Raison Personnelle 15 year Wood Fired

Raison Personnelle 15 year Wood Fired is a Grande Champagne Cognac distilled over wood fire and aged between 15 and 19 years, drawn from a microscopic production of 489 bottles. Wood-fired distillation—an artisanal method nearly extinct in modern Cognac—imparts a depth and texture that copper-column stills cannot replicate, and Grande Champagne fruit, the region's most prized terroir, delivers the structural backbone this spirit shows from first nosing to finish. Only 178 bottles remain in existence. The house behind this release works exclusively with Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie, the chalk-rich heart of the appellation where the Ugni Blanc grape ripens slowly and the resulting brandies age with uncommon finesse. The wood-fire distillation method, conducted in traditional Charentais pot stills heated by open flame rather than steam coil, requires constant attention and yields spirit with pronounced fruit character and a faint saline minerality. Extended barrel aging in French Limousin oak has integrated the distillate fully, rounding the edges without muting the underlying structure. The result is a Cognac that reads as both classical in proportion and distinct in its production signature. The nose opens with honeysuckle, vanilla-soaked oak, and hazelnut, evolving toward raisin and a subtle leather note as it sits in the glass. On the palate, hazelnut and white stone fruit lead, followed by a thread of baking spice and a persistent finish that carries the leather and oak through without heat. This is a spirit for slow evenings—pair it with aged Comté or a square of dark chocolate after dinner, or let it stand alone in a tulip glass alongside a cigar. The medium amber color, gilded with copper, suggests maturity; the balance on the palate confirms it. Available for pickup at our Lincoln Park bottle shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.