Pierre Vallet Cognac Vsop

Pierre Vallet Cognac VSOP sits in the middle of the cognac age ladder. By appellation rules, VSOP means the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend has spent at least four years in oak, so it's older than a VS and younger than an XO. The details supplied here don't give an ABV, a cru, or a tasting profile, so what follows describes what the VSOP style typically delivers. It isn't a measured profile of this bottle. Expect the usual cognac backbone of dried apricot, orange peel and pear on the nose, with vanilla, light toast and a touch of baking spice from the oak. On the palate, VSOPs are generally rounder and less sharp than VS bottlings, with a medium-long finish that leans toward caramel and warm wood. For sipping neat, use a tulip-shaped glass or a small snifter, and fill it only about a quarter full so the aromas can collect above the liquid. Serve at cool room temperature, roughly 16 to 20°C. Cupping the glass in your hand for a minute will open up the fruit and spice. Keep it away from the freezer, because cold mutes the aromatics that distinguish a VSOP from a plain brandy. If the alcohol feels tight at first, a few drops of room-temperature water can loosen it. Because the bottle sits in the middle of the range, it also works well with food. Dark chocolate, roasted almonds, aged hard cheeses such as Comté or Gouda, and baked pears or apple tarts all match the dried-fruit and vanilla character. This is also a practical cocktail cognac. In a Sidecar, the standard ratio is two parts cognac to one part orange liqueur and one part fresh lemon juice. Shake it hard with ice, strain it into a chilled coupe, and add a sugar rim only if you want the drink sweeter. The extra oak age holds up against the citrus better than a VS would. For a Brandy Alexander, shake equal parts cognac, dark crème de cacao and cream, then strain and finish with fresh nutmeg. The cognac's vanilla and caramel notes keep the drink from tasting only of cream and chocolate. In a Sazerac, a VSOP cognac works as the base spirit, as it did in the drink's earliest versions. Rinse a chilled glass with absinthe, stir the cognac with a sugar cube and Peychaud's bitters over ice, strain it into the glass, and express a lemon peel over the top. Keep the bottle upright, closed, and away from heat and direct light. Once opened, it holds its character for months if it stays cool.