Cognac (shelf, vs, top, Hennessy)

[Highwyre237]

My fathers birthday is coming up, so me and my sister are getting him Cognac and cigars!

Ha, anyway, any suggestions on some really nice congac, but not Crazy expensive... Hoping to spend like 60-70 on it...

[KittySkyfish]

I've really liked Louis Royer's "Force 53" VSOP. It's not too pricey for a good cognac - about $50.

[smokingGun]

I don't think you're going to be getting great VSOP in the $60 range, since prices for cognac have gone kind of crazy in the past decade as Remy & Henny have become the symbols of the goodlife for hiphop scenesters. You might want to look at Armagnac, which is similar to Cognac but with different grapes. It's still under the radar, with boutique wineries delivering better value. Call a topshelf wine shop like K&L in San Francisco or Sherry-Lehman for recommendations.

[Highwyre237]

Thanks for the suggestion kitty, looks like its pretty highly rated too.

Smoking, I've never had Armagnac, how would you compare the taste? My palate for Brandy isn't very advanced, since I havent had anything really outside of Remy Martin, Courvoisier, VS and VSOP and Hennessy VS. I know my father's is much better though, and he'd fully appreciate a step up from his normal Remy or Courvoisier

Do you have an opinion on Courvoisier Napoleon? I found it for $72, but is it much better then the VSOP