France, Cognac

The House of Delamain is one of the oldest names in the cognac business, with roots dating back to the early 1600s when Nicholas Delamain left France for Ireland. However, it wasn't until 1725 that descendant James Delamain moved back to France and joined forces with cognac trader Issac Ranson to create Ranson & Delamain. After James' death in 1800, the company fell apart due to inheritance laws, and it wasn't until 1924 that his grandsons restablished the firm in the family name and it became Delamain & Co. Today, Delamain is one of the last family-run cognac houses, and has a very strict selection process when it comes to choosing their supplies. They do not have any contracts and only purchase afte tasting, to ensure the very best quality. The company doesn't have any VS or VSOP cognacs, its entry level is a 25 year old XO.