As hunters of the world’s most exclusive spirits, The Last Drop Distillers team first uncovered the rare and exquisite 1947 Hors d’Age Cognac in the heart of the Charente region of southwestern France. With a portfolio that largely focuses on whisky, this release is the second Cognac in The Last Drop Distillers’ collection, once again offering imbibers a palate shift south, from Scotland to France.

The region is home to a family that The Last Drop team have known for years, and who have been producing and distilling their own wines and Cognacs since 1727. As one of the family’s first productions after the end of World War II, the 1947 Hors d’Age Cognac is full of the inimitable qualities and flavours that are only possible with generations of expertise and a long period of ageing. The spirit itself evokes memories of the decade it was distilled in, with Winston Churchill describing himself as an ardent fan of Cognac.

Traditionally made in a small, ancient copper still, the liquid is deep bronze in colour, with arresting flashes of gold when you hold it to the light. Renowned Cognac expert, Nick Faith, has awarded the 1947 Hors d’Age Cognac 96.5 points, and describes it as “fresh, young and delicious”, detailing how ‘the aromas have the richness of summer flowers’.

Tom Jago, The Last Drop Distillers Founder also shares his tasting notes: “First, the nose. A waft of old roses, but charged with a touch of citrus. The complexity of sensations stems from that history: distilled in 1947 in a small, ancient copper still, burning wood or charcoal, it’s rich in the imperfections that mark the exceptional from the simply fine Cognac. In the mouth, you will find great complication. First, rich old preserved fruits. Then, a burst of flowers. Finally, the bite of the ancient eau-de-vie – the ‘fire’ that belongs only to Cognac.”

Each bottle of The Last Drop 1947 Hors d’Age Cognac is meticulously hand-bottled and sealed with a driven cork dipped in boiling wax. Presented in a The Last Drop Distillers deep red leather case with its own 50ml miniature, also included is a certificate of authenticity, a leather-bound tasting booklet and a custom-made stopper.

The Cognac forms part of the ‘Limited Bottling’ range – one of three collections by The Last Drop Distillers, which in this case is represented by the motif of the Otter. This resplendent Eurasian mammal once thrived near the French Atlantic coast, retaining its place in poetry and French folklore for many centuries. With industrialisation came the destruction of the Otter’s habitats, and a sharp decline in the species. In recent years, conservation efforts have doubled their presence in areas such as Western France – it is this regeneration and the abiding part that the animal plays in French literature, which perfectly represents the 1947 Hors d’Age Cognac.

The release has an RRP of £3,200. UK stockists can be found on at http://www.lastdropdistillers.com/stockists. For trade enquiries please contact The Last Drop Distillers at [email protected] or on 020 3705 5655.