Meukow is a Cognac house that dates to 1862, when brothers who had first visited the region in 1850 to buy Cognac for the Tsar's court in St Petersburg set up the business in the town of Cognac. Compagnie de Guyenne, a family-run company, owns the house today.
The VS is the entry bottle of the range, a blend of eaux-de-vie aged at least two years in French oak and bottled at 40 per cent. Meukow double distils its spirit and draws on all six Cognac growing areas. The style is light and fruity, with a touch of wood on the nose, then oak and nuts on the palate and a smooth finish. The house is also known for its bottle design, which carries a black panther.
A young Cognac like this is built for mixing as much as sipping. Meukow itself points the VS at cocktails and long drinks, and tonic or ginger ale over plenty of ice with a twist of orange peel suits it well. It also holds up on the rocks, or in a small glass before dinner.