Pierre Ferrand 1840

Maison Ferrand is the result of the encounter in 1989 between Alexandre Gabriel and one of the oldest winegrowing families in the Cognac region. Alexandre Gabriel's intention was to breathe new life into Maison Ferrand and make it the world's best cognac. He wanted to maintain age-old, craft-based production methods which were worlds apart from mass production techniques, and sought to bring back to market the true expression of Grande Champagne's, known as Cognac's finest region, great terroir.

It is around these core values of authenticity and character that Maison Ferrand built up its business, first with cognac, then with other distinctive fine spirits such as gin whose particular character is based on a unique production method.

Nowadays, Maison Ferrand is a highly regarded company that distributes its fine spirits in more than 40 countries, in some of the world's most prestigious outlets. Maison Ferrand draws on a dynamic team of people who nurture a passionate interest in what they do.

The vines that give Pierre Ferrand its distinctive style are planted on the Angeac terroir in the heart of Grande Champagne, considered the Premier Cru de Cognac. Angeac-Champagne is part of what connoisseurs call the "Golden Triangle", a highly reputed micro-terroir comprising the best parcels of Grande Champagne. The extremely chalky soil of the rolling landscape gives the grapes the qualities and the necessary acidity to make very good wines that will produce very fine cognacs.

At Logis d'Angeac, the critical distillation process takes place under the watchful eye of the fifth generation of cellar-masters. Pierre Ferrand cognacs are distilled slowly, in small pot stills with a 25 hectolitres capacity and featuring a distinctive onion shape head, which helps concentrate the aromas and flavors from the wine distilled on fine lees. Particularly rich in fruit aromas, the unfiltered lees help to give the raw spirit body and flavor, elements that will mature and come into their own during the aging process.

The fresh Eau de Vie is collected from the still and aged in small oak barrels kept in seven different aging cellars, some dry, some humid, at Logis d'Angeac. The thick limestone walls, specific location of the cellars and type of floor (earthen floor in the humid cellars; cement in the dry cellars) all help to ensure the necessary coolness and moisture needed to maintain constant humidity for perfect aging. During the aging process, Pierre Ferrand cognacs spend time in various types of cask, of different ages and “toasted"� to different levels, in order to avoid excessive bitterness caused by exaggerated tannins or oak. The properties of each cask contribute to the important exchange that occurs during aging between the cognac the air and the wood.

Pierre Ferrand cognacs owe their personality to more than just terroir, grapes, distillation, casks or slow aging. They also derive their distinctive character from the subtle and precise art of blending. At Logis d'Angeac, five generations of cellar masters have passed on their accumulated knowledge to their successors. Blending is highly skilled work. It takes years of practice and a great deal of talent and intuition before the blender is able to choose the spirits that will best complement each other and come together in perfect harmony to create an incomparable cognac.

Pierre Ferrand 1840

In the nineteenth century when the modern art of the bar was born, no spirit was more prized for mixing drinks than Cognac. Ferrand 1840 Original Formula represents an attempt to recreate the kind of Cognac pioneers of the bar such as Jerry Thomas, Harry Johnson and Leo Engel would have used in their Juleps Cocktails, Crustas and Punchers. Modelled on an impossibly rare 1840 bottle of Pinet Castillon Cognac, 1840 Ferrand employs nineteenth century blending techniques to create a Cognac that is rich, concentrated and highly mixable, in the 1840 style.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Notes of ripe, juicy grapes which are complemented by hints of meadow flowers and notes of acacia tree blossom, alongside a bracing hint of cedar.

Palate: Warm & fruity. Dried peels and allspice. Acacia honey and dried apricot.

Finish: Spiced finish, ending on Black Forest honey and dried peels.