The Cognac Masters 2025 results
While the Cognac category is in turmoil at the moment, the excellence of the liquids put forward in our annual competition shows that when the market regains its footing, there will be excellent drinks to savour.
It’s been a tough period of late for Cognac. A tricky market in China saw exports drop by 10.6% in 2024, largely thanks to a decrease in demand for VSOP and XO Cognacs in the wake of the country’s anti-dumping investigation. According to the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC), in 2024 the overall value of Cognac shipments fell to €3 billion (US$3.1bn).
Despite the global challenges facing the category (see page 28 for an in-depth report), this blind tasting has historically always been one of the strongest performers in The Global Spirits Masters Competitions. The tasting took place at Lowcountry Bar below Counter 71 in London.
Two panels of judges gathered for the assessment. Forming the first panel were: Richard Legg, owner of Distilled Knowledge; Matt Chambers, co-founder of Whisky For Everyone; and Bryan Rodriguez-Curtis, spirits consultant and judge, who chaired the group.
The second group of judges comprised: Antony Moss, independent sustainability consultant; James Bunting, founder of New Make Communications; and Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business, and chair of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions.
The opening round, VS – Premium (priced up to £30/US$40), got the contest off to a strong start. A quartet of Gold winners were celebrated: “fun, pleasant with some spiced fruit” Honor VS Cognac; “complex with dried wood and stone fruit” VS Cognac – Richard Delisle; “impressive, with good maturity for a VS” Courvoisier VS; and “fruity, sippable and good value for money” Martell VS. Three Silver awards completed the first flight.
In the next flight, VS – Super-Premium (£31 to £50), Ferrand Cognac received the first Master of the day for Ferrand 1840 Original Formula. The Cognac was described as “luscious and elegant, with soft gentle fruit, almost floral, with a hint of peppery spice”. In addition, a Gold medal went to “rich, fruity and chocolatey” Larsen Cognac VS.
Chambers enthused: “The VS Cognacs were superb, with great flavour profiles and balance across the board – an excellent representation of the category.”
The high standard continued into the VS – Ultra-Premium (£51-plus) round, where Branson Phantom VS took a Master medal for its “soft, elegant” nose and “silky smooth” palate. As the tasting moved to VSOP – Premium (£30-£50), another Master was found: Ferrand 10 Générations. Legg said the palate was “pretty powerful, with an incredibly rounded feel and good weight”. Tasting notes from the group included “rich caramel and bold dried fruit, green apple and creamy Werther’s Original”.
Seven Gold medals were also awarded, including one for Vannier VSOP Cognac, described as “elegant, with a hint of coconut on the nose, vanilla and caramel”. Also meeting the Gold standard was Honor VSOP Cognac, which had a “slightly resinous character, Christmas cake flavours, nice complexity and character”. Four Silver medals finished the flight.
Moss commented: “The good ones really do deliver for the price.”
Rémy Martin VSOP shot to the top in the following flight, VSOP Super-Premium (£51-£70), securing a Master medal. Tasting notes included “dried apricots, raisins, and fruity aromas”, which were followed by “a full-bodied, balanced, classic Cognac” flavour profile, which had notes of “light spice, caramel sweetness and a little oak spice”.
In the Ultra-Premium VSOP contingent, a Gold medal was awarded to “sweet, tasty” Shay by Le Portier, and a Silver went to Cognac De Luze’s Gentry.
The VSOP – Single Cru heat resulted in a duo of Master medals for Martell, and one Silver for the marque. The Golds went to Martell Single Cru Petite Champagne and Martell Single Cru Borderies. The latter Cognac presented “burnt banana soufflé” on the nose, leading to a “silky soft texture, with vanilla and raisin”.
Up next came a VSOP – Single Estate Cognac, which joined the Master ranks. Cognac Frapin VSOP took home the top accolade after impressing with its “great balance and depth; dried fruit, apple and raisin in particular, with vibrant floral notes”.
As the age of the Cognacs increased again to XO, beginning with a selection costing between £56-£100 in the super-premium segment, two more Masters joined the growing tally. Both were collected by Famille Cabanne, the first of which went to XO Cognac Club Cigare Grande Champagne – Richard Delisle. “Very classic on the nose; elegant and refined,” noted Chambers. “A hint of cocoa powder and a pinch of warming baking spices on the palate.”
Master-winning XO Grande Champagne – Richard Delisle was praised for its “rich palate, tannins, lovely texture”. This was said to be a great sipping Cognac, with “all the flavours working harmoniously together”.
A quartet of Golds and one Silver made for a strong flight. “The big thing for me here was the role rancio plays here that it doesn’t really play in VSOP,” noted Moss. Bunting added about the Masters: “The clarity of flavours was so precise, really amazing.”
The quality standard continued into the top price bracket of the XO category, Ultra-Premium (£101-plus). Five Masters, two Golds, and two Silver medals were enjoyed in this round.
What made the Master medallists stand out? For Master-wining Courvoisier XO, it was “good levels of spice, fruitiness and sweetness. Furniture polish aromas lead to tannins, dried fruit, apricot and raisins”.
Larsen Cognac XO Reserve received its Master award for remaining “vibrant and fruity” despite the years of maturation. “The fruitiness really shines through – it’s a very elegant Cognac,” noted Kiely. Cognac François Voyer – Extra received a Master for its “velvety palate with expressive spice, combining with sweeter elements, like chocolate-coated raisins, dark cherry and prune”. Martell XO also made the Master cut with “plenty of orange on nose, plus caramel and Werther’s Original sweets, raisin, and a hint of tropical fruit”.
Rounding off the Masters was Martell Cordon Bleu, which had “dry tannins, warm spice, oak and touch of vanilla”.
A small flight of XO – Single Cru Cognacs did not disappoint. A Master medal went to Sérénité Extra, lauded for being “rich and engaging with elegance and precision”. “Vibrant, rich and elegant” Cognac Frapin – XO VIP collected a Gold medal here.
Cognac Frapin added to its medal haul in the following flight, XO – Single Estate, where it won a Gold medal for its Rudy Gobert XO expression. “Rich, sweet and fruity on the nose, some milk chocolate underneath. Runny honey and a hint of candied orange, and cocoa on the palate,” the judges said.
And yet another medal came Frapin’s way in the Vintage heat, this time a Master for Cognac Frapin – Millésime 1998 25 Years Old. “A luxurious nose, perfumed and aromatic,” noted Rodriguez-Curtis. His panel also found flavours of “jasmine and tea-like notes playing with woody notes, ripe tropical pineapple, grapefruit and grape, alongside lychee and a touch of rose petal”.
The last Master of the contest was awarded in the Hors d’Âge – Ultra-Premium flight. Hors d’Âge received the top award for being the Cognac that “has it all”. “Aromatic fruity spiciness, ripe grilled tropical fruit notes, rich, mouthcoating and just pure luxury,” Rodriguez-Curtis enthused.
The closing two flights of the day ended the tasting with two enjoyable Gold medallists, one for “rich and approachable” Larsen Aqua Ignis in the No Age Statement – Premium flight, and one for “solid, classic, balanced” Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal in the No Age Statement – Super-Premium heat.
Then the Master winners were poured again for the judges, who carefully considered each winner before the votes were counted, and it was Courvoisier XO that went to the top as this year’s Taste Master, and the highlight of the day.
While Cognac may be facing market challenges, there is no denying the unwavering quality this category continues to create. When the markets rebound, there will be a wealth of options for Cognac fans to rediscover.
| VS – Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Honor Cognac Company | Honor VS Cognac | Gold |
| Courvoisier | Courvoisier VS | Gold |
| Martell & Co | Martell VS | Gold |
| Famille Cabanne | VS Cognac – Richard Delisle | Gold |
| Famille Cabanne | VS Cognac – Vannier | Silver |
| Bache-Gabrielsen | VS Tre Kors | Silver |
| Distillerie De La Tour | De Ponsac VS | Silver |
| VS – Super-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Ferrand Cognac | Ferrand 1840 Original Formula | Master |
| Larsen Cognac | Larsen Cognac VS | Gold |
| VS – Ultra-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Sire Spirits | Branson Phantom VS | Master |
| VSOP – Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Ferrand Cognac | Ferrand 10 Générations | Master |
| Larsen Cognac | Larsen Cognac VSOP | Gold |
| Famille Cabanne | VSOP Cognac – Vannier | Gold |
| Famille Cabanne | VSOP Cognac Richard Delisle | Gold |
| Ferrand Cognac | Ferrand Ambré | Gold |
| Honor Cognac Company | Honor VSOP Cognac | Gold |
| Martell & Co | Martell Noblige | Gold |
| Martell & Co | Martell Blue Swift | Gold |
| Martell & Co | Martell VSOP | Silver |
| Courvoisier | Courvoisier VSOP | Silver |
| Distillerie De La Tour | De Ponsac VSOP | Silver |
| Ferrand Cognac | Ferrand Double Cask | Silver |
| VSOP – Super-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Rémy Martin | Rémy Martin VSOP | Master |
| VSOP – Ultra-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Le Portier | Shay by Le Portier | Gold |
| Cognac De Luze | Gentry | Silver |
| VSOP – Single Cru | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Martell & Co | Martell Single Cru Petite Champagne | Master |
| Martell & Co | Martell Single Cru Borderies | Master |
| Martell & Co | Martell Single Cru Fins Bois | Gold |
| VSOP – Single Estate | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Cognac Frapin | Cognac Frapin VSOP | Master |
| XO – Super-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Famille Cabanne | XO Cognac Club Cigare Grande Champagne – Richard Delisle | Master |
| Famille Cabanne | XO Cognac Grande Champagne – Richard Delisle | Master |
| Famille Cabanne | Vannier XO Cognac | Gold |
| Famille Cabanne | XO Cognac Richard Delisle | Gold |
| Distillerie De La Tour | De Ponsac XO | Gold |
| Cognac Vaudon | XO Vaudon | Gold |
| Maison Audry | Fine Champagne, Maison Audry XO | Silver |
| XO – Ultra-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Courvoisier | Courvoisier XO | Master & Taste Master |
| Cognac François Voyer | Cognac François Voyer Extra | Master |
| Martell & Co | Martell XO | Master |
| Larsen Cognac | Larsen Cognac XO Reserve | Master |
| Martell & Co | Martell Cordon Bleu | Master |
| Cognac François Voyer | XO Gold | Gold |
| Ferrand Cognac | Ferrand Sélection des Anges | Gold |
| Rémy Martin | Rémy Martin XO | Silver |
| Courvoisier | Courvoisier XO Royal | Silver |
| XO – Single Cru | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Bache-Gabrielsen | Sérénité Extra | Master |
| Cognac Frapin | Cognac Frapin – XO VIP | Gold |
| XO – Single Estate | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Cognac Frapin | Cognac Frapin – Rudy Gobert XO | Gold |
| Vintage | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Cognac Frapin | Cognac Frapin – Millésime 1998 25 Years Old | Master |
| Hors d’Âge – Ultra-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Hors d’Âge | Hors d’Âge | Master |
| No Age Statement – Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Larsen Cognac | Larsen Aqua Ignis A.I. | Gold |
| No Age Statement – Super-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Rémy Martin | Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal | Gold |
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