Jay Z endorses D'USSE cognac

Here’s a Cognac with a hip-hop provenance: D’USSE (pronounced “dew-say”) has been embraced by rapper/entrepreneur Jay Z since its launch a year ago. In fact, he was seen at this past month’s Grammy Awards drinking his D’USSE straight from one of the trophies he took home that night. (Hey, you can’t do that with an Oscar statue.) But the hip-hop icon’s endorsement aside, D’USSE, which takes its name from a French commune, is really about the spirits giant Bacardi – best known for its signature rum – getting into the Cognac game with a slightly different take on France’s famed brandy. (And remember, all Cogancs are brandies, but not all brandies are Cognacs – they have to be made in the Cognac area to qualify for the name.) D’USSE is a V.S.O.P., which means it’s been aged at least four years. But it’s not intended to be too rich or sumptuous – smoothness is the key. Bacardi brand director Giles Woodyer points to the brandy’s aromas of wood and the flavor “accents of honey and dried fruits.” Think of it as a Cognac aimed at a younger market – brandy beginners, if you will — that may opt to drink it on the rocks or even as a mixer. Bacardi suggests using it in such cocktails as the Lorraine 75 (with Prosecco, Benedictine liqueur, grenadine and lemon juice) or the Vieux Carre (with rye, sweet vermouth and bitters).

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