The smallest of the most successful French alcohol companies, Delamen produces high-quality cognac of the same name Delamain.
The history of the enterprise began at the beginning of the XVII century. At this time, the first brandy began to be produced in the Charente region. Until today, the company produces (almost by hand!) Cognacs of unsurpassed quality. Cognac Delamain has an excellent reputation and fame among lovers of spirits.
Historical data
Cognac House Delamain begins its history in 1759. At this time, James Delamen, an Irishman by birth, moved to the city of Jarnac in France and began trading in cognac. In 1762, he married and was accepted into the cognac company of his father-in-law, and soon became its co-owner. The Delamen family in 1920 became the sole owner of the company, which became known as Cognac Delamain. Since then, she was disposed of by the direct descendants of James Delamen, preserving skill and a family atmosphere.
Delamain brandies are made only from the best varieties of alcohol, which are purchased from Champagne winemakers. Before manufacturing, tasting of raw materials is mandatory. Alcohols are aged in Limousin oak barrels until the wood loses an excess of tannin. The term of minimum exposure is 20 years, full - 50-60 years. During this time, cognac alcohol is enriched with wood nutrients. When mixing alcohols, all of them must be the same age. The desired strength is obtained by adding to the alcohols weak aqueous solutions of the drink in several stages. Finished Delamain cognacs are bottled manually, before the sale they are personally controlled by the owner of the company.
The subtleties of production
The company does not have its own vineyards and buys alcohols from winegrowers, tested over many years of work. Raw materials are carefully checked and tasted, therefore they are always of high quality. Alcohols are aged in barrels, the capacity of which is 350 liters. They are purchased from French reputed companies.
Then, for several years, weak spirits are gradually mixed with those stored in barrels. As a result, the fortress decreases by three degrees. Cooled to five degrees, the almost finished product is poured into a container of steel to crystallize salts. Then, using cellulose filters, Delamain cognac is filtered and bottled, which is first rinsed with a drink. Sugar is not used in the manufacture, sometimes caramel is used to obtain the desired color. Following traditions, all procedures are performed manually.
Types of "Delamen"
With brandies Delamain XO begins the line of drinks. This class is considered the most prestigious and famous, exposure is from 24 to 29 years. The sales volume is high - it occupies more than 80% of all types of elite cognac produced . The quality of Delamain is very high.
Pale & Dry. Cognac aging is twenty-five years, and the fortress is 50%. Floral aroma smoothly flows into a vanilla shade.
Vesper. Cognac with a velvety taste of thirty-five years of aging. The finish is woody vanilla.
Extra. Juicy fruity apple notes intertwine with exotic tropical flavors. Shades of crisp bread and chocolate may be felt. Cognac is aged from forty to fifty years.
Tres Venerable - brandy masterpiece. Exposure - fifty-five or more years. Each component of the drink is aged separately.
Reserve. Cognac of the highest quality, is the pride of the company. Only special customers can buy it, the exposure is 60 years. Labels for this drink are manually printed using environmentally friendly paper.
De Le voyage. These are special vintage drinks that are produced in small volumes - about 500 bottles a year.
Pale & Dry Cognac
Translated from English "pale and dry." The color scheme is paler than other cognacs of the same age. The hue is obtained due to the natural color of the cognacs that are part of the Pale & Dry. The name “dry” confirms the natural sweetness.
The year of the creation of Delamain XO Pale & Dry cognac is considered to be 1920. It belongs to the youngest drinks of Delamain company. Selected cognac spirits, which constitute a rare mixture for its production, are sourced from the Grand Champagne region. The composition of the drink includes 15% alcohols with reduced and 53% - with high alcohol content, each of which is additionally aged in special containers from 22 to 28 years and only then blended. To create a balance, it is again maintained, but for two years already, using oak barrels from a special kind of wood for these purposes.
Cognac "Delamen Pale & Dry": description
This drink with golden reflections has a mild flavor, which is dominated by fruity notes with light shades of vanilla and licorice. Pronounced long aftertaste. Cognac has an unusual aroma, revealing a floral bouquet, smoothly passing to a vanilla fragrance.
Cognac Delamain Pale & Dry served as a digestif, but it blends wonderfully with desserts.
Cognac "Delamen Vesper"
A great mature drink with amber color. Aroma and taste are expressed in spicy and fruity notes, filled with shades of rancio, which are characteristic of aged alcohols.
In the production of Delamain XO Vesperia cognac (0.7 L), a combination of 15% solutions of old cognacs with strong transparent colorless alcoholic drinks is masterly applied. After mixing, they are kept in special oak barrels. The exposure time is longer than the Pale and Dry. The result is an exceptional golden amber shade of cognac with a sweetish hint of rancio. Soft, rounded taste with a distinct sensation of fruit.
Cognac "Delamen Extra"
The exposure of this drink is greater than in previous species. Distinctive features:
- gold color with a dark shade;
- strong, even solid aroma;
- full flavor with fruity notes.
House "Delamen" - one of the few who are allowed to trade in millesimnyh cognacs. They produce drinks from the harvest of one year 1949, 1960, 1968 and others.
Cognac Delamen Tre Venerble
For preparation, 50% cognac is used, which has entered into a marjage with a 15% solution of an old strong transparent colorless alcoholic drink. It has a balanced, persistent aroma combining floral notes, interwoven with tones of seasoning, spices and light rancio. After a sip, softness remains in the mouth with the taste of ripe fruit, diluted with the flavor of licorice. It is bottled in rather original bottles, looking at which, you can decide that this masterpiece was released during the French Revolution. In fact, this brand appeared in the 70s of the XX century, and the label design was borrowed from the banknote. The drink is also sold in crystal decanters.
Production of Delamain XO cognac (200 ml)
Delamain XO is produced from raw materials stored in special cellars, and was obtained in the best harvest years. New oak barrels from certain types of wood are not used for aging the drink, but use containers of at least six years of age. Temperature and humidity are constantly maintained at the same level. When blending in order to create a certain fortress, add old spirits diluted to the required degree with distilled water. This manipulation is called reduction. It can last up to two or more years. Next, cognac can withstand the right amount of time. Sugar is never added to drinks, but sometimes it is caramelized to get a rich color. Before bottling cognac in a bottle, they are pre-rinsed with them and then carefully checked. Corking and gluing labels are carried out manually.
Cognac Delamain XO
Reviews of connoisseurs of this noble drink boil down to the following:
- the aroma is very light and is a sophisticated fruit bouquet composed of vanilla, honey and floral shades. Initially, a floral aroma is revealed, then it smoothly turns into vanilla and floral shades. A little later, notes of orange and prune appear and all this fragrance against the background of subtle notes of oak and dried fruits;
- matchless delicate soft taste with notes of flowers, honey, vanilla and fruit. Especially good are the fruity notes of marmalade, which are replaced by plums and oranges;
- long aftertaste, warming with notes of licorice and vanilla, and in the end dried fruits appear;
- the taste is dry, giving a special piquancy;
- excellent cognac with floral and fruity notes.
Reviews of cognac Delamain XO (200 ml) of those who first tried this drink say that it will make a connoisseur out of any amateur. They come down to the following:
- it turns out that cognac has a taste and a pronounced aftertaste;
- having tried it once, you will not confuse with anything;
- you just enjoy this cognac;
- you begin to understand that this is a drink with a rich taste range;
- drinks of this class make it possible to distinguish true cognac from similar products;
- the price is high, but it is quite justified;
- cognac Delamain XO, 200 ml (photo above) for a special occasion should be in reserve in every home;
- Available in different bottles in volume, which is very convenient.
Interesting Facts
Since 1963, the company "Delamen" began to use its own cellars for the storage of elite cognac spirits. The keys to them are owned only by an employee of the institution, which conducts state quality control of manufactured products and is related to the anti-counterfeiting inspection.
The consumption and receipt of alcohols used for the manufacture of beverages is recorded.
An examination of cognac spirits conducted in 1989 confirmed their age, which was also recorded in the documents.
The company offers its connoisseurs vintage cognacs made from the crops of 1963-1973. Each of them is produced in small batches and is confirmed by a certificate.
High quality cognac consists of the following:
- distillation of alcohols before exposure;
- a certain level of humidity in the storages in which the drink will ripen;
- high professionalism of the cognac master;
- ripening time of the drink in a special barrel.
Each year, approximately six hundred bottles of the drink enter the market.
Conclusion
Gourmets appreciated the brandy of this brand. Light shades of the drink are associated with the magnificent landscapes of Charente - a clear blue sky above the vineyards, which are located near the church, made in the Romanesque style.
English, German and French experts recognized this brandy as one of the best in the world. And among true admirers, the Pale & Dry drink is in great demand: it is sometimes called a real English cognac, as it was created in honor of a great ancestor who moved to England in the seventeenth century.