The Hardy Cognac House was founded by the Englishman Anthony Hardy in 1863. Anthony was a wine merchant in London and often visited France to see the production of the wines he sold. He fell in love with the Cognac area, decided to move there also and start producing his own distillates. Hardy has grown rapidly into a major cognac house thanks to strong exports. They are strong especially in the Russian and North American markets.

Today, Hardy is led by two women, Bénédicte and Sophie, who are the fifth generation of the Hardy family. Hardy is mainly focused on expensive luxury products, which they have a large selection in production. Hardy VS is a blend of 2-4 year old distillates. Hardy is brought to Estonia by Remedia Distillery and they bottle it in 50cl plastic bottles. That bottle was on offer for € 12.

The aroma is floral and spicy. It has a peppery, sharp aroma, slightly dried plums and various nuances of herbs. The taste has typical raisins and oak aroma, but also floral and spicy hints. Powerful and sharp VS, kicking like a young foal. Not as fruity, full-bodied and sweet as French brandies in general. More spicy and floral, so it reminds more of Armenian and Georgian production. The sharp taste is smoothened out by adding a drop of water, but at the same time the aromas soften and mix too much. Hardy VS is quite a stylish package of floral and strong taste. Clearly less sweet than VS cognacs in general, it has very little added sugar.

Hardy VS is a bit young and unbalanced, but a good sample of what young cognacs are without the added caramel color and sugar. It’s one of the best VS class cognacs, especially in its price range. However, due to its sharp and young taste, it can be recommended more for cocktail use.

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