Are whisky drinkers missing out by not trying Cognac as an alternative tipple? That’s the question we set out to answer with our visit to The Whisky Exchange Cognac Show. Now in its 8th year the Cognac Show is hardly a secret event for those who already have an interest in the spirit but for newcomers here’s some education.

Cognac is a type of brandy from the Cognac region of France. It must be distilled from specific white grapes and aged in French oak for a minimum of two years. There are worlds of terminology and ways of working different to whisky to get lost in here and there’s a great interactive introduction to them on cognac.fr. I’ve simplified some of it here for a whisky audience.

What matters most is what’s in the glass and whilst Cognac and whisky have differing ingredients there’s some appealing arguments to be made:

• Cognac is barrel aged like whisky and as a result there’s a lot of familiar flavour crossover to build from. Caramel, honey, Christmas cake and dry orchard fruits are all common to both Cognac and whisky.

• Good Cognac houses are just as obsessed with quality and craft as many beloved whisky distilleries are. The legal regulations allow some odd differences such as additives, but they’re still numerous and strict.

• Whilst there are ridiculous outliers, Cognac has suffered far less price inflation than Whisky has. There are serious bargains to be found.

• There’s a subtlety and a gentleness to many Cognacs that make them both a great alternative to mellower malts and a crowd pleaser for guests if your whisky collection leans cask strength or peated.

The Whisky Exchange team knows their audience is, unsurprisingly, focused around whisky, so for the Cognac Show they roll out a Cognac 101 stand where you can get an education. Billy Abbot, a familiar face for many whisky fans, spent the first fifteen minutes of the show giving me fast introduction to Cognac. The history, the terminology, and the things to look out for were all covered before he sent me on my way. By the end of the show I was still a novice, but I had worked out what styles I liked, how those flavours came about, and which houses had a profile that fit.

Other brands were more than happy to continue the crash course provided in Cognac 101 and there was absolutely none of the snobbishness I and many others have experienced when we were first trying to get into whisky. I particularly had to credit the teams from AE Dor and ABK6 for really taking the time to flesh out my Cognac education at the show. Clearly beginners were expected by the brands and we were well catered to.

Even at a brisk pace the 200+ Cognacs are more than you can get through in a single session so there’s plenty to try whether you’re looking for the younger and lighter VS Cognacs or the much older styles. Mixed in among this are single-estate Cognacs and single-vintage Cognacs which, whilst not entirely comparable to whisky making, can feature very distinctive profiles like those you’d expect from a specific distillery. Whilst most Cognac is aged entirely in new or refill French oak, the law allows this oak to have held other grape products. Maison Ferrand brought to the show Cognacs finished in Pedro Ximenez, Sauternes and more, all of which added notes whisky lovers would find interesting yet familiar.

Cognac wasn’t the only spirit at the show either, Armagnac, Calvados and Pineau de Charentes were also a big part of the event. Armagnac and Calvados were the official  “guest spirits” and both were absolutely worth exploring, but for me the real magic lay in the Pineau. Produced by mixing unaged eau-de-vie with crushed grape juice, this sweet and rich aperitif actually made a great digestif instead. When my palate was unable to pick out Cognac’s subtleties towards the end it was time for the punchy sweetness and funkiness of Pineau instead. The diversity of flavour brought about by the different grapes and ageing time created a whole other subcategory to experience. If you have a friend or family member who prefers sweeter and gentler drinks over spirits then there’s just about enough Pineau de Charentes here to keep them satisfied as you explore the rest of the show.

Overall the show is a well-oiled machine with exhibitors and a Cognac list published well in advance. Water and oatcakes are provided upon entry and there’s spittoons on every stand. Even getting into the show was speedy. I arrived five minutes before and was right at the back of the queue and inside just five minutes later. The Cognac Show shares a venue with its sister, The Rum Show, and my positive comments about that show continue here. Glaziers Hall is an ideal venue for a drinks festival. The London Bridge location is easy to get to and there’s plenty of food nearby to ensure you have a full stomach for the show. Each room is large and well laid out so it never gets as crowded or as loud as many other shows. Downstairs you’ll find the bigger brands and upstairs is where the smaller exhibitors and guest spirits are located. Most folks explore downstairs and move upstairs later on at the various Glaziers Hall shows so doing the opposite can ensure you’ll avoid any big crowds. If you need a break then there’s plenty of spots to chill and soak in the atmosphere or the Thames views.

The Whisky Exchange always throws in a few bonuses at their festivals and for The Cognac Show it’s a cocktail token and a “dream pour” token. The cocktail range on offer was substantial with six available. All looked delicious and I went for the Stormy Night which featured Vallein Tercinier VS, Planteray Cut & Dry Coconut Rum, Banana Peel syrup and lemon juice. It was fun and tropical but whatever Cognac was there was lost to the coconut and banana and I ended up discarding it after a few sips. The “dream pour” token lets you try a Cognac priced between £250-£499 with more expensive ones costing additional tokens at £5 each. It’s a nice opportunity to try something extra rare or very old but the exhibitors also had many Cognacs in this price range freely available to try outside the “dream pour” system.

After just one session at The Cognac Show I am converted. There’s a surprising range of styles and flavours for a spirit that has such strict rules and geographic restriction. Like whisky, you need to go beyond your local pub to find the interesting stuff. The Whisky Exchange provided All But Drams with a free ticket to check out the show from a whisky fan’s point of view and I will happily come back to the Cognac Show even if I’m paying for the ticket. Cognac now comfortably sits alongside rum as a compelling alternative spirit for me and I look forward to trying many more in the future.

[A complimentary festival ticket was provided by The Whisky Exchange. All other costs were covered by All But Drams.]