• Cognac house: Tiffon
• Oldest distillate: 1805
• Pre-phylloxera cognac
• Year bottled: 2014
• Number of decanters: 150

In June 2014, Wealth Solutions introduced to the market, in cooperation with the Tiffon cognac house, a limited edition of L’esprit de Tiffon – a liquor created entirely prior to the outbreak of phylloxera. This truly exceptional beverage has been based on distillates originating from Sverre Braastad’s private cellar (the so-called “paradis”), with the oldest cognac dating back to 1805. Only 150 numbered decanters of this unique exceptional liquor have been produced. Each of them comes with a wooden, custom-designed case, and a book by Nicholas Faith, a prominent cognac expert and a recognised writer. The publication celebrates the launch of L’esprit de Tiffon and has been printed in as little as 150 numbered copies. The world premiere of this unique cognac was celebrated in the Jabłonna Palace near Warsaw.

This unique liquor takes us back to the times in which the foundations of Europe were rocked by Napoleon. In 1805, the year the cognac’s oldest component was created, the French leader humiliated the military powers of the time in the battle of Austerlitz, admiral Nelson sailed to glory at Trafalgar, and Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense. Two centuries have passed since, with state borders changing, new inventions being made, and the world experiencing wars and revolutions in the meantime. L’esprit de Tiffon was a silent witness of all those events, providing us with the opportunity to embark on a journey in time.

L’esprit de Tiffon constitutes a link that connects us with the world long gone for other reasons as well. It offers us the opportunity to indulge in a drink that no one is capable of creating these days. The distillates it is made of were produced prior to the phylloxera invasion* that devastated European wine cultures in the middle of the 19th century. The event exerted a considerable impact on the final form and quality of beverages made, as before the Old Continent was attacked by phylloxera, cognac production relied on a very aromatic folle blanche strain. However, due to its susceptibility to disease and parasites, folle blanche was phased out, in favour of a less noble but more resistant ugni blanc variety. Hence, the history of cognac is divided into two periods: before and after the grape phylloxera.

All distillates creating the unique composition of L’esprit de Tiffon originate from before the phylloxera invasion. In consideration of the above, it can be safely stated that the beverage offers us the opportunity to travel in time, taking us back to the world of long forgotten tastes. No such liquors are bottled at present. Only sporadically, their scarce amounts are added to younger distillates. Cognacs enriched with the use of such a method are introduced to the market under the most expensive, limited product editions.

*Phylloxera is an American aphid species that was brought to Europe around 1860 and started to devastate local grapevine cultures.

Tiffon is a cognac house boasting rich traditions and storing, in its cellars, liquors of unmatched age and quality. It was established in 1875 in Jarnac by Médéric Tiffon. In 1913, as a result of his marriage with Edith Rousseau (the founder’s niece), control over the house was gained by Sverre Braastad. Braastad is the figure that has contributed to the fact that beverages boasting over 200 years of history are currently part of the Tiffon heritage. He was the driving force not only behind the spectacular growth of the enterprise, but also behind its great devotion to acquiring exceptional and old distillates dating back to the early 19th century. Dying in 1979 at the age of 100, Braastad handed the achievement of his lifetime over to his son and grandchildren. His successors are now sharing the legacy of their ancestors with us, presenting the greatest treasure of the legendary Braastad.