Sazerac Expands Distribution of Sazerac de Forge & Fils Cognac

by The Staff

After relaunching Sazerac de Forge & Fils “Finest Original” Cognac exclusively at the Sazerac House in New Orleans in October 2019, the Sazerac Company has now made it available in new markets.

These include New York, California and Illinois.

Sazerac de Forge & Fils Cognac will continue expansion into additional markets throughout 2022.

The Sazerac de Forge & Fils “Finest Original” Cognac blend includes cognacs made from a number of old native grape varieties, the company says, providing the “unique opportunity to enjoy cognac as it was 150 years ago, prior to the Phylloxera epidemic that forever changed the cognac making process.”

Rich and floral, Sazerac de Forge & Fils Cognac is creamy in texture, the company reports, with notes of spice on the palate, plus a long, soft finish and a hint of natural sweetness.

Non chill-filtered, Finest Original is 94 proof.

Additional aromatics include fruity notes of peach and gooseberry, hints of dried rose petal, jasmine, lime and honeysuckle, all on a lightly spiced oak base.

Sazerac de Forge & Fils Cognac came about through a collaboration of Sazerac’s blenders and distillers. These include Clive Carpenter, an industry veteran who spent his entire career working with cognac; Sazerac Master Blender Drew Mayville, who was the last master blender under the Seagram dynasty; and A.S. Bowman Master Distiller Brian Prewitt, who brings his years of experience working with brandy in California before coming to Sazerac. 

“Throughout the process of blending the new Sazerac de Forge & Fils ‘Finest Original’ Cognac, we looked to the original Sazerac de Forge & Fils Cognac for inspiration,” says Carpenter. “The original cognacs were mostly blended using native grape varieties, including Folle Blanche and Colombard. But afterwards, and still to this day, the vast majority of cognacs are made from a single grape variety — Ugni Blanc — the grape that recovered from the late-1800s Phylloxera epidemic most readily.”

“Our blend returns as closely as possible to the original methods of making cognac, and contains cognacs from as young as seven years old, bringing freshness and delicacy, to some which date from the 1960s, adding their powerful, rich aromas,” he adds. “It possesses a character and complexity that is almost impossible to achieve using a single variety of grape.”

The Sazerac de Forge & Fils “Finest Original” Cognac has its roots in the original Sazerac de Forge et Fils Cognac. That’s part of the 17th, 18th and 19th century Sazerac family business empire that included a cognac house, an iron foundry, paper mills and pottery-making. According to Albert Sazerac de Forge’s private notes, the first U.S. shipment of Sazerac de Forge & Fils Cognac arrived in New York in 1782, followed by New Orleans in 1784 and San Francisco in 1786.

By 1833, Sazerac de Forge & Fils was listed among the top six cognac producers in the world. By the mid-1800s it was available on every continent. Sazerac de Forge & Fils Cognac continued to grow until the Phylloxera blight wiped out 85% of the grapevines in France in the final quarter of the century. As a result, supplies of cognac became increasingly rare. Many producers disappeared completely.

Today, the descendants of Bernard Sazerac still live in the paper mill on the estate he purchased in 1781 in the hamlet of Forge. It was the purchase of this estate that entitled Bernard Sazerac to add the noble suffix “de Forge” to his name. The property’s 60-acre gardens — granted “Jardin Remarquable” status by the French Ministry of Culture — are now open to the public. 

Bernard’s paper mill with its water wheel is on the label of Sazerac de Forge & Fils “Finest Original” Cognac. Each bottle is also adorned with a blue ribbon — a tribute to the creation of the unique “Sazerac Blue” color by the family.

Sazerac de Forge & Fils “Finest Original” Cognac is available for purchase at Sazerac House in New Orleans, as well as retailers in New York, California and Illinois. The suggested retail price is $129.99 per 750-ml bottle.

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