Very Good Cognac, Great Price: Chalfonte

Very Good Cognac, Great Price: Chalfonte

Cognac is a dessert beverage for me, and it seems to go well with many Xmas treats, such as chocolate and cookies. I don't drink a lot of cognac, but every winter I buy a bottle or two, and I've had most of the usual ones many times: Martell, Remy, Hennessy, Courvoisier, etc., and they're all pretty much okay in my book.

Last year, though, I picked up an unknown: a bottle of Chalfonte, a French V.S.O.P. I liked it a lot, and I noticed that without fail, every get-together where I poured it generated very positive comments. Last week, I served a glass to the most knowledgeable wine snob I know, and without solicitation, he studied the bottle and remarked that it was very delicious.

Chalfonte feels 'lighter' on the tongue and is less acidic/slightly sweeter than many of the more common cognacs (mentioned above); it also has caramel and vanilla notes that seem to make it very simpatico around dessert time. And, get this, this very good cognac carries the great price of $16.49 for a 750ml bottle at Famous Liquors in Forest Park. My guess is that it's priced similarly at other liquor outlets, and it is definitely one of the great beverage values I've found.

Hammond

Thanks for the tip - I have passed it along to Mr. Franabanana who is a big fan of cognac with his pipe, and appreciates a good sip with a good pipe.

David Hammond wrote:Chalfonte feels 'lighter' on the tongue and is less acidic/slightly sweeter than many of the more common cognacs (mentioned above); it also has caramel and vanilla notes that seem to make it very simpatico around dessert time. And, get this, this very good cognac carries the great price of $16.49 for a 750ml bottle

Hammond,

I found myself within stones throw of Binny's on Clark yesterday and stopped to pick up a bottle or two of Chalfonte. Turns out Binny's does not carry Chalfonte, but was nice enough to give me this upcoming Thursdays champagne deal of Mumm Cordon Rouge for $17.99. Though this was only after I asked about the previous Pol Roger special nr706 had mentioned.

Having worked up a 'taste' for Chalfonte I stopped at Sam's, which had Chalfonte for $16.99. I mentioned your price of $16.49 and, as are most things at Sam's, sure, no problem.

Looking forward to giving Chalfonte a try, I'll post my impression.

Enjoy,
Gary

Thanks for the tip! I found Chalfonte VSOP for under $14 at Teddy's, a chain we have in the suburbs. It has a light, sweet taste. I'm not that big a cognac drinker, but I'm all about the cherries jubilee and other flambeed desserts, and it's going to be excellent for those.

bibi rose wrote:Thanks for the tip! I found Chalfonte VSOP for under $14 at Teddy's, a chain we have in the suburbs. It has a light, sweet taste. I'm not that big a cognac drinker, but I'm all about the cherries jubilee and other flambeed desserts, and it's going to be excellent for those.

Bibi,

I used some Chalfonte in fondue last night and it worked out just fine. We used to use a somewhat pedestrian VS for cooking, but I like cooking with beverages I can actually drink.

Hammond

Hammond wrote:I like cooking with beverages I can actually drink

I used to buy cooking wine, then someone told me to always use wine you would be willing to drink. My default white wine is dry Vermouth, which I was influenced by Julia Child. I will buy the Chinese rice wine by the gallon, otherwise it is drinkable wine.

Cathy2 wrote:

Hammond wrote:I like cooking with beverages I can actually drink

I used to buy cooking wine, then someone told me to always use wine you would be willing to drink. My default white wine is dry Vermouth, which I was influenced by Julia Child. I will buy the Chinese rice wine by the gallon, otherwise it is drinkable wine.

C2,

Yes, I used to use "cooking wine" some years ago, until I realized it was just crap wine with salt added -- and relatively expensive, given what it is.

I also use dry Vermouth in some French dishes; I prefer it in Coquilles St. Jacques (I think it gives the dish a little more "bite" than just regular old white wine). Other advantage of Vermouth is it keeps unrefrigerated.

Hammond

I inherited a nice stash of Julia Child cookbooks recently. One of the things I really like, as I work my way through them, is the alternatives she offers for cooking with wine. We recently made "beef zinfandel" instead of beef bourguignon and thought it was very good. We also do the vermouth thing a lot.

Hi from Canada,
We recently got a bottle of Chalfonte cognac in Ithaca NY at the Northside Wines & Spirits store, we paid $19. I couldn't believe the price, as in Canada we would pay CAN$40 (US$34) for the cheapest cognac. So it has been designated as a Gift for Christmas. (its been put in the wine cellar until then) However reading your post I see that I will not be dissappointed when the time comes to drink it. I was a little wary as usually one gets what one pays for, so I'm glad to read your enthusiastic endorsement of Chalfonte Cognac. Any other recommended bargains?

Geoff Radnor

dansk66 wrote:Any other recommended bargains?

Glad you asked.

As I get older, and my sensory inputs start shutting down one-by-one, I find I need a ballsier beverage to jump-start the ticker -- for me, that's bourbon. I'm a big fan of Elijah Craig, a 12 year old small batch. It's usually under $20, and sometimes as low as $16 or so, and I like the semi-sweet caramelized edge of this dark brown liquor. Goes well with fish, fowl and the bitter heartache of broken dreams.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:Yes, I used to use "cooking wine" some years ago, until I realized it was just crap wine with salt added -- and relatively expensive, given what it is.

"Cooking wine" is a legacy of Prohibition. You could sell wine for culinary purposes if you added enough salt to make it undrinkable.

David Hammond wrote:I also use dry Vermouth in some French dishes; I prefer it in Coquilles St. Jacques (I think it gives the dish a little more "bite" than just regular old white wine). Other advantage of Vermouth is it keeps unrefrigerated.

I like the herbal quality dry vermouth adds, but the fact that it keeps well is another big plus. Dry sherry makes a good cooking wine too, both for its nutty flavor, as well as its keeping qualities.

One thing I have learned, though, contrary to the "don't cook with wine that you wouldn't drink" rule, is that stale wine is fine as a cooking liquid. So if you don't finish a bottle of wine, don't throw the remains out after it's past its prime -- pour it into a smaller container and stick it in the fridge to enliven your next stew or pot roast.

Another hint for people who don't drink much but like to cook with alcoholic beverages: buy wine in splits and liquor in miniatures. That way you don't have a lot of expensive leftovers if you only need a cupful of wine or a tablespoon of rum for a recipe.

LAZ wrote:I like the herbal quality dry vermouth adds, but the fact that it keeps well is another big plus.

I hadn't thought of it that way, but there is a slightly floral quality that Vermouth adds to food...I especially like it with dishes that contain cheese.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:I'm a big fan of Elijah Craig, a 12 year old small batch. It's usually under $20, and sometimes as low as $16 or so

I'll second this, not so much because David's usually impeccable judgment needs seconding, but because this very nice whiskey is available through the end of November at Uncorkit (a recently opened wine and liquor store across from Fox and Obel) for a mere $12.99.

While you're there, grab a six-back of Anchor Brewing's Old Foghorn barleywine-style ale, for $7.79.

And for those in the know, there are likely some very good wine deals to be had as well.

Cheers,

Aaron

Interesting article* on cooking with booze from the Wall Street Journal. The marketing part at the beginning is no surprise, but the science is intriguing.

The first relates to solubility: Many flavor molecules that aren't soluble in water are soluble in alcohol; when alcohol is added to a dish, these molecules in the ingredients dissolve and release their flavors. So after stirring a small amount of vodka into the apple-cranberry relish, Ms. Clair says, she "could taste the cranberry and apples more."

Solubility is even more important with fats, which don't dissolve in water. Deglazing the bottom of the pan with vodka helped the fatty bits stuck to the pan dissolve and flavor the gravy, which Ms. Clair said had a rich, vibrant flavor. The vodka in the turkey brine seemed "pointless," says Ms. Clair, because there wasn't enough vodka -- 1 cup in 2 gallons of water -- to affect the taste. ("Cooking is a subjective art," says Diageo spokesman Gary Galanis.)

The second reaction occurs when alcohols and acids meet and create "fruity esters," compounds with a sweet, fruitlike flavor, according to Kevin Wu, a project engineer at Foster-Miller, a food-product development company in Waltham, Mass. Dishes such as vodka-tomato sauce, barbecue sauce and the apple-cranberry relish Ms. Clair made benefit from these fragrant esters.

*Link is probably good for one week only.

David Hammond wrote:Yes, I used to use "cooking wine" some years ago, until I realized it was just crap wine with salt added -- and relatively expensive, given what it is.

*shudders* I think I've tasted cooking wine once. I'm surprised anyone would actually cook with it.

The best part of cooking with wine is drinking it while you're cooking. At least is for me. Little bit for the coq au vin, little bit for me, little for the coq, little for me...

However, as for cheap wines to cook with, the Charles Shaw wines are perfectly acceptable for culinary use (and day-to-day drinking, of course), and cheaper than nasty cooking wine.

David Hammond wrote:I'm a big fan of Elijah Craig, a 12 year old small batch. It's usually under $20, and sometimes as low as $16 or so, and I like the semi-sweet caramelized edge of this dark brown liquor. Hammond

I'm stuck on Maker's Mark, even though its irksome to I know that I'm paying extra for the 'brand' and the almost indestructible and annoying fake plastic dribbled over the cap to simulate a red wax seal. Last winter, in search of a value alternative, I tried some 12 year old Evan Williams. Ugh. Tasted like 12 year old cheap whiskey; that's to say better than the 7 year old, but definitely not sipping material.

So a question to the Maker's Mark afficionados among us: how does the Elijah Craig compare to Maker's Mark in terms of smoothness, sippability (and value)?