Perhaps more than any other spirit, cognac can take the process of maturation in its stride. Decades pass in a gentle slumber for some special distillates with them able to withstand the long years and go on to develop layers of mature flavour, while still keeping an amazing vitality.

Producers like A.E Dor, Grosperrin and Vallein Tercinier are able to release cognacs that were distilled in the mid-20th century and even earlier and this masterclass is a rare chance to explore their cellars and discover some of these gems.

Every year at Cognac Show, we are delighted by the joy that Pineau des Charentes offers, and this masterclass is a chance to dive into the process behind it with the people who make it.

A delightful aperitif, Pineau des Charentes is made by adding cognac – distilled eaux-de-vie – to the fresh juice of crushed grapes. In its native region, and across France, Pineau is drunk without any ceremony. Chilled down and taken as an aperitif, this is the sort of thing you enjoy in the moment when afternoon slips into evening. But the options for food pairing are myriad, and it is fast becoming the bartender’s secret ingredient.

Back by popular demand, we are thrilled to be welcoming Jason Vaswani, Old & Rare buyer at The Whisky Exchange, to showcase some of his favourite examples of old and rare cognac from the legendary house of Hennessy.

These antique and vintage bottles offer a chance to taste a moment in time distilled, and preserved waiting for their moment in the glass. The lineup for this masterclass is a treasure trove of Hennessy cognacs that range from their Bras Arme to Paradis Rare.

10 years is the minimum ageing requirements for a cognac to be labelled as an XO. In practice, the cognac in the bottle will be the creation of a house’s master blender, bringing together many cognacs from different parcels, casks and ages to create a harmonious, consistent and delicious product.

That means that in some cases, like with Braastad, not only is the age of the youngest spirit in excess of 10 years old, but the average age is also much older. Other producers like Rémy Martin have to create huge volumes of a consistent product and using older cognac can be something of a hedge. While Tesseron have long had a reputation for releasing XO’s that are qualified by a Lot number indicating a year like their XO Perfection Lot 53 from 1953.