Remy, not Salignac

I was eating at an Upscale restaurant in State College last weekend, where I saw a Salignac digestiv spirit on the menu.  Satisfied with my meal, and intrigued by the presence of a Salignac in the presence of Cognac and Portos, which I did not know what a Salignac was, I tried it, ordering a glass.  As I drank it, I thought to myself "this is like a Harsh Hennesy, or a Cognac with a BITE to it". It was a buck cheaper than 3 or 4 Cognacs on the after-dinner drink list, and it was "OK", but not something to recommend as "awesome".

The next day, on Sunday afternoon, I was in a wine and liquor store - as I tend to VOTE with my wallet, and despise fndamentalists who promote blue laws that prohibit Sunday liquor purchases - and I spied a Salignac on the store's shelf, adjacent the normal cognacs. It was several dollars cheaper a bottle (matching the bar's price list) than the Cognacs, and I was able to clearly read the bottle in a well lit store.  Salignac appears to be a VERY YOUNG cognac, not aged as long, not as mellow, not as refined.  Hennesy is sort of the "lowest rung" of Cognacs.   Salignac, is in the sub-basement, below Hennesy. 

Recognizing this, I bought a small bottle of Remy Martin VSOP, to sip at bed time as a night time digestive.  I am polishing off the 200 ml $10 bottle as I post this.  Yum.  Smooth.   Delicious.  Remy Martin VSOP is indeed my preferred Cognac.  Armagnac is even better than Cognacs, as my buddy Ryan agrees... but if you see a Salignac on a menu, and you are looking for a smoother, more delicious Cognac, then please avoid the Salignac, and let Courvoisier concentrate on making Cognac instead.