🥃 Charentais alembic
Copper batch still from the Charente region: white wine is distilled twice into cognac spirit; pot up to 30 hl, heated by open fire.
The Charentais alembic (alambic charentais) is a copper batch pot still on which white wine is turned into spirit for cognac. Distillation is two-stage, “with repassing” (à repasse): first the wine becomes a weak brouillis, then the brouillis is distilled a second time. The rules of the Cognac appellation allow only this kind of apparatus.
Construction. The pot (chaudière) is heated by open fire in a brick furnace. The vapour rises into the helmet (chapiteau), passes through the “swan’s neck” and is cooled in a worm immersed in water. The pot, helmet, neck, worm and open spirit gauge must be copper; a wine preheater (chauffe-vin) is optional. The furnace was traditionally fired with wood or coal, now more often with gas.
Size. For the second distillation the pot may hold up to 30 hl, with a charge of up to 25 hl. For the first distillation a larger pot is allowed, up to 140 hl with a charge of up to 120 hl. The finished spirit may not exceed 73.7% ABV at 20 °C.
Two distillations. The first gives a brouillis of about 28–32%. The second, the “good heating” (bonne chauffe), lasts many hours: the distiller cuts off the heads, the heart and the tails, and only the heart at 70–72% goes into casks. According to BNIC, the whole distillation must be finished by 31 March after the harvest.
Why this matters to you. The copper pot and double distillation are the main reason cognac differs from brandy made in column stills. The spirit coming out of the alembic is very strong and is diluted before bottling. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Distillation method | double batch distillation “with repassing”; pot up to 30 hl (charge up to 25 hl), for the first distillation up to 140 hl (120 hl charge) |
|---|---|
| Raw material | white wine (first distillation), brouillis (second) |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | brouillis ≈ 28–32%; heart ≈ 70–72%; not more than 73.7% ABV at 20 °C |
| Legal basis | Cognac appellation specification (control by BNIC / ODG) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Charentais alembic → kind of → 🍇 Grape brandies → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🥃 Cognac, 🥃 French brandies
- Previous step
- 🥃 Double distillation, 🥃 Distillation, 🥃 Grande Champagne, 🥃 Rhum de la Guadeloupe, 🥃 Heads, hearts, tails
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 French
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape brandies
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Armagnac, 🥃 Calvados, 🍏 Cider spirit and perry spirit, 🥃 Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Column still
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that cognac can only be distilled in a Charentais alembic?
Yes. The Cognac appellation rules require double batch distillation in a copper Charentais pot still over open fire.
What is brouillis?
The intermediate spirit of the first distillation, about 28–32% ABV; it is distilled a second time.
Why is the alembic made of copper?
The cognac rules explicitly require copper for the pot, helmet, neck and worm; copper is the traditional material for such stills.
What is the strength of the spirit from the alembic?
The heart of the second distillation is about 70–72% ABV; under the cognac rules the finished spirit may not be stronger than 73.7% ABV at 20 °C.
When is cognac distilled?
In winter after the harvest: according to BNIC, distillation must be finished by 31 March of the following year.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Scotch from a single distillery: only malted barley, water and copper pot stills; at least 3 years in oak, 40% vol. or more.
- 🧑🤝🧑 French — The French are the main population of France, known for the festive meal and baguette on UNESCO's list, for wine and for cheese.
- 🥃 Armagnac — French AOC wine brandy from Gascony, distilled in copper stills and aged in oak for at least 1 year.
- 🥃 French brandies — France's three main spirits with protected names: cognac and armagnac from white wine, calvados from Normandy cider; oak ageing, bottled at 40% ABV or more.
Similar
🥃 French brandies · 🥃 Double distillation · 🥃 Heads, hearts, tails · 🥃 Distillation · 🥃 Column still · 🥃 Chill filtration
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- BNIC / UGVC: Rappel des modalités du cahier des charges AOC Cognac — activité de distillation (repasse in double discontinuous batches; alambic charentais heated over open fire; copper boiler, helmet, swan neck, coil; boiler ≤ 30 hl, charge ≤ 25 hl; first heating ≤ 140/120 hl; eaux-de-vie ≤ 73.7 % at 20 °C), 12.2022
- Cognac.fr (BNIC): Production — Charentais double distillation, first chauffe → brouillis, bonne chauffe; distillation completed by 31 March after the harvest
- Cognac-ton.nl: Distillation — parts of the alambic charentais (chaudière, chapiteau, col de cygne, serpentin, chauffe-vin), brouillis 28–32 %, heart 70–72 %, run times
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)