Martell Blue Swift Brings A Beautifully Complex Warmth To My Heart

What keeps me warm on a winter’s night? A glass of Martell Blue Swift

The creation of the Martell brand goes back 300 years. A heritage that is two times the age of the independence of Canada.

Martell is the oldest of the great Cognac houses passed down throughout the Martell family.

With a rich history comes the luxury of time, time to experiment, time to get the recipe right. Time to see how the grapes age, how they behave when they percolate in the barrels and how everything distills and steeps together to make the consistent, strong flavour of good cognac.

What Is Cognac?

For those who haven’t tried a cognac before, we can shed light on some explanation of the complex spirit. Cognac is an amber-coloured spirit made from the grapes from the Charente and Charente/Maritime region surrounding the town of Cognac, France. It’s made by distilling white wine and aging it in oak barrels for a minimum two years before blending different eaux-de-vie all together to create the desired flavour.

The Difference Between Brandy and Cognac

Cognac is a type of Brandy but differs because of where in France it’s products, Cognac, and the stricter way that it is produced.

Enter Martell Blue Swift

Now that we have our quick lesson about cognac out of the way, let’s focus on the Martell Blue Swift. The Blue Swift is a cognac concoction. A bold combination. A mix of traditional and new. It’s cognac VSOP distilled in bourbon casks from Kentucky.

With the rich history and a spirit that has stood the test of time, what does it taste like?

Tasting Notes:

With the Blue Swift, you can expect a bit of a different flavour. Usually, cognac is made with French oak, however, to spice it up, Martell has decided on using the more full-body producing bourbon casks.

This changes the profile from mellow to exciting and sweet, with honey, vanilla, and caramel. It continues into other tastes like plum, oaky, and more of a ginger tone as well.

The bourbon barrels mixed with the spicy ginger undertones will give you a nice warming feel.

How To Enjoy:

Enjoy on its own, over ice, with mixer, or as a cocktail, as a Mint Julep