The secret of Cognac is temperature said Loïc Rakotomalala (below), global brand ambassador for Bisquit Cognac at Pigalle Restaurant this evening over a medium rare fillet. To demonstrate his point, he served the VS spirit in single digits with three scallops, the VSOP at freezing point – the bottle was frosted with a South Pole sheen – while the XO was the warmest of the trio but the glass was chilled with ice cubes.

Loïc was not wrong for as the VSOP warmed up in the glass, the flavours moved from almond in a marzipan expression to mango, reminiscent of Madagascar, the land of his great grandfather. Hence the exotic surname.

Loïc is in town for tomorrow night’s Fine Brandy Fusion gig at the Cape Town International Convention Centre and the public will have a chance to taste the trio of spirits and see for themselves the charms of distilled wine versus distilled beer aka whisky. For my wine buds, no contest at all.

So which is the best brandy in the Bisquit box? The prices are R300, R500 and R1500 and while the XO is certainly the most complex, does it give three times as much pleasure at the VSOP? In a word, no.