tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2174461443579168085.post8953745641110412190..comments2024-03-13T22:33:31.935+01:00Comments on not drinking poison in paris: gustatory archaeology: 19th century cognac at julhès parisaaron ayscoughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595822449248202660noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2174461443579168085.post-27375704031834984282011-02-20T16:25:46.854+01:002011-02-20T16:25:46.854+01:006 merchants, sorry. sloppy diction on my part.
b...6 merchants, sorry. sloppy diction on my part. <br /><br />by the same token, the notion of "artisanal" becomes a little complicated if, as is implied in your statement, the sheer diversity of infinitesimally small producers who altogether represent a sliver of the overall market has the effect of bestowing superlative "artisanal" status upon the other 90%, which is unquestionably industrial nightclub swill. which is the real cognac, that which you and i would consider real, or that which is known? if i were to use a superlative about the spirit in general it would perhaps be "misunderstood."aaron ayscoughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12595822449248202660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2174461443579168085.post-60804170930123019722011-02-20T14:51:36.101+01:002011-02-20T14:51:36.101+01:00Not "6 producers": 5 000 producers inclu...Not "6 producers": 5 000 producers including 3 000 distilleries. Probably the most artisanal spirit of the world. Hennessy, Martell, Courvoisier, Remy Martin are just merchants.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2174461443579168085.post-59088883747180725272011-01-04T20:44:23.591+01:002011-01-04T20:44:23.591+01:00i'll have to research that further... even so,...i'll have to research that further... even so, the culture of armagnac and eau de vie and calvados (not cognac) production still seems adequately healthy and diverse compared to many other traditional spirits in other nations (think irish whiskey). cognac in this sense is seems to be more the exception, in that it's a traditional region-specific spirit dominated by just 6 producers.aaron ayscoughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12595822449248202660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2174461443579168085.post-88931791162280527972010-12-30T08:52:34.833+01:002010-12-30T08:52:34.833+01:00I think the decrepitude you describe has something...I think the decrepitude you describe has something to do with douchyness of French laws involving selling spirits. Naturally, this set up works for the mass market brands and I am sure most State-laws in the US are more douchy, but I always run into French winemakers who pull out bottles of their own artisanal marc or grappa or brandies that they aren't allowed to sell to the public for various reasons. Hence, it's Courvoisier VSOP for the rest of us.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10006116552266772540noreply@blogger.com