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Bonaparte’s choice of tipple.

Courvoisier … not many brand names are as synonymous with prestige and quality as Courvoisier’s. The name has seeped into our culture like few others. It has appeared in Woody Allen and James Bond films, been rapped about by Busta Rhymes and Ice Cube, has been praised by Stevie Nicks, and has appeared in hundreds of TV shows. Every seduction begins with Courvoisier.

That’s quite the pop-culture resume. But they’ve earned their place in history. Founded in 1809 by Emmanuel Courvoisier, the company, now owned by Beam Suntory, has been making Cognac, and only Cognac for more than 200 years.

Courvoisier VSOP is labelled “The Cognac of Napoleon.” And this isn’t marketing hype … the little emperor with the funny hat and his fingers stuck in his coat actually paid them a visit. In 1811, Napoleon visited the main Cognac market in Bercy, France, declared that he had made his choice and took two barrels of Courvoisier with him.

The ambitious Frenchman may not have chosen the best time to invade Russia, but he sure knew his Cognac. Courvoisier VSOP is still the standard by which all other Cognacs are judged. The famous aroma, the full body and luscious mouth-feel, the nutty and gentle spice wrung from more than four years of rest in the finest Limousin oak … everything is spot on, nearly becoming the definition of Cognac in France.

SmartAss Corner
One of the most famous paintings of Napoleon ever made was painted by Etienne Bouhot, capturing the emperor’s visit to the Cognac market in Bercy, France, where he acquired a few barrels of his favourite Cognac: Courvoisier.

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