Hine Rare French Cognac, Smooth & Elegant Fine Champagne Cognac, Best Enjoyed Neat, Rare Hine Cognac, Grande & Fine Region Grapes, Fruity & Floral Cognac, 70cl, 40% ABV

Product Information

Shop at Courvoisier Shop at Dan Murphy’s Shop at First Choice Bisquit and Dubouché | Image: Supplied 9. Bisquit and Dubouché Hine strongly believes that it is impossible to have a good cognac without first having fantastic wine, and that terroir is more important than having a strong oak flavour. This is the reason that, even though they only produce 40,000 cases (12 bottles per case) a year, they own 120 hectares of vineyards. To put that into context, Hennessy– 55% of the buyer market ­– has 200 hectares yet produce 8.5 million cases. Hine’s profusion of grapes means that, as well as their staple blended range, they are able to produce single estate expressions and regularly release vintage Cognacs that have been aged to perfection before bottling. This iconic distillery underwent renovations at the turn of the 21st century and now ranks among the most technically advanced cognac houses. Distinguishing each expression is a brilliant sense of balance and complexity, as flavours of fruit, wood, and nuts partake in a delicate dance. Many of the biggest cognac brands have seemingly ancient histories. Grosperrin wasn’t founded until 1999. And while this makes it a baby in the cognac world, it hasn’t stopped the brand from crafting high-quality, boundary-pushing spirits in the last two decades. Unlike other cognac houses, Grosperrin simply launches its cognacs by batch number. While they vary depending on the batch, the brand is known for its slightly spicy, fruity, tobacco, and vanilla-filled cognacs.

XO (Extra Old)– The youngest vintage in the blend has spent a minimum of six years inside the barrel. Since Hine is a more mellow, wine-focused type of Cognac, I like to pair it with certain cigars, despite my usual cautiousness of spirit and cigar combinations, given the high ABV. It can be overwhelming to smoke a spicy cigar and then challenge your palate even more by pairing it with a high-alcohol, woody and tannic beverage. Not so with Hine Rare, which I would enjoy alongside a characterful Connecticut shade wrapped cigar with depth and body in the filler tobaccos. Alternatively, a Maduro that could take a layer of freshness and some extra liveliness, but is not overly spicy, leathery or beefy, would be a great match. After a couple of minutes, the astringency takes a more prominent role on the palate. It reveals layers upon layers of depth, just to balance off the caramelly, raisiny fruit-sweetness. The creamy mouthfeel and texture translate into rich marzipan and white nougat. All in all, this is a rather complex tasting experience, despite this being a VSOP and not a prestige XO bottling. The vast majority of the best cognac châteaux have been in the game for centuries, and Hine is certainly no exception. Since 1763, the acclaimed brand has been turning grapes into greatness by way of abundant resources and expert production techniques. Virtually everything this top cognac house produces strikes a distinctive accord, and no two releases in the Vintage Collection are exactly the same. The interesting philosophy of Hine is that a great Cognac first and foremost needs to be a great white wine. As such, the house puts a lot of emphasis and lots of effort into producing exceptional base wines, keeping their essence and translating that into exceptional eaux-de-vies.

Awards for Hine Rare VSOP

When we think of brandy, we sometimes think of old men sipping it neat from a decorated glass tumbler while puffing on a chunky cigar. Aside from Cognac brandy made in the south west of France, there's also Armagnac brandy, which comes from just a little further south than the Cognac region. These days, the house of Hine focuses only on the Fine Champagne growing areas, overseeing 115 hectares of land by the village of Bonneuil. Vines of Ugni Blanc grapes cover the limestone-studded hills, drawing nutrients and water deep from the chalky soil even during the hottest summers. Awards and Accolades Our British founder, Thomas Hine, chose the emblematic stag to represent Hine, most likely because of the analogy between the words Hine and hind. However legend has it that in Dorset, Thomas Hine’s home county, lived a white hart, a harbinger of good fortune and that this is why he elected the stag. One of the most famous and most popular types of brandy has to be Cognac – and more specifically, Hennessy. But there's more to brandy than just this well known one, so we've compiled a list of 10 of the best brandy brands in the world.

When the cognac finally lands in the bottle, its adjoining age statement denotes the youngest vintage in the blend. There are three general age statements:For over 260 years, generations of dedicated craftsmen and women have kept a keen eye on ensuring the longevity of our independent and family-owned heritage and recognized know-how that make our Maison’s cognacs one of a kind. Hine Cognacs are some of the most highly regarded around the world for their quality, elegance and complexity. After a trip to Maison Hine in the picturesque Jarnac, we take a closer look at one of its classic releases, the regal Hine Rare VSOP Cognac. What is Hine? A Bit of

VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale)– The youngest vintage in the blend has been aged for at least four years. The resulting juice is then double-distilled in a copper pot still, which creates a young spirit known as eau de vie (translation: “water of life”). Our identity is drawn from the heart of two Premier Crus: Grande Champagne & Petite Champagne. Distillation with the lees concentrate the aromas of our white wines tenfold. Light toasted fine-grained wood barrels preserve our cognac's authentic personality that is celebrated around the world.Hinewas founded in 1763 by Englishman, Thomas Hine. Thomas travelled from Dorset to France to learn about his father’s favourite drink, Cognac. After a couple of months spent imprisoned in the Château de Jarnac – to ascertain whether he was an English spy – he was released to go about his business, make the fortunate marriage alliance with Françoise-Elisabeth (daughter of the owner of Delamain) and go on to give his name to the brand. Hine’s Ethos VS (Very Special) – The most common form of cognac, which has been aged for the mandatory minimum of two years. Single vintages have been our signature for decades. Each and every one of them is a liquid snapshot of a particular year, echoing the elaboration of fine wines and champagnes. It takes years for optimum natural conditions to make for a remarkable expression. The history of Hine Cognac starts in the 18th Century, when a young man by the name of Thomas Hine from Dorset arrived in Jarnac to undertake administerial work for a Cognac producer. He soon fell in love with the proprietor’s daughter Françoise-Elisabeth and married into the family. Now the son-in-law of the owner, Thomas was able to take on a senior role and used his financial skills to make major changes, developing trade beyond France. In 1817, he officially changed the name of the company to Thomas Hine & Co.

Great balance and length carry different sensations to an impressive, very pleasant finish. There are some orchards thrown into the overall picture, sweet leather, and a final glimpse of the exceptional base wine character that is so typical for the house of Hine.This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.