A great way to decide which new Cognacs you might like to try is by looking at those that win medals and accolades at the various industry competitions throughout the year.

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

The latest to announce their awards is the International Wine and Spirits Competition. We have to say, the amount of Cognacs that have been winners this year is a true show of how sought after these medals are. There are offerings from the smallest of artisan producers right through to the largest names.

Here is the full list of Cognac winners of silver medals and higher.

Table of Contents

Silver Medal Winners (Judges score of 80 – 85.9)

Biscuit XO Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

A lovely Fine Champagne Cognac that offers fruity, smoky aromas and a deliciously rich palate. Find out more and purchase in our online shop.

Chevalier VS Cognac 

Frapin Chateau Fontpinot XO Grande Champagne Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

A unique, single estate reserve from the house of Frapin. It’s so called thanks to every aspect of its creation being carried out solely at Chateau Fontpinot. Discover more about what we think is a really special Cognac.

Frapin 1270 Grande Champagne Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

A great quality, young, vibrant Cognac that shows just how great a VS can be. A really versatile addition to any collection to be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail. Find out more about this and all the delights that Frapin has to offer here.

Frapin VSOP Grande Champagne Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

A premier cru Cognac that continues its excellent run of winning awards year in, year out. Presented in a decanteresque bottle that’s a reproduction of one produced in the 16th century. Find out about its past honors, and buy now in our online shop.

Gautier VS Cognac

J. Dupont Art Deco XO Grande Champagne Cognac

A delightful XO that’s a deserving multi-award winner. Only 10,000 bottles of this are produced each year, making it a pretty sort after offering from this Grande Champagne located historic house. Discover more about the wonders of Art Deco Cognac.

Pierre Ferrand 10 Generations Cognac – Grande Champagne

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

As the name suggests, this Cognac pays tribute to the 10 generations of the Pierre Ferrand family. It’s a Grande Champagne offering, and one that can be enjoyed in many ways: It’s great neat or over ice, and lends itself particularly well in a Cognac based cocktail. Find out more about the house of Pierre Ferrand and the Cognacs they offer.

Godet VS Classic Cognac

Godet VSOP Original Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

Another delightful Cognac that’s been hitting the medals for some years now. Godet’s VSOP is floral, complex, yet mellow, and offers many different options when it comes to tasting. We particularly like it over ice, as this offers a subtle difference to the taste experience. Learn more about this classic, high quality blend.

H by Hine VSOP Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

H By Hine might be the youngest offering from this house, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that this isn’t a very good Cognac indeed! It’s a Fine Champagne blend, meaning that at least 50% of the eau-de-vie come from Grande Champagne, and the rest from Petite Champagne. Discover more and buy H by Hine in our online shop.

Hermitage Café 20 Grande Champagne Cognac

Honor VS Cognac

Honor VSOP Cognac

Imoya VSOP Cognac

La Guilde de Cognac Cherves Richemont Borderies 2010

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

La Guilde de Cognac are taking the world by storm with their range of small producer Cognacs. This vintage is a pure Borderies offering; complex, rich, and beautifully rounded. Discover more about the unique concept of La Guilde, and purchase their wonderful range of craft bottles.

La Guilde de Cognac Saint Germain de Vibrac Petite Champagne 2007 Cognac

Another worthy winner that’s well worth owning. The harvest of 2007 was a challenging one, but nonetheless led to some rather outstanding Cognacs. This is a superb example with sweet, spicy nuances and a lovely lengthy finish. Learn more about this delicious Cognac.

La Guilde du Cognac Saint Preuil Grande Champagne Extra Cognac

A delightfully complex XO made from a blend of eaux-de-vie from three vintage year, 1990,1996, and 2004. Discover more in the Cognac Expert store.

Merlet Selection St Sauvant No 2 Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

This is, without a doubt, an outstanding Cognac. It well deserves it’s award winning status, and, we have to say, does offer extraordinary value for money for such a quality offering. The house of Merlet has a long, traditional history, but thanks to a truly entrepreneurial influx from the current owner’s sons the house is now the epitome of innovation. The result are some top notch Cognacs with a distinctly 21st century twist. Discover more about the brand of Merlet.

Vallein Tercinier Napoleon

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

A great Cognac from the small house of Vallein Tercinier. This is craft at its best, and well worth adding to your liquor collection. Find out more and purchase this great value Napoleon Cognac in our online store.

Hardy VSOP Fine Champagne Cognac

A lovely example from this traditional Cognac house. Hardy Cognac are well deserving of their addition in this list—it’s great to see some of their Cognacs getting the recognition they deserve. Discover more about the house of Hardy here.

Hardy XO Rare Fine Champagne Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

A wonderfully silky Cognac presented in the clean lined, contemporary shape bottle that’s becoming the signature for all of Hardy’s Cognacs. Buy this great quality XO now in the Cognac Expert online store.

Silver Outstanding Medal Winners (Judges score of 86 – 89.9)

Bisquit Legende Cognac

A spicy little number from the experts at Bisquit. Check out more about the house and the other Cognacs they offer in our online shop.

Bisquit VS Cognac – VS

Camus Extra Dark and Intense Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

This seductive Cognac is certainly deserves its high scoring statue. The bottle perfectly sums up the delights it holds within. It’s aromatic and unique, with a taste profile that’s brought about by careful toasting of the barrel and then daily monitoring of the eau-de-vie until it’s at the perfect point for bottling. Discover more about this fascinating Cognac here.

Camus Ile De Re Fine Island Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

Light and fresh and, as the name suggests, produced from grapes grown on the island of the Ile de Re. A very creamy Cognac, and one that’ll appeal to those who also appreciate a good whisky. Buy this and other Camus Cognacs in the Cognac Expert online shop.

Boutillier Talent VSOP

De Luze Extra Fine Champagne Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

Yet another well deserved award for this Cognac—it’s been lining them up since 2010. And for good reason. Smooth, refined, and, we have to say, beautifully presented. Find out more here.

De Luze XO Fine Champagne

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

If you’ve never tried a De Luze Cognac before, then this XO is a fabulous place to start. We’ve yet to hear of a person who doesn’t rate it highly. Find our why De Luze is such a sought after brand by purchasing a bottle now.

Gautier XO Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

This XO from Gautier is as delicious as it is handsome. And another Cognac that really is a must-try. Find out more about it in the Cognac Expert detailed bottle description.

J.Dupont Art Nouveau VSOP Grande Champagne Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners 

Multi award winning, this VSOP offers exceptional value for money. Discover more about the delights of J. Dupont Cognacs.

Prunier XO Very Old Grande Champagne Cognac

A lovely XO from the premier cru of the region. A robust Cognac that pairs well with a good cigar. Discover more about this and other Prunier Cognacs in our online shop.

Comte Joseph VSOP Cognac

Couvoisier XO Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

It’s great to see Cognacs from the major houses featuring more and more in these industry awards. This big name XO has always been a great Cognac, and a favorite of so many around the world. Find out more about this and the huge range of Cognacs on offer from this global name in the Cognac Expert store.

Courvoisier’s VSOP

La Guilde du Cognac – Lorignac – Fins Bois 2011 Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

This medal winner is an excellent example of the unique taste of the Fins Bois terroir. 2011 was a unique harvest due to the high summer temperatures. This has led to the award winning taste profile that so impressed the judges at the IWSC. Buy your bottle here.

Martell VS Single Distillery Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners 

It’s great to see Martell’s Single Distillery getting the recognition it deserves. This is a lovely example of how good a VS can be, as well as being a wonderfully versatile Cognac to own.

Meukow VS Cognac

Meukow VSOP Cognac 

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners 

The ‘pouncing panther’ triumphs again! Meukow is becoming a true worldwide name. And with Cognacs as good as this one, so it should be. Discover the world of Meukow.

Naud VS Cognac

Naud XO Cognac 

Tesco VS Cognac

Waitrose VSOP Cognac

Prince Hubert de Polignac XO Royal Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

In its decanateresque bottle, this XO from Prince Hubert de Polignac is a great addition to any collection. Find out more and purchase your bottle here.

Gold Medal Winners (Judgers score of 90 – 92.9)

Bisquit VSOP Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

This is a wonderful VSOP level Cognac that’s well deserving of its gold medal status. It’s a pure Fins Bois offering, and one that really does represent why this terroir is becoming the favorite of many Cognc afficicionados. Find out more in our online store.

Camus Borderies XO Family Reserve Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

A high end, single estate Cognac from the clever folks at Camus. Not only does it have a wonderful taste profile, but the decanter bottle is pretty easy on the eye too. Discover more about this and the complete range of Camus Cognacs.

Camus Ile De Re Fine Island Double Matured Cognac 

D’Usse VSOP Cognac

D’Usse XO Cognac

The second Cognac in the D’Usse range. And after the success of their VSOP, why wouldn’t they have brought out an older version. Both are well deserving of their gold medal statue. Delve into the world of D’Usse, the Cognac brought to us by Bacardi and Jay-Z.

Hermitage 30 YO Grande Champagne Cognac

KWV Heritage XO Cognac

Louis Royer Extra Grande Champagne Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

Another Cognac that’s now a multiple award winner. And so it should be, because it’s outstanding. Discover more about it and try for yourself when you purchase from the Cognac Expert store.

Louis Royer VSOP Cognac

Louis Royer XO Cognac

Prunier VSOP Grande Champagne Cognac

The second Cognac from Prunier to be decorated in the IWSC 2018 medal list. Prunier is a brand well worth discovering if you’ve not yet done so. Find out more.

Tesco VSOP Cognac

Vallein Tercinier VS Premium Selection Cognac

Prince Hubert de Polignac VSOP Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

This is the second award that this excellent VSOP has won in 2018. Not only is it a stand out winner, but it also represents rather extraordinary value for money. Find out more about its delights in the Cognac Expert store.

Gold Outstanding Medal Winners (Judges score of more than 93)

Bisquit Interlude Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

This limited edition Cognac can now boast a ‘Gold Outstanding’ medal to its name. And it’s well-deserving. A Fine Champagne hors d’age offering, there’s only 1,000 bottles produced each year. Secure yours now to ensure that you get to taste it before it’s not available.

Camus Borderies VSOP Cognac

The second high end award this year for the Camus Borderies VSOP Cognac. It’s a limited edition produced in 2014, so there’s only a finite amount of bottles available. We still have some on offer in our store, so buy yours now for shipment to anywhere in the world.

Boutillier XO Classique Cognac

Gautier VSOP Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

This is Gautier’s second top end award for this VSOP Cognac. For anyone looking for a top quality VSOP, this one is well worth your attention. Discover more about it here.

Hermitage 1944 Grande Champagne Cognac

Hermitage 1948 Grande Champagne Cognac

Martell Cordon Bleu Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

A classic, and as good today as it was when it was invented in 1912. Martell’s Cordon Bleu is a stand out favorite for so many people around the world, and it well deserves this award. Get your bottle here.

Martell Cordon Bleu Extra Cognac

International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2018 Winners

A  new take on the classic favourite, this is a Borderies heavy eau-de-vie that will appeal to those who are already in love with the original recipe. Try your bottle of Martell Cordon Bleu Extra Cognac now, and join the hundreds of thousands who’ve already fallen head over heels for this Extra quality offering.

Richelieu XO Fine Champagne Cognac

Cognac Trophy 2018

Richelieu XO Fine Champagne Cognac

The overall winner of the whole competition is the Richelieu XO Fine Champagne Cognac. Made from a combination of Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne eau-de-vie, it’s a well worthy winner of the IWSC Cognac Trophy 2018.

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Jacki has been with Cognac Expert from virtually the beginning. She's the senior editor of the blog, and has spent much of her life living in rural France. Today she's based back in the UK, where she splits her working life between writing for Cognac Expert and working as a Paramedic at a large regional hospital.

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