Ars, France — Maison Ferrand’s Alexandre Gabriel is proud to introduce Ferrand Renegade Barrel N°3, the third release to debut from the Renegade Barrel Collection of cognacs aged with unconventional methods, in honor of the master blender “renegades” that came before him.
With Renegade Barrel N°3 Jamaican Rum Barrel Eau-De-Vie De Vin, Ferrand is the first cognac brand to release an expression double-aged in ex-rum casks. Inspired by a forgotten 19th century cognac ageing technique, Renegade N°3 enhances the elegance of Ferrand Premier Cru de Cognac Vintage 2011 with a second maturation in ex-Plantation 1996 Jamaica HJC rum casks. The result is no longer a cognac according to today’s strict AOC definitions, but an ingenious eau-de-vie from the imaginations of Team Ferrand.
Renegade Barrel N°3 surprises with tropical fruit and exotic spice notes and a robust 48.2% ABV (96.4 proof) it developed in the casks. Available in select markets beginning February 2022, it has a suggested retail price of $90.00 for a 750ml bottle.
For owner and Master Blender Alexandre Gabriel, “Cognac has a rich heritage, full of old and forgotten techniques that we love to explore and revive.”
Inspired by 30 years of research and many passionate discussions with retired master blenders, Alexandre has created the Renegade Barrel Collection to celebrate these venerable methods of cognac making. He is madly curious about the prospects for ageing cognac in unexpected ways, pushing beyond the boundaries of today’s cognac specifications with experiments so outlandish that the end result can no longer be called cognac.
For his latest foray into the creative potential of double maturation, Alexandre selected one of his Ferrand 100% Grande Champagne Premier Cru de Cognac Vintage 2011 casks and aged it further in barrels that had previously contained Plantation Rum from the storied Long Pond Distillery in Jamaica. These barrels, used to age a Long Pond HJC distilled in 1996, are so scarce that the ultimate spirit is as rare as it is delicious.
“This Renegade Barrel N°3 is a tribute to the old master blenders who, until 40 years ago, would go to the harbor in Bordeaux to collect rum barrels as they arrived from the Caribbean. I know an old cognac maker who actually remembers ageing some of his cognacs that way. I couldn’t help but try it. We were so excited to see how beautifully it developed in the casks,” says Alexandre.
NEW TERRITORIES OF FLAVOR IN THE VENERABLE GRANDE CHAMPAGNE, PREMIER CRU DE COGNAC
While Team Ferrand has a decidedly “outsider” approach to creating spirits, Ferrand’s roots in Grande Champagne, Premier Cru de Cognac, stretch back over four centuries, long before cognac’s official designation as an appellation d’origine contrôlée and the list of specifications that came with it.
The 19th century Ferrand family manor still stands and was home to celebrated cognac maker Elie Ferrand VIII, himself a maverick experimenter who left a treasure trove of documents attesting to his research into farming, distillation and ageing techniques. These archives, and the secrets of previous master blenders that they contain, are an endless source of inspiration for Master Blender and history buff Alexandre Gabriel.
One of his most eye-opening discoveries was a newspaper from 1912 – Le Vrai Cognac – advertising the sale of rum barrels to cognac producers. As Master Blender of Plantation Rum as well, Alexandre was inspired to revive this forgotten technique that was abandoned when contemporary AOC standards restricted the ageing of cognacs to oak barrels.
Team Ferrand enjoys exploring the potential of what an eau-de-vie can be, taking a cue from bygone practices and sharing the happy results of our experiments with double ageing.
TASTING NOTES
NOSE: Intense and fruity on orange, guava and cape gooseberry, accompanied by pastry notes of almond and vanilla with a floral touch of honeysuckle.
TASTE: With the same fruity profile of the nose, some notes of quince paste, peach and tangerine with a spicy touch of nutmeg and cinnamon.
FINISH: Long and suave with lemongrass, pepper and licorice, a touch of coffee and a minty feel.
THE RENEGADE BARREL COLLECTION
Inspired by techniques that once distinguished the world of cognac, the Renegade Barrel collection of ultra-limited edition eau-de-vie opens the door to a world of possibilities beyond classic definitions. These extraordinary spirits are a tribute to the resourcefulness of the Ferrand family’s forefathers, who aged their cognacs with a surprising variety of methods, some of which no longer fit within the confines of the cognac appellation.
Renegade Barrel N°1 revived the art of ageing cognac in Sauternes casks, and Renegade Barrel N°2 eau-de-vie matured in barrels made of chestnut wood according to a now-forgotten practice. With Renegade N°3, double ageing in ex-Plantation Rum 1996 Jamaica casks creates a deliciously unconventional eau-de-vie with a touch of “Hogo” (an old reference to the French term “haut goût”), now known as Jamaican rum funk.
ABOUT FERRAND COGNAC
Drawing inspiration from the savoir-faire of ten generations of winegrowers and cognac makers in the heart of the Grande Champagne, Premier Cru de Cognac, Ferrand Cognac is a place where passion and curiosity reign. For 32 years, owner and Master Blender Alexandre Gabriel has been an inveterate experimenter, from the grape varietals he features in the Ferrand Cognac range to the casks used in the brand’s ageing process. Today, the Ferrand family legacy – and its resurrection as the foundation of the Ferrand Cognac collection of award-winning spirits – lives on within the gates of Mademoiselle Manor and its venerable Chai Paradis.
ABOUT MAISON FERRAND
Maison Ferrand is owned by Alexandre Gabriel, Master Blender and creator of fine spirits. Based in Cognac, Maison Ferrand produces Ferrand Cognac according to ancestral techniques stretching back 10 generations; Plantation Rum, celebrating the world’s finest rum terroirs; and Citadelle Gin, gin de château. Team Ferrand’s commitment to creating a new paradigm in the time-honored realm of cognac is regularly awarded with prizes from the spirits industry and the devotion of a global family of enthusiasts.
For More Information:
https://ferrandcognac.com/en/