It has to be said that we live in crazy times. Interest rates are at an all time low, you can’t get a decent return on regular stock in blue chips any more, and the banks? Don’t even get us started on them… So it seems that the savvy investor is looking for alternative places for their money to grow. And rare and precious Cognacs seem to hit the spot for many.

Of course, some people collect Cognac for a completely different reason. And that’s because they simply adore this iconic French spirit. We certainly agree. Because in our humble opinion, a precious old Cognac really is as close as we can get to stepping back in time. For us at Cognac Expert, sipping an eaux-de-vie that matured decades, or even centuries ago, is one of life’s guilty little pleasures.

This is one of the reasons that we set up Cognac Expert Auctions, a method for sellers of unique Cognacs to offer their wares to other collectors and investors. We love being privy to such amazing bottles, and it gives us a warm fuzzy feeling inside to know that they’re being passed onto others who appreciate them as much as we do.

Auction? So how does that work?

So, the word, auction? Well, it’s a bit of a misnomer, to be honest. Because no ‘bidding’ goes on here. Instead, the seller gets a professional appraisal of their collectible Cognac, and we provide the service of presenting it to you, our global readership of likeminded Cognac aficionados.

The Cognac is offered at a fair price. And with some (not all) there’s a feature where you’re able to make an offer. Because who knows, perhaps the seller will accept? Cognac Expert has no say in the price that the vendor eventually sells for.

And that’s it. Simple… So if you’re looking for a hard to come by Cognac to add to your collection, we just might have it in our auction section.

Even if you’re not in the market for such a Cognac right now, it’s great fun to indulge your Cognac hobby by seeing what’s on offer. It’s also educational, finding out about some of the super-special offerings that have been bought, discovered, or handed down through the generations. And some of them have amazing provenance too. Reading through them is akin to a truly enjoyable history lesson.

The following are just a handful of the collectible Cognacs on offer right now. Be sure to keep checking back on a regular basis, because who knows what delights will rear their beautiful heads. For anyone who’s as geeky about Cognac as we are, then it makes for a truly pleasurable way to spend the odd hour here and there…

Boxed and beautiful: A Lhéraud Très Vieille Réserve du Paradis Cognac

Owned by a private Cognac fan in New Jersey, USA, this delightful Tres Vieille Cognac was allowed to gently mature in the barrel for half a century. Then, during the hedonistic days of the 1980s, Lheraud’s cellar master deemed the eaux-de-vie ready for bottling, and presented it in a wonderful wooden case.

This is a very special Cognac, and one that will be an amazing addition to any collection.

Unique Cognac Collectibles to Add to Your Collection: Or as an investment

One for the wartime collectors: A Croizet Grande Reserve Vintage 1914 Cognac

 It’s hard to imagine a Cognac beginning its historic journey just as WWI was breaking out. But this is one such masterpiece, making it a real piece of history. The Cognac, harvested in this tumultuous year, languished within its oak barrel until the 1950s, when it was bottled, and sold to a private individual.

Come 1979, the bottle was purchased for a 50th birthday-truly a wonderful gift to receive. And that person was the father of the current owner, and he stored it in his home cellar for the next two decades. The bottle is currently in Germany, where it’s waiting for the next Cognac collector to add it to their collection.

Unique Cognac Collectibles to Add to Your Collection: Or as an investment

How about an iconic Remy Martin Louis XIII from the swinging 60s?

It’s said that if you can remember the 1960s, that you weren’t really there. Well, you may not have been, but with this Remy Martin Louis XIII from the decade that gave us The Beatles and The Stones, you can own a little bit of one of the most talked about times in recent history.

This bottle was inherited by the vendor from his father, and is located in Tennessee, USA.

Unique Cognac Collectibles to Add to Your Collection: Or as an investment

Hine Three Star VS: all the way from London

Back in the day this Cognac was bottled, in the 1970s, Hine was a small, relatively unknown house. Unlike today, when the house of Hine now rivals the biggest names in terms of exports and popularity.

This is a really reasonably priced collectible that, thanks to the great waves Hine is making on a global scale, could be a superb investment for the future. We particularly like the outer packaging sleeve: it’s really bright and funky, and will certainly add to the Cognac’s future value.

Unique Cognac Collectibles to Add to Your Collection: Or as an investment

Monnet 1858 Vintage Extra Reserve: Truly a blast from the past

If you ever wanted to get your hands on a Cognac that was blended well before the Phylloxera crisis, then here’s your chance. The epidemic in the late 1800s decimated much of the vineyards of Europe, and resulted in most future grapes grown in the region being of a different variety. So a Cognac such as this one by J G Monnet is as close to having a time machine as is possible right now.

This is an exciting ownership opportunity. It’s a unique bottle that was forgotten for years, until it was re-discovered in the basement of an old house. A true treasure…

Unique Cognac Collectibles to Add to Your Collection: Or as an investment

And if ever a Cognac deserved an introduction of WOW… then it has to be this Hardy Perfection Eau

This wonderful Grande Champagne Cognac is presented in an exquisite Daum Crystal Decanter. This is known to be the ‘world’s oldest known unblended Cognac’, and only 300 of them were produced.

For the Cognac collector this needs no introduction… It’s an outstanding work of art, from the liquid within to the decanter that surrounds it. Truly delightful, and would be the flagship of any fine liquor collection.

Unique Cognac Collectibles to Add to Your Collection: Or as an investment

One of only 6,000: A Courvoisier Chateau Limoges Cognac

Currently in Ohio, USA, this Courvoisier Chateau Limoges Cognac was one of only 6,000 produced back in 1996. Many, of course, have failed to survive until present day, their owners preferring to break open the bottle to enjoy the precious nectar within.

But not this one-oh no. Because the owner was gifted the bottle in Japan of that year, and he kept it as a treasured keepsake. It seems that this is bottle number 8 in the run, and of course, it was created by the famous Bernardaud Limoges Porcelain factory in the French city of the same name.

The Cognac itself is a Fine Champagne blend, and the bottle comes snuggly presented in its original silk lined case.

Unique Cognac Collectibles to Add to Your Collection: Or as an investment

There’s many more Cognacs offered by collectors in our auction section, so why not have a browse. And be sure to keep checking back, as we add to it on regular basis.

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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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