Pierre Ferrand Selection des Anges/Total Wine, Tyler Le/Business Insider

When it's time to show off or celebrate, you can't go wrong reaching for Ferrand's Selection des Anges, or S.D.A. "Not an everyday cognac at this price point," says Marshall. "But it's ample, luscious, and fitting for a special occasion." 

"It's an absolutely gorgeous bottle," says Cyr. Aged for around 25-35 years and bottled at a slightly higher ABV than the standard 40%, this cognac is complex, full-flavored, and smooth. It has an aroma reminiscent of candied walnut and roses with flavor notes of dark coffee, ripe fruit, and cedar.

If you're in the mood to splurge, we have to mention Martell Cordon Bleu. This premium expression from top cognac house Martell is fruity, spicy, and smooth — just what you would expect from a heavily aged, premium cognac.

Camus V.S.O.P. Cognac/Drizly, Tyler Le/Business Insider

Although cognac is usually sipped neat, it's also the base spirit for a handful of classic cocktails. When mixing a drink, it's important that the spirit is bold enough to hold its own among the other ingredients. With that in mind, our experts both recommend the Camus VSOP. "It's intensely fragrant and relatively affordable," says Cyr. 

The Camus VSOP's strong floral and fruity aroma, along with flavors of raisin and baking spice, makes it a perfect complement to any ingredients it may be mixed with. "This VSOP. is aromatic, on the lighter side, but still works well in cocktails," says Marshall. Whether you're making a sidecar, vieux carre, or a Sazerac, Camus VSOP will do the trick.

Another great cognac for mixing is the Pierre Ferrand 1840 Formula, which clocks in at 45% ABV, a hair higher than most cognacs. It's still smooth and balanced, with the fruit, honey, and floral notes cognac drinkers expect, and it works very well in cocktails.

Hennessy VS Cognac/Total Wine, Tyler Le/Business Insider

When it comes to cognac, there's no more recognizable bottle than Hennessy VS.  "It's a classic," says Cyr. "It's the most iconic cognac. Everyone knows it." The label states that this cognac is "Very Special," but that has nothing to do with its rarity — it actually shows that Hennessy is aged for a minimum of 2 years.

Hennessy is a well-made and approachable cognac. The familiar flavor notes of green apple, orange, and clove are bolstered by an aroma of almond and grape. It's easy to enjoy over ice, neat, or even in cognac-based cocktails.

The older brother to the widely known VS, the Hennessy XO deepens and refines all of the flavors that make the VS expression such a success. When sipping, look for flavors and aromas of fruit, baking spice, and vanilla.

Frapin V.S.O.P. Cognac/Caskers, Tyler Le/Business Insider

VSOP stands for "Very Superior Old Pale," and there isn't much out there that's older or more superior than this cognac. "It's a very high-quality cognac from a very old producing house," says Cyr. In fact, the Frapin family has been producing cognac in France since 1270.

"There is a backbone within the Frapin range which makes it perfect for those who prefer a leaner style of cognac," says Marshall. This Grande Champagne expression has a nose of gingerbread and hazelnut, with flavors of caramel, nutmeg, and raisin filling out the palate.

For a more affordable VSOP bottle, try the Planat VSOP Cognac. It is fruity, oaky, and vibrant with a slightly smoky finish.

Francois Voyer's Napoléon Cognac/Total Wine, Tyler Le/Business Insider

In the world of cognac, the grade refers to the minimum age requirement for each eau-de-vie that goes into the bottle. Some producers choose to use more mature cognacs than necessary. In the case of Francois Voyer's Napoléon, the average age of each barrel is 14-20 years old instead of the minimum 6-year requirement.

"[Francois Voyer is] another under-the-radar house worth seeking out. It's 100% Grande Champagne, with a persistent finish," says Marshall. The aging process gives this bottle a deep, round, and smooth flavor of hazelnut and spice that's adorned with an aroma of roses, cherry, and plum.

Prunier Cognac XO/Total Wine, Tyler Le/Business Insider

The House of Prunier is famous for the cellars in which they barrel-age their cognac. They've produced multiple award-winning cognacs, and this Extra Old expression is among their best.  "They're doing something right," says Cyr. 

Aged for 15 years, Prunier XO is the ideal after-dinner sip. It showcases a hint of vanilla and toffee on the nose, with a rich flavor profile of dark chocolate, cream, and fig.

This bottle can be difficult to find, but we have another elevated recommendation: Remy Martin XO. Distilled from grapes of both Petit and Grande Champagne and aged to perfection, it's one of the most iconic premium cognacs for a reason — it's balanced, nutty, fruity, and floral.

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We interviewed two cognac experts to guide our testing and tasting. Both modern bartender and cognac educator Ms. Franky Marshall and cognac expert and beverage consultant Jesse Cyr walked us through their favorite bottles. For the ones we were lucky enough to sample, we underwent two types of tests:

Sipping neat: We sampled each cognac neat, meaning without ice or mixers. This allowed us to assess the color, aroma, and flavor of each cognac in its purest state. 

Cocktails: After narrowing down our top picks, we took the cognacs we considered to be the best mixers and made two cocktails. We mixed one shaken cocktail, the sidecar, and one stirred cocktail, the Sazerac. We assessed each based on how well each cognac fit the broadly understood flavor profile of each drink, and how well the spirit worked with the other ingredients.