It’s no secret that Cognac carries a strong association with luxury. The category’s most famous high-end expression, Remy Martin’s Louis XIII, can set you back thousands of dollars. Empty bottles of the label, which are made from Baccarat crystal, routinely show up on eBay for triple digits.
The notoriety of Louis XIII and other pricey Cognacs can make jumping into the category a bit intimidating. Fortunately, not all excellent examples require a mortgage payment to acquire. In fact, there is a wealth of expressions on the market whose quality punches well above its price tag. These bang-for-your-buck bottles can serve as an excellent introduction to Cognac, and can inspire deeper exploration into the category. They may ultimately become a permanent fixture on your home bar.
Getting into this unique sub-category of bang-for-your-buck Cognacs requires a solid entry point. With that in mind, we asked 15 bartenders about which cost-effective Cognacs over-deliver on quality. Here’s what they had to say.
The best bang-for-your-buck Cognacs, according to bartenders Gilles Brisson VS Cognac Pierre Ferrand 1840 Original Formula Rémy Martin 1738 Royal Accord Hine VSOP “H by Hine” Courvoisier VS Cognac Park VS Carte Blanche Dudognon “Vieille Reserve” Grand Champagne Cognac D’usse VSOP Cognac Frapin 1270 Cognac Gautier VS Rémy Martin VSOP
“I absolutely love Gilles Brisson VS Cognac for its balance of quality and affordability. For $28 a bottle, it offers exceptional flavor and complexity that rivals pricier options. It has this warm, smooth profile with notes of vanilla,
