A little over a hundred years ago, Jens Reidar Larsen was born in the Norwegian town of Tromsø. His character possessed a large slice of adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit, which caused the 24-year-old to have an uncontrollable yearning for the excitement and opportunities of Roaring Twenties America.

However, fate had other plans in store for Jens Reidar.

Saying bon voyage to his parents, the young man managed to reach the French coast when a spanner in the works of his ship’s engine meant a long layover in Bordeaux for urgent repairs—and this is when and where destiny stepped in to change his life forever.

Needing cash to survive, he secured a job in the small town of Cognac. There, he fell head-over-heels not only in love with a local beauty but also the local type of brandy, a high-quality spirit distilled from white wine—the famous drink of Cognac.

Jens Reidar’s passion for Cognac and its creation became his life’s work. His lively and affable personality was a hit with the local expert Cognac cellar masters, who allowed the Norwegian to learn their well-kept secrets and impart to him the treasures of their spirits.

The Founding of Larsen Cognac

After a short time, Jens Reidar Larsen became a world expert and an authority on Cognac; his blotting-paper mind had absorbed every morsel of Cognac knowledge, and this know-how and practical spirit gave birth in 1926 to his first signature and worldwide famous Larsen Cognac.

So… let us explore Larsen AQUA IGNIS Cognac and its distillation—the drink’s inimitable soul.

The Distillation Mastery of Larsen Aqua Ignis

The source of AQUA IGNIS’s deep aromas of candied fruit and roasted notes of coffee and mocha, and the company’s other Cognac signature flavours, is a critical double distillation process which happens after vinification (post-grape harvesting, pressing and fermentation) and without lees (the sediment at the bottom of wine vats after fermentation). The distillation maintains the unique bouquets of the grapes and yields fantastic “eaux-de-vie”—”waters of life”—a clear and colourless fruit brandy.

During the second distillation, called “la bonne chauffe”, heads and tails are cut and what is left is the heart of the process—“le cœur de la bonne chauffe”. After that, maestro Master Blender Monsieur David Croizet selects the “eau-de-vie” that he thinks will be perfect for Larsen’s Cognacs.

Ageing in Special Barrels

The barrels used by Larsen for their Cognac are plunged into hot water, which helps “open” the wood and protect it from the heat of the fire; this process also allows the company to extract a wonderful vanilla aroma from the wood. The plunging process is completed three times in a loop and Larsen Cognacs are the first to use this process.

Tasting Notes and Enjoyment

Your bottle of Larsen AQUA IGNIS Cognac is a symphony of “eaux-de-vie” blends, expertly brought together by the Master Blender, who ensures the continuation of the Larsen Cognac House. Over thirty-five years, David Croizet has skilfully united the ideal “notes”—the aromatic and taste individualities—of Cognac.

Tasting your exquisite deep amber Larsen AQUA IGNIS is ideally a long and lovely pleasure, served either neat or over freshly cubed ice. Enjoy the notes of candied fruit and roasted coffee and mocha lingering long and silky on your palate.

The Larsen Cognac Collection

For your continued pleasure, there is a marvellous selection of Larsen Cognacs for every occasion, carefully crafted by Master Blender Monsieur David Croizet. Choose from Larsen VS; Larsen VSOP; Larsen VSOP Reserve; Larsen XO; Larsen XO Reserve or Larsen Viking Ship.

A Festive Toast

And finally, with the logs crackling in the fire and a generous glass of Larsen Aqua Ignis in your hand, say, “Cheers and a merry Christmas!” to everyone, or if you are in France, “Santé et Joyeux Noël!” or if you are from Jens Reidar Larsen’s old country, “Skål og god jul!”

Larsen Cognac

International Beverage Holdings is the owner and the safekeeper of the Larsen Cognac brand. See Interbev Group.

All photography copyright © Peter Sissons 2024