Cognac barrels have extremely high standards for their raw materials, primarily sourced from the oak in the forests of Tronçais and Limousin — where the oak is renowned for its robustness and unique aromatic properties. Moreover, before being crafted into barrels, the oak must undergo several years of natural drying in the open air to develop a purer woody tone.

Experienced carpenters cut the air-dried oak into lumber and then finely plane them into douelles. Once these douelles are skillfully assembled, they undergo a process of roasting over an open flame — during the roasting, the deep-seated aromas in the wood are gradually released, transforming the oak into "time capsules" that carry the Cognac’s evolution and ultimately endowing cognac with complex and distinctive flavors.

oak wood is first cut into lumber and then into douelles. These are assembled and then roasted to allow the full expression and deployment of the subtlety of the aromas of Cognac.

Photo: Copyright BNIC