Hardy’s Cognac House is the creation of Anthony Hardy from England. It was founded in 1863 when Anthony, after a frequent visit to the cognac province, fell in love with the area and decided to move there himself. Hardy grew rapidly thanks to investing in strong exports. Thanks to its big warehouse, it managed to survive the crisis of the late 19th century when a parasite destroyed vineyards in Europe. Hardy VSOP Fine Champagne is a blend of distillates made from grapes grown in the Grand and Petite Champagne regions. In addition to the traditional age groups, Hardy has a large selection of different luxury bottlings, which the most expensive are priced in the thousands of euros. VSOP is a blend of different wine distillates aged in Limousin oak barrels for 4-8 years. The price of a 50 cl bottle is about 20 euros.
The aroma has ripe pear and plum, walnut and caramel. The mouthfeel is pleasantly oily. The taste is sweet, full-bodied and quite spicy. Ripe fruits, almonds, floral nuances, a touch of cinnamon and cloves. Hardy is said to be famous for her smooth and feminine style and that’s exactly what it is. The overall look is smooth, floral and light, it does not have a strong and bitter aroma of oak. The aftertaste is sweet and rather spicy. Hardy VSOP is very pleasant to sip neat due to its smoothness and due to its low price it can also be easily used for various drinks. Excellent cognac and very good value for money.
87/100