Camus Cognac was officially founded in 1863. Yet its history still feels like it is in motion. It is, today, the largest fully family-owned Cognac house, and one that has built a slightly cheeky identity around a very specific promise: being the “most aromatic of all Cognacs”. 

That line could easily sound like marketing puff, except Camus has indeed centred its production and innovation around the concept of “aromatic intensity” and actually has close to two decades of lab notes to show for it. Their eaux-de-vie show consistently show higher ester concentrations than standard industry references and the figures are still ever growing.

The origin story begins with Jean-Baptiste Camus, an independent winemaker who, in 1863, founded “La Grande Marque”, essentially a movement to unite a group of producers to consistently supply quality-guaranteed Cognac. Like many growers in Cognac, he had started by supplying spirits to bigger houses, but came to believe that if Cognac was going to earn and keep its reputation, consistency and quality had to be protected more deliberately. La Grande Marque was meant to be a shorthand for standards. Over time, Camus even acquired its partners, tightening control so that the path from grape to glass could be executed according to the house’s own specifications.

The generations after Jean-Baptiste kept building on that foundation. A key inflection point came when fourth-generation Jean-Paul Camus joined in 1945 and helped the family acquire new vineyards and establish new distilleries, concentrating the family’s vines in Borderies, the smallest of Cognac’s growing areas, and also one of the most prized for producing exceptionally aromatic fruit.

Today, the house is managed by Cyril Camus, the fifth generation owner, although the story will continue with the sixth generation.

I am in Singapore, with the opportunity to attend a trade tasting under the Sommelier Association of Singapore with Camus Cognac, and the person walking us through it is none other than Cyril’s son, Ryan Camus.

Ryan who represents the family, brought a disarmingly modest and modern energy to the room. He introduces himself as half French, half Chinese, born in France and raised between cultures, having lived in Beijing, London, the United States, and now working out of Shanghai, and he has joined the family business in recent years alongside his brothers. He had started his own journey in wine and spirits at age 18 while studying in London, even working as a barback to learn the hospitality trade from the ground up.

Ryan took us through the basics of Cognac-making.

Cognac is an appellation with strict geographic boundaries, and within it there are distinct crus, essentially growing zones, each with its own character: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois, and Bois Ordinaires. Borderies sits at the centre, is the smallest of the crus, and is core to Camus’s identity.

Ryan frames it plainly: the most characterful flavours tend to come from the central areas, while the larger outer zones contribute more to supply and volume. One of the key pillars that make Camus different is its use of a high amount of Borderies-grown grapes. The soil mix here matters: clay for water retention, limestone for drainage and controlled vine stress, and flint that retains heat. The region is also known for having ancient marine fossils. This particular terroir is said to help contribute to a distinctive floral, notably, violet note in Cognac from Borderies.

Then comes the grape. The dominant variety is Ugni Blanc, a grape prized less for how it tastes as wine, and more for how it behaves in distillation. It has high acidity, and that acidity, interacting with copper during distillation, helps create aromatic compounds such as esters. Not that anyone going about drinking the base pre-distilled wines from Cognac houses, but Ryan added that ironically, the trade-off is that this base wine itself is not especially pleasant to drink.

This is perhaps one of the most counterintuitive things for people coming from wine: in Cognac you are deliberately making a thin, sharp, low-charm wine because you are designing for what happens after the still, not for what happens in the glass on day one. High acidity is a feature, not a flaw, because it survives fermentation cleanly and becomes a building block for aroma chemistry once heat and copper enter the story.

Besides Ugni Blanc, Camus also uses Folle Blanche and Colombard grapes in its base wine – and interestingly, at a ratio of less than 1% of each. Folle Blanche, he notes, brings more primary aroma, while Colombard is expected to add more volume and body. While Ugni Blanc is the workhorse of the region due to its disease resistance, the re-introduction of older varieties like Folle Blanche and Colombard is a growing trend as houses look to regain the pre-phylloxera complexity of the 19th century.

In fact, there has been growing interest across the Cognac industry in experimenting with additional grape varieties. Ryan suggested that some of this momentum has been influenced by what has happened in whisky. Whisky producers have become increasingly comfortable playing with different grain bills, cask types and maturation approaches, which has created a broader culture of experimentation in brown spirits.

Within Cognac, however, experimentation must begin much earlier, at the vineyard. Even so, approving new varietals is one thing, but planting dedicated plots is a far more serious commitment, because it ties up land, capital and time for years before any meaningful results can be evaluated. Ryan pointed out that while talking about innovation is easy, growing the grapes and waiting a decade to see what they become is another matter entirely. The results take time: years just to get grapes from new plantings, and then many more years of ageing before you can judge what those choices actually mean in the glass at an XO level.

The reason for this focus on the vineyards? Ryan reminded us that the Cognac AOC is restrictive. Cask rules are an easy example: producers cannot simply reach for whisky casks or exotic wood finishes. Only French oak is used, and barrels are typically ones that have held grape-based spirits. The framework preserves tradition, but it also narrows the obvious “innovation levers” that modern spirits fans have been trained to look for. If you are coming from whisky, where finishing, unusual casks, and experimental woods can become the headline, Cognac “innovation” can feel like playing a game with one hand tied behind your back.

Double distillation at Camus happens within copper Charentais pot stills which Ryan explains result in spirit that is a little bit finer and more rounded. (Armagnac, on the other hand, tends to be produced using continuous stills.) These pot stills have an oblong bottom, an onion shaped body and a "col de cygne" (swan neck) which allows for more reflux -which once again helps develop more esters for greater aromaticity.

The first run yields a distillate (called brouillis) at around 30 percent ABV, and the second brings it up to about 72 percent ABV before ageing in oak.

During the first run of distillation, Camus distills these grapes on the lees (lees are the dead yeast cells left over after fermentation) to produce their entire range of Cognacs. While this is a manual and messy process that involves adding the lees back into the still, this is done to create extra fruity aromas. Lees contribute additional esters and flavour compounds and add further complexity to the production process. The downside is that this process requires cleaning after each distillation due to more residue– but Camus firmly believes it's essential for creating their characteristically aromatic Cognacs.

Now, the second distillation run is what is arguably the most distinctive technical signature of Camus: the use of the proprietary Intensité method. This is a patented distillation technique designed to maximise aromatic intensity by being unusually selective about the “heads” of distillation. Ryan explains that as distillation proceeds, what comes out changes continuously because different compounds have different boiling points and volatility. Traditionally, output is split into heads, heart, and tails.

Conventionally, the heads are usually treated as too strong and harsh, and often re-distilled rather than blended into the final spirit to remove undesirable elements. However, instead of discarding the heads, Camus performs extremely fine sensory evaluation to identify what they consider the most aromatic portion of the distillate.

The method is painstaking: during the heads fraction, the distillers smell every litre that comes out. Litres that are harsh or show any hint of problematic character are set aside for re-distillation. Litres that show exceptional aromatic concentration are kept separately and later added back into the heart. The yield varies, because the heads are volatile and sensitive to conditions, so after one run they might keep ten litres, and after another only a handful. This happens across their stills, repeatedly, and it is an enormous manual effort.

The philosophy Ryan lands on is simple: they are picking peaks of aroma and discarding what is dull or unpleasant. The outcome is quantified, too: Camus can show dramatically higher ester concentrations against benchmarks, with specific esters associated with identifiable fruit notes.

Finally, the last pillar of Camus’s difference is oak strategy. It is less flashy than the Intensité method, but important nonetheless if your goal is perfume rather than wood dominance. Camus uses fine-grain French oak, which is harder and more expensive, and it allows a slower transfer of tannins while still letting the spirit breathe through oxidative ageing. The result is gentler wood influence and less aggressive tannin structure, which is one reason Camus cognacs tend towards amber rather than deep brown. The house also rarely uses new oak, preferring casks that have already been used for cognac or other grape-based spirits, again to avoid masking the delicate aromatics built earlier in the process.

Evaporation is managed carefully, with barrels refilled to avoid an air gap that would alter ageing character. And then there is a quality-control practice that sounds almost punishing: the master blender samples every single cask every year, a process that can take around six months, using those tastings to map aromatic profiles, track how individual barrels evolve depending on cellar conditions, and decide how they should be blended for consistency.

By this point, the through-line feels clear. Borderies may give Camus its aromatic starting point, but the house refuses to let terroir shoulder all the credit. Instead, it treats aroma as something that must be protected, amplified and curated at every stage. Lees are folded back in despite the labour. Head fractions are judged litre by litre. Oak is chosen not for impact, but for discretion. The work is methodical, sometimes painstaking, occasionally inefficient by modern industrial standards, yet always in service of preserving fragrance rather than overwhelming it.

The making of the Camus Caribbean Expedition Cognac, Camus' recent exploration with the idea of aging at sea (and in the tropics). Read our contributor's review of it here!

Cyril Camus once described the house as “only” 162 years old, placing it the youngest of the major Cognac brands. Yet this relative youth is emphasised not as a limitation but more as a vigour and ambition. It seeks to question, adjust and refine rather than merely inherit.

Sitting in Singapore, listening to Ryan Camus speak about ester levels and sensory selection with almost scientific calm, it becomes clear that the story of Camus is not about legacy alone. It sees itself as a continuing experiment in how far aroma can be pushed within the tight boundaries of Cognac tradition, and how a family house can keep evolving while holding on to the same values that define it. 

And with that, let's give their key expressions a taste!

Brandy Review: Camus VSOP Cognac, 40% ABV

Blended expression containing Borderies along with eaux-de-vie from other crus.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Amber

Nose: Fresh and rounded, with a balanced profile that leans firmly into florals and dried fruit. Opens with bright orange blossoms, wildflower honey and the scent of lightly steeped Tie Guan Yin, the kind that reads more as floral tea fragrance than roast or tannin. Fruit sits underneath: ripe apricot, a simple red-berry sweetness and sultanas. As it settles, sweetness shifts from fruit to confectionery, with maltose candy and then caramel and toffee layering on. European-oak is present in a polished way giving a clean resinous varnished lift. Some cool mint notes on the edges.

Palate: Medium in density, the texture is immediately silky and generous in flavour. There’s a crystalline, herbal-floral feel driven by the same combination of honey, orange blossom and that Tie Guan Yin-like floral tea note, more integrated rather than just aromatic. Fruit reads slightly darker with cherries and pomegranate giving a red-fruit snap, and sultanas returning. Potpourri shows up and maltose candy returns too, but more as a gentle, syrupy sweetness that balances the palate. Polished oak is present too.

Finish: It runs quite long, and it dries out gradually. A light spiced glow, savoury dried herbs. Orange blossoms and orange peel becomes more obvious here. Vanilla comes through late. Oak spices and a light cocoa note, and a mild rancio character with gentle nuttiness and light mustiness.

My Thoughts:

What stands out most is the range of florals from the nose through to the finish. The orange blossom and wildflower honey are the obvious anchors, but the most distinctive note is that lightly steeped Tie Guan Yin character, which gives the floral profile a floral tea-like clarity. Structurally, it feels balanced and medium-bodied, with a very smooth, silky delivery and a finish that stays dry and tidy while still carrying flavour.

Unlike many Cognacs, it does not rely on lots of darker, mineral or earthy tones. Instead, it builds interest through small shifts between fresh florals, red fruit, dried fruit sweetness and judicious polished oak. Compared with the Borderies expression, this reads as more red-fruit and wood-forward, with less of a mineral impression, but it stays controlled and cohesive.

Brandy Review: Camus VSOP Cognac Borderies, 40% ABV

Single-cru expression made exclusively from Borderies eaux-de-vie, aged a minimum of four years.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Amber

Nose: It shows up with a very clear, crystalline fruit brightness. Opening is driven by ripe orange jelly and a lot of candied orange peel. There’s a slightly darker, roasted edge running alongside it from burnt orange peel, which makes the citrus feel more intense and a bit more bitter-sweet. Floral lift builds quickly from fresh violets, then dried violet and potpourri-like. Sweetness sits in the background as dried apricot and caramel. A warming baking spice layer comes along with a cooling minty top note. As it opens further, we have a herbal liquorice bite, a faint flinty, mineral edge in a stonier outline around all that orange peel and violet.

Palate: Very aromatic and lifted. Opens with distinctive potpourri and dried violets. There’s a very precise grip of oakiness and oak spice on the back; it stays really well-balanced and doesn’t crowd out the florals. A lighter honeyed sweetness shows up. The mouthfeel stays clean and straightforward, and a clean fruit gems-like sweetness, some spearmint candy. A lightly herbaceous, minty tone follows with some herbal bitterness.

Finish: Dries out gradually and keeps its definition, with a persistent orange-peel character, a lingering cool minty note and that slightly medicinal Hacks candy character. The last stretch turns more lightly herbaceous, with a faint minty bitterness lingering alongside the citrus peel.

My Thoughts:

A really impressive VSOP that’s lovely and aromatic. The aromas present themselves effortlessly. Compared with the standard VSOP, which felt a bit more anchored in texture, fruit weight, and oak presence, this Borderies version reads much more floral and more lifted aromatically, with a clearer sense of high-toned esters. It’s built around violets and that candied and jelly-like orange notes on the nose before moving into a more potpourri-forward, dried-violet centre on the palate. The oak is robust enough to give shape, but it stays in precise balance with the aromatics.

Brandy Review: Camus XO Cognac Intensely Aromatic, 40% ABV

Blended expression containing Borderies Cognac and Cognac from other crus – this new XO expression is aged in barrels that have undergone a special retoasting process.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Dark amber.

Nose: Rich and decadent, with a deep floral core. Opens with potpourri and violets front and center, slowly leading into a firmer, flinty minerality. A toasted edge builds as it opens with singed orange peel, a faint char bitterness, cocoa powder. There’s some floral tea-like notes, once again steeped Tie Guan Yin, some apricot, cranberry preserves and prunes, some toffee layering on.

Palate: A delightful oily-waxy texture. It opens with a rich, rounded sweetness, starting with honey, caramel, candied orange, then ripe apricot and darker fruits. Jammy black berries sit alongside floral notes of potpourri. The florals remain expressive even as the flavours deepen, giving savoury-sweet salted butterscotch, more oak presence giving smooth varnished wood, tightening spices, a gradually emerging rancio, some toasted nuts, leather and old library books threading together the dried-fruit, oak and orange elements.

Finish: Long and evocative. It leans into oils and spice rather than fruit. Orange-oil lingers throughout, with some vanilla, toasted coconut, some sweet oak lactone notes, warm baking spices with cloves and cinnamon.

My Thoughts:

This reads as the most layered of the set, with a clear step up in richness and concentration while still keeping the florals and orange character in focus. It is also more spiced in its aromatics than the earlier Camus expressions.

The texture is a big part of the experience, with that oily mouthfeel helping the flavours persist and making the layers feel more seamless from start to finish. It moves from deep violet and potpourri into toasted, singed orange peel and cocoa powder, then the palate fills in the centre with honeyed caramel, apricot and darker berry fruit. The back half is where it turns more mature and structured, with polished oak, a stronger spice thread, and a mild rancio note that adds an aged, nutty dimension.

The most memorable part for me is definitely how the toasted oak character seems to come through in singed orange peels and cocoa. A lovely experience!

Brandy Review: Camus XO Cognac Borderies, 40% ABV

Single-cru Borderies expression aged a minimum of 10 years.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Dark amber.

Nose: Heady, rich and perfumed right away with a dense and rounded sweetness. Opens with potpourri, honey and caramel. A bakery-like warmth builds and I get a clear burnt edge that reminds me of the torched top of a Basque cheesecake, followed by a flaky filo pastry impression. Baking spices sit in the background and rise with time, more like a warm, dry spice cabinet. There’s also a thicker, darker sweetness of herbal syrup. A slightly salty, stony mineral note shows up around the edges, before developing a mature rancio note. An intriguing savoury undercurrent of honeyed BBQ pork (charsiu), slightly smoky, browned and sticky.

Palate: Layered and bright at the same time with tons of tertiary nuances. Opens with caramel and wildflower honey, then a fruitcake character on mid palate: sultanas and raisins first, then darker dried figs and chopped dates, with a faint candied peel note. Apricot syrup sits alongside the dried-fruit notes. A soft, rounded vanilla creaminess appears, cake notes become more obvious, slowly moving to the browned heel of freshly baked banana bread - that fragrant, caramelised edge that is nearly burnt but still sweet. The overall structure feels lush, savoury, mineral and rancio-influenced.

Finish: Runs long and stays aromatic. Florals and perfume returning clearly after the heavier cake notes. A thicker, golden syrup sweetness lingers alongside rich vanilla custard cream. Warm spice builds late, with honeyed ginger tea giving a comforting warmth. Perfumed florals and syrupy richness staying present.

My Thoughts:

This is a much more tertiary and nuanced single-cru profile than the XO Intensely Aromatic with clear but integrated floral elements before a backdrop of dried fruit, spices and well managed oak.

If I want a Cognac to impress someone, this is the one I reach for, because it reads immediately as aromatic, mature and complex. It gives enough clear, recognisable cues for people who are new to Cognac to follow along, while also offering enough tertiary detail to hold the attention of someone who drinks XO from other houses.

@CharsiuCharlie