Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal: Everything You Need To Know
A rich and full-flavored Cognac that won't break the bank, Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal ticks all the boxes. With its vintage bottle design and unique copper color, it exudes a charm that transports you back in time.
What makes this elusive Cognac so alluring? Rémy Martin defines the taste as rich and creamy, with undertones of toasted bread, plum, fig jam, and dried fruits. The creaminess brings out the spiciness of baked cinnamon, combined with subtle notes of dark chocolate, butterscotch, and toffee. The unmistakable oak finish is incredibly smooth, accentuated by a lingering nutty flavor.
On the nose, it smells like no other. You will find notes of vanilla and oak, accompanied by toasted bread and crème caramel tones. This is a direct result of aging the eau-de-vie (translates to "water of life") in the signature oak barrels from the rigorously selected Limousin. An article in The New York Times defines eau-de-vie as a fruit brandy that goes through double distillation. All eaux-de-vie come from Grand Champagne Cru and Champagne Petite Cru, making the 1738 Accord Royal a fine Cognac (via wine.com).
The alcohol content of 1738 Accord Royal is 40% alcohol by volume (via gotoLiquorStore). If you've ever been curious about this incredibly popular Cognac, keep scrolling as we explore everything you need to know about the one and only Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal. For folks who have a taste for classics, it's a must-try.
History of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
Rémy Martin, a brand whose products speak for itself, has been producing Cognacs for decades — nearly 30 to be exact. It all started with Rémy Martin, a young winegrower who started selling Cognac under his name in 1724. Although it was prohibited to plant new vines, King Louis XV absolutely loved Rémy Martin's Cognac and permitted him to grow new vines in 1738. And that's not all. He also granted land for the plantations, thanks to the superior quality of the Cognacs the company produced.
Rémy Martin first introduced the Accord Royal Blend in 1997 when cellar master Georges Clot created a unique blend that stood between the Very Superior Old Pale (VSOP) and Extra OId (XO) labels (via Toast Fried). The liquor got its name in accordance with the royal accord that permitted Rémy Martin to grow new vines on the royal lands of King Louis XV. Today, Rémy Martin is one of the four largest French Cognac producers, selling an estimated 2.2 million 9-liter cases worldwide in 2020 (via Statista). Impressive, right?
What Does Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal taste like?
Rémy Martin doesn't stop with producing a one-of-a-kind Cognac. The Accord Royal 1738 has a unique taste that you would not get in a cheap VSOP. Its taste consistency has a lot to do with the strict blending and tasting process. According to Eater, a 20-person tasting committee at Rémy Martin tastes 20 to 30 eaux-de-vie samples per day to get the perfect Accord Royal blend. So, you can expect the product to have some of the most refined Cognac flavors.
Upon sipping, you'll find a sweet, creamy, and smooth body. This velvety blend hits a symphony of notes full of fruit flavors with the most pronounced flavors of plum and fig and subtle tones of toffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, and butterscotch (via Rémy Martin). By the third sip, expect a hint of leathery undertone, accompanied by the mild spiciness of baked cinnamon and dried fruits. It eventually dries in the mouth with a smoky oak finish, minus any unpleasant aftertaste.
The nose doesn't lie: The early palate of this antique Cognac is complemented by an earth oak smell, a result of the aging of the eaux-de-vie in signature oak barrels.
How Is Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal Made?
When it comes to manufacturing Accord Royal, the process is lengthy and unique. Since it's Cognac, the Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal is a blend of eaux-de-vie — 240, to be precise.
1738 Accord Royal has two eaux-de-vie. It is a blend of 35% Grande Champagne and 65% Petite Champagne (via Cognac). All eaux-de-vie are distilled in direct-fired Charentais pot stills. Some go through the distillation using the so-called "lees" process. Lees are remnant yeast cells that are a natural byproduct of fermentation and can affect the final product's flavor. Some distill with the lees; others remove them (via Alcademics). The aging process takes a minimum of four years in the case of Accord Royal and a maximum of 20 years for all the brandies.
An interesting fact about the whole process is that the blending never happens before tasting the liquor. This is to ensure a blend that works well for the consumer. The tasting team has around 20 members who taste 20 to 30 samples daily in the eaux-de-vie distillation season, ending on March 31 every year (via Eater). Now that's what we call paying attention to details.
How To Drink Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal is a unique Cognac that you can enjoy neat, on the rocks, or in your favorite summer cocktails. According to Rémy Martin's cellar master, Baptiste Loiseau, the best way to drink Cognac is by having it neat. This will help you fully appreciate the delightful aromas.
If you want to make a Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal-based cocktail, the Royal French 38 is a must-try. The brand recommends using the 1738 Accord Royal in classic cocktails like the Sidecar or Tom Collins. Alternatively, if you want to shake things up, Spillmag recommends trying the Royal Gimlet, which combines Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal with lime juice and agave syrup. To take things up a notch even further, try the Accord Alexander, which combines Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal with cacao, heavy cream, and nutmeg powder.
There are a few guidelines to follow when tasting Accord Royal, such as sipping it from a taster's glass. The Whisky Exchange defines a taster's glass as specific to alcoholic beverages. They are small on the top and wide in the middle, so the air gets in contact with the liquor and concentrates the aroma at the top, giving you a burst of flavors in the case of Accord Royal.
Experts believe that you must enjoy Cognac with Umami flavors. If you are looking for the perfect Cognac to pair with your sushi, you'll love the versatility of the Rémy Martin 1748 Accord Royal.
Brands Similar to Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
While no liquor really compares to Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal, a few brands come close, including the Bache Gabrielsen American Oak Aged Cognac. This Cognac has a special place in the American market because the aging process doesn't occur solely in France. Instead, half of the aging is carried out in France, while the other half is in American oak barrels, imparting a unique flavor profile.
The product is similar in tasting notes as it also has fruity finesse and an oaky aroma. However, it is not a VSOP but a Very Special Cognac (VS) because the aging process lasts for two and a half years. That's two years in Cognac in Limousin barrels and six months in Tennessee.
Then, there is Bisquit & Dubouché VSOP Cognac, another Cognac brand with a similar fruity and vibrant blend. Just like the Accord Royal, it's a VSOP. However, unlike the Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal, it doesn't fall under the "fine Cognac" category. This is because the grapes are sourced from vines harvested from four primary crus: Petite, Grande Champagne, Fin Bois, and Bons Bois.
The oldest blend is 20 years old
The oldest eaux-de-vie in the Accord Royal is twenty years old (via Cognac). That means the blend will include eaux-de-vie aged in Limousin oak barrels for more than twenty years. The aging process imparts a unique flavor and earthy undertone from the wood. The oak barrels used in Cognac production don't use a single type of oak wood. Instead, there are two varieties: Quercus Pedunculata and Quercus Sessiliflora.
The two types of oak barrels have distinctive differences. Oak wood from Quercus Pedunculata mainly grows in the Limousin region, 150 km from Cognac. This oak wood has a porous grain that allows more tannins to escape into the aging liquor. In contrast, Quercus Sessiliflora has a tight grain that doesn't allow tannins to escape into the eau-de-vie. The soil of the Limousin region complements the chalky soil of Cognac, so the Cognac blenders primarily prefer this particular type of oak wood. Since Rémy Martin uses the Limousin oak barrels, the Accord Royal is copper-colored with a smoky oak finish.
Rémy Martin ventured into China with the Dynasty brand
China didn't have the concept of grape wines until Rémy Martin introduced the first dry white wine through a venture in the Chinese market. The venture between Rémy Martin and Dynasty Wine took place in 1980 when Rémy Martin set up the equipment for wine production, and the Dynasty brand provided the labor and grapes. The Chinese province of Tianjin had wine grape production introduced in 1958 by Chinese army personnel (via The New York Times). At the time, China grew grapes but didn't know how to convert the grapes into wine. That's where Rémy Martin came into the picture. The company assisted the Dynasty brand with a whopping 38% of the total investment of $2.4 million.
However, Rémy Martin had to undergo intense criticism from the grape-growing peasants, who complained about the company returning only half of their produce. That didn't budge Rémy Martin from its high standards. They communicated that the grapes need to have high sugar content to pass the winemaking test. With clear standards communicated by Rémy Martin, peasants started producing better quality to meet the company's stringent quality standards.
First major Cognac house to appoint a female master blender
In 2003, Rémy Martin appointed the first female master blender of any major Cognac house. Pierrette Trichet, known for her incredible smelling abilities and great creativity, joined the Rémy Martin research lab in 1976. By profession, she is a biochemist and has an amazing talent for sniffing and suggesting the right eaux-de-vis for the perfect blends.
While it was primarily the product of teamwork, Trichet called the final shots and was responsible for selecting the final blends as a cellar master. According to Lexpress, her appointment as a female cellar master remains the only one to date. She retired in 2014 and trained her successor Baptiste Loiseau, who joined the house in 2007. While working together, they came up with the idea of creating Tercet, which manifested in 2019 with the launch of a new liquor, Rémy Martin Tercet Cognac.
An authentic Cognac, once honored by King Louis XV himself, Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal has an exotic, rich flavor that is smooth and well-balanced on the palate. So for those looking for a classic Cognac experience, there is only one oblong-shaped body with a long neck Cognac, and that is the Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal.