The Cognac Masters 2026: full list of winners
Despite Cognac having suffered something of a slump in recent years, the category still offers class in a glass.
It’s no secret Cognac has had a challenging couple of years. Exports have struggled following an anti-dumping campaign in China, tariffs in the US, and a lack of enthusiasm for the French spirit on home soil.
However, past iterations of The Cognac Masters blind tasting show there is life in this category yet. Cognac quality abounds, and there is a lot to be excited about.
To determine whether the quality remains as high as in previous years, two panels of judges met at The Singer Tavern in London. The tasters were divided into two groups, the first of which comprised: Joe Wadsack, journalist and broadcaster; Clinton Cawood, freelance spirits journalist; and Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business, and chair of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions.
The second team comprised: Matt Chambers, co-founder of Whisky For Everyone; Richard Legg, founder of Distilled Knowledge; and Bryan Rodriguez-Curtis, wine and spirits expert, and experienced spirits buyer, who chaired the group.
Starting off strong with a flight of VS – Premium Cognacs (priced up to £30/US$40), one Gold and two Silver medals being awarded. The Gold award was given to Honor Cognac VS, which had “a lovely fruit aroma, warming spice on the palate, stewed apples, and dates”.
The brand collected another Gold medal in the VS – Super-Premium (£31-£50) flight, this time for Honor Select Reserve, described as “elegant and silky, with ripe peach and a hint of orange”. A Silver medal was also given to Martell VS.
In the VS – Ultra-Premium flight (£51+), Ferrand Cognac 1840 Original Formula also secured a Gold medal. “The palate is rounded, focused, dry with a good level of flavour, showing a touch of tropical fruit and baking spices,” noted Rodriguez-Curtis.
The first Master medallist appeared in the VS – Single Cru flight: Leyrat Cognac Fins Bois VS. “Florals, waxy white flowers, a hint of fresh popcorn, very clean and pure,” noted Wadsack. Moving to the VS – Single Estate flight, Cognac Frapin received a Gold medal for its “complex, deep aromas, with caramelised stone fruit on the palate”. A Silver medal completed the flight.
Moving up an age bracket, a trio of Golds and two Silver medals were awarded in the VSOP – Premium (£30-£50) flight. Among the Gold winners was Ferrand Cognac 10 Générations, which had “toffee apples, creamy butterscotch, lots of depth and complexity, with some gentle floral notes in the background”.
In the VSOP – Super-Premium (£51-£70) flight, four Golds joined the medal haul, along with a Silver. Martell collected two of the Gold awards here, one for “bright, balanced, slightly spicy” Martell Blue Swift, and a second for “rich, indulgent, and fruity” Martell Noblige. “Deftly done,” said Wadsack.
Little did the judges know they would be in for a serious treat in the following flights, as the Masters started rolling in. Ferrand Cognac Double Cask collected a Master medal in the VSOP – Ultra-Premium (£71+) flight. “Gloriously delicate, complex, bright and lingering; full of grape, freshly ground coriander – wow,” noted Wadsack.
In the VSOP – Single Cru, Leyrat Cognac Fins Bois VSOP also secured a Master medal. “Elegant and bright, dried fruit, orange oil, creamy with a tart apple grip,” said Cawood.
With Camus VSOP Borderies Single Estate also winning a Master medal in the VSOP – Single Estate round, the high standard continued. “Caramel and milk chocolate-coated raisins, plenty of sweet orange oil and sugary sultanas,” noted Chambers.
In the XO – Super-Premium round (£56-£100), Larsen XO secured a solid Gold medal, delivering some “cacao and spice” flavours.
The XO – Ultra-Premium heat (£101+) had a lot to live up to with its age and price point, and did not disappoint. Three Master medals, five Golds and one Silver made this the most successful flight of the competition. Sitting in the Master ranks was Ferrand Cognac Selection des Anges, described as “gorgeous, with a quintessentially Cognac nose. Seamless integration of dried fruits with complex wood notes”.
Also securing a Master medal was “beguiling and elegant” Pale & Dry XO from Delamain Cognac, which had “endless layers of subtle flowers and dried fruit – beautiful”.
The third Master in this flight was awarded to Cognac François Voyer Extra for delivering “lots of ripe apricot and waxy furniture polish, with raisin and candied orange peel”.
Cawood noted: “There was more variety than I was expecting from this style of Cognac; I was expecting more conformity but there was so much character and fascinating stuff.”
Another Master medallist impressed the judges in the XO – Single Cru flight. Collecting the coveted award was Dupuy XO Grande Champagne. Chambers found this Cognac to be “delicate, floral with an elegant mouthfeel”. Additional tasting notes included “dried fruit, bright orange oil and Werther’s Original toffee sweets”.
A Gold medal was awarded to “fantastic, rich, tropical” Cognac Frapin.
As the judges approached the final few flights, the standard was maintained. A pair of Masters were celebrated as the XO – Single Estate Cognacs were assessed. Delamain Single Vineyard – Domaine La Rambaudie won a Master medal for being “very bright and elegant, with slight tropical fruit on the finish”, noted Chambers.
Also winning a Master medal was Cognac Frapin – Chateau Fontpinot XO. Chambers said: “This is so elegant and velvety. Such a good balance of fruit versus oak versus spice; raisin and candied orange and a hint of dried tropical fruit. So complex.” A Gold medal for “rich and sweet” Camus XO Borderies Single Estate completed the flight.
In the No Age Statement – Premium (up to £40) heat, the final Master medal of the day was awarded to Larsen Aqua Ignis. “A soft and nutty nose. The palate has Muscat-like grapes, florals, manuka honey and tropical fruit,” said Rodriguez-Curtis.
The final flight of the day ended strong, with a Gold medal given to Cognac Frapin – Millésime 1997 (27 Years Old). Awarded in the Vintage heat, the judges liked the flavours of “chocolate raisins, oak spice, dates and apricots” in the Cognac.
Selecting The Cognac Taste Master was no mean feat, given the high calibre of Cognacs in 2026. After careful reconsideration of all the Master winners, the top accolade was bestowed upon Delamain Single Vineyard – Domaine La Rambaudie. “The alcohol is perfectly in balance and in sync for a product of this ABV. A wonderful example of XO Cognac,” enthused Rodriguez-Curtis.
The judges also highlighted Larsen Aqua Ignis as a particular favourite on the day, and stressed what exceptional value for money this bottling offered.
There’s no questioning the standard of Cognacs on the market, as the medals speak for themselves. And with such great value for money also to be found in the category, fingers will be firmly crossed in hope of Cognac undergoing a renaissance.
| VS – Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Honor Cognac Company | Honor Cognac vs | Gold |
| Cognac Larsen | Larsen vs | Silver |
| Courvoisier | Courvoisier vs | Silver |
| VS – Super-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Honor Cognac Company | Honor Select Reserve | Gold |
| Martell | Martell vs | Silver |
| VS – Ultra-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Maison Ferrand | Ferrand Cognac 1840 Original Formula | Gold |
| VS – Single Cru | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Domaines Francis Abécassis | Leyrat Cognac Fins Bois – VS | Master |
| VS – Single Estate | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Cognac Frapin | Cognac Frapin | Gold |
| Domaines Francis Abécassis | Grands Domaines Cognac – VS | Silver |
| VSOP – Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Bacardi | D’Ussé VSOP | Gold |
| Maison Ferrand | Ferrand Cognac 10 Générations | Gold |
| Honor Cognac Company | Honor Cognac VSOP Platinum | Gold |
| Cognac Larsen | Larsen VSOP | Silver |
| Maison Ferrand | Ferrand Cognac Ambré | Silver |
| VSOP – Super-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Martell | Martell Bleu Swift | Gold |
| Martell | Martell Noblige | Gold |
| Camus La Grande Marque | Camus VSOP | Gold |
| Courvoisier | Courvoisier VSOP | Gold |
| Martell | Martell VSOP | Silver |
| VSOP – Ultra-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Maison Ferrand | Ferrand Cognac Double Cask | Master |
| VSOP – Single Cru | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Domaines Francis Abécassis | Leyrat Cognac Fins Bois – VSOP | Master |
| VSOP – Single Estate | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Camus La Grande Marque | Camus VSOP Borderies Single Estate | Master |
| XO – Super-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Cognac Larsen | Larsen XO | Gold |
| XO – Ultra-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Maison Ferrand | Ferrand Cognac Selection des Anges | Master |
| Delamain Cognac | Pale & Dry XO | Master |
| Cognac François Voyer | Cognac François Voyer Extra | Master |
| Bacardi | D’Ussé XO | Gold |
| Camus La Grande Marque | Camus XO | Gold |
| Martell | Martell Cordon Bleu | Gold |
| Rémy Martin | Rémy Martin XO | Gold |
| Cognac François Voyer | Cognac François Voyer XO Gold | Gold |
| Courvoisier | Courvoisier XO | Silver |
| XO – Single Cru | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| THS Bache-Gabrielsen | Dupuy XO Grande Champagne | Master |
| Cognac Frapin | Cognac Frapin | Gold |
| XO – Single Estate | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Delamain Cognac | Single Vineyard – Domaine La Rambaudie | Taste Master and Master |
| Cognac Frapin | Cognac Frapin – Château Fontpinot XO | Master |
| Camus La Grande Marque | Camus XO Borderies Single Estate | Gold |
| No Age Statement – Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Cognac Larsen | Larsen Aqua Ignis | Master |
| Vintage | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Cognac Frapin | Cognac Frapin – Millésime 1997 (27YO) | Gold |
Related news
Top 10 award-winning Cognacs and brandies
