Delamain Cognac has unveiled Pale & Dry Centenaire to celebrate the expression’s 100th anniversary. The new expression from the Jarnac-based house is an evolution of the brand’s iconic Pale & Dry Cognac blend.
The new Delamain Pale & Dry Centenaire blends eaux de vie from grapes mostly grown in the Grand Champagne town of Bellevigne. As the blend ages in old oak casks, Delamain’s Cellar Master, Dominique Touteau, progressively adds small proportions of “les faibles” (meaning “weak spirit”) to the liquid in order to “enhance” its signature qualities. The method has been traditionally employed by the Cognac house to gently adjust its distillates to the desired strength.
According to the House, “Pale & Dry Centennial is slowly and naturally reduced to 42 % vol. and reveals floral, citrus, apricot and vanilla notes.”
“Our arrival at the 100-year mark and celebration of the Pale & Dry century has been a deeply personal experience,” noted Charles Braastad, managing director at Delamain. “Pale & Dry has, for more than my entire life and beyond, defined who we are at Delamain and what we aspire to be.
“Change is not something that we approach casually at Delamain, but nor is complacency. As we delved into the what and why of Pale & Dry we re-acquainted ourselves with the fundamental principles of who we are as a house. Centenaire is both a tribute to, and an evolution of Pale & Dry and the ethos bequeathed to our team by Jacques and Robert Delamain. It embodies the past, our present and our future and we are proud not only to be sharing generations of my family wisdom but to be writing this new chapter in the history of our iconic cognac.”
Delamain Pale & Dry Centenaire is currently available for purchase for £90 ($115 USD) per 500ml bottle and can be found on The Whisky Exchange as well as at a variety of specialty outlets.