THE FABLED ALCHEMY between well-aged Cognac and hand-rolled cigars has been thoroughly chronicled since they were first paired some 300 years ago.
Anyone familiar with my writings knows of my contributions to both cigar and Cognac narratives. They’re due in large part to my longstanding personal appreciation for pairing Cognac with fine aged totalmente a mano, tripa larga puros (hand-rolled, long filler cigars)—a practice I’ve enjoyed almost daily since 1992.
My go-to eau-de-vie of choice for many of those years was Delamain Pale & Dry XO, a blend that dates to 1920, when Jacques and Robert Delamain created a blend that was pale in hue with a dry finish.
Now my longtime friend Charles Braastad, a ninth-generation descendant of James Delamain and the maison’s current maître de chai (cellar master), has made a dream come true. We have teamed up to take this personal exploration to a more precise level by collaborating on an exclusive limited-edition blend. This eau-de-vie—Delamain SIG CIGAR XO—doesn’t just contribute to this illustrious legacy; it embodies the literal and figurative spirit of this classic pairing exercise.
The end result? A Cognac that expresses both the delicacy and richness characteristic of extra-old Grande Champagne spirits—an honest reflection of its cru. Delamain SIG CIGAR XO was crafted to celebrate the rich everlasting dialogue between Cognac and cigars, as well as between Charles and me. We invite fellow connoisseurs to savor a truly exceptional experience meant to be paired and shared.
AROMAS: rounded and complex with fruity aromas, orange zest, vanilla “rancio,” scents of underwood and vine shoots.
TASTE: raisins and rich candied fruits, mellow and round in its full, ripe and powerful maturity.
STYLE: balanced and elegant, with subtle oaky notes, satiny smooth, yet it never gets lost when enjoyed with a Cuban, Nicaraguan or Dominican puro.
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