The house of A. Edmond Audry was founded in 1878 by the great-great-grandfather of the current owner. In the early 1950s, the Audry Company stopped selling cognac. However some very old stocks were held back in reserve in the hopes that Audry would one day rise again to the fore. That day came in 1978 when Bernard Boisson, a lawyer by training, decided to resurrect the family tradition that had remained dormant for four decades. The family stopped distilling in 1974, so Audry is made from blends of the original reserve and a few lots bought from a small group of Charentais growers. The XO is rich, warming with vanilla and subtle oak flavors, with a long and smooth finish. A blend of 50% Grand Champagne and 50% Petite Champagne of roughly 20 years of age, the dark toffee on the back end lets you know this is no slouch of a brandy. There is no boise or caramel coloring added to the Audry Cognacs, making all the amber goodness 100% natural from barrel aging.