COGNAC-TON

Camus Bottle Catalog (last updated: Apr 8, 2020)

(610 bottles including magnums and stands and 347 miniatures; but still not complete.)

Introduction

Camus was established in 1863. After some troublesome years, especially in the 1950’s, they have now become the number five of the major cognac trading houses. Their success began when they started using the name Napoléon to promote their cognacs. Because Courvoisier already had the slogan ‘Le cognac de Napoléon’, they found another way by emphasizing on napoléon quality cognacs (napoléon meaning: aged fo six or more years) and by using the portrait of Napoléon on many of their limited édtions of Limoges porcelain bottles.
Their slogan is ‘Le Grande Marque’ and also ‘Royal Choice’.
Camus also has had the privilege to be ‘fournisseurs de la Cour de S.M. le Roi de Suède’ (suppliers of the Royal Court of S.M. the King of Sweden).
Camus has also used other brand names, notably Chateau d’Uffaut. These are not represented here.

Contents:

1. Three stars
2. VS
3. VSOP
4. Napoleon
5. XO
6. Extra and extraordinaire
7. 40 years old and VO
8. Réserve Extra Vieille and Hors d’Age
9. Vintages, Family Héritage and Rarissimés
10. Baccarat and other decanters
11. Limited Editions
– 11a VSOP destination
– 11b Royale
– 11c Intenesly aromatic series
– 11d Celebration
– 11e Other limited editions
12. Limoges porcelain
– 12a Destination series
– 12b Grand Masters Collection
– 12c Napoleon books
– 12d drums
– 12e sports
– 12f other
13. Île de Ré
14. Canons and special stands (tonneau)
15. Magnums
16. Miniatures and mid-sized (20-50cl) bottles
– 16a Three star Miniatures
– 16b VS Miniatures
– 16c VSOP Miniatures
– 16d Napoleon Miniatures
– 16e XO
– 16f Extra
– 16g Vieille Reserve and VO
– 16h Reserve Extra Vieille and Hors d’Age
– 16i miniature limited editions
— 16i-a Celebration
— 16i-b GMC miniatures
— 16i-c Other miniatures
— 16i-d Mini limoges: grand masters collection
— 16i-e Mini limoges: napoleon books
— 16i-f Mini limoges: belle epoque
— 16i-g Mini limoges: golfballs
— 16i-h Mini limoges: tonneaux
— 16i-j Mini Île de Ré
— 16i-k Mini canons, stands and various other
– 16j 20-50cl bottles
17. Camus Extravaganza

1. Three stars

          

2. VS

            

 

3. VSOP

VSOP, Old bottle types

      

The first one is just VSOP. The other two are Fine Champagne VSOP ‘Royal Choice’.

Grand VSOP, plump bottles

                              
Grand VSOP, elegant bottles:

                       

Newer type has simple emblem and an adorned golden band around the lower edge of the capsule:

   

VSOP de Luxe:

         

Four different bottles, last one is 1 Liter.

VSOP Elegance

     

Seven different VSOP Elegance bottles. The last two are 1 liter bottles.

VSOP Borderies

     

4. Napoléon

Napoléon, Napoleon in large letters on the shoulder:

   

Napoléon, Camus in large letters on the shoulder, two lines of text at the bottom (basically the back-sides are different):

                           

Napoléon, Camus in large letters, at the bottom three lines of text:

    

Napoléon, Camus in large letters, vieille réserve at the bottom:

      

Napoléon Extra, Extra Old and Rare Old

   

         

   

5. XO

XO, Long necks

               

XO, Superior

                 

XO, Elegance

      

 

XO Borderies

               

XO, asian market

 
These two XO Chungwa’s are also Camus.

6. Extra and extraordinaire

Extra, old bottle types

           

Extra Elegance

     

Extraordinaire

                    

Three different colours, embleme and neck.

7. 40 Years old and VO

   

8. Réserve Extra Vieille and Hors d’Age

       

               

The fist three only say Réserve Extra Vieille (with a year), all other say also Hors d’Age; all different.

9. Vintages, Family Héritage and Rarissimés

Old vintages

                   

Rarissimés, single crus:

            

Rarissimés, blends

                       

Family Héritage:

   

Other

       

First bottle is ‘Récolte 1941’; then follow three bottles Pionneau, which is a brandname of Camus, and a bons bois vintage 1973.

10. Baccarat and other decanters

Decanters with no further indication:

            

Napoléon decanters:

         

Spécial Réserve:

                

Several decanters with very aged cognac:

                               

 

 

More information about the very expensive baccarat decanters to be found in the chapter ‘Extravaganza’.

11. Limited editions

11a. VSOP destination (2016)

 

These are 1 liter bottles.

11b. Royale

    

11c. Intensely Aromatic series (2019)

11d. Celebration (Celebration celebrates 100 years Camus, 1963, has been in production for many years after)

Celebration, white labels (ca. 1960s)

                      

Celebration, black paper label (ca. 1970s)

               

No paper label (ca. 1970-80s):

         

Celebration, aberrant

11e. Other limited editions

                          

       

       

 

12. Limoges porcelain

12a. Destination series

The Destination bottles are 35cl Special Reserve, made of Castel Limoges, adorned with 22kt gold, and can be recognized by the text on the bottom of the flask, where it says ‘Destination Collection’:

 

                          

12b. Grand Masters Collection

Except for Starry Night of van Gogh (35cl, see miniatures) they are all 70cl special reserve, content stated on the box; most are made of Castel Limoges and adorned with 22kt gold. Women in the Garden, Evening Mood and Two Tahitian Women are made of Artoria limoges. After the Bath is produced by Castel Limoges as well as by Artoria limoges.

                       

Specimen with duty seals:

   

12c. Napoleon books (bicentenaire 1769-1969)

These are all 70cl Napoléon or sometimes Napoléon Vieille Réserve cognac flasks made of Limoges and adorned with 22kt gold. The Limoges marks may vary: ‘L’, Castel, Haviland, Bernardaud, Jammet Seignolles, ‘MNP’ (Manufacture Nouvelle de Porcelain, forerunner of Artoria). Unfortunately I do not always have pictures of the backs or the bottomsides. They came out in 1969 and probably some years after.

12c1. Napoleon standing, ‘keyhole’ front.
Backs and front are adorned with vine leafes except the brown books. All Napoleon, but some have ‘vieille reserve’ added. Limoges factories can be Castel, L, MNP or Jammet Seignolles. Click on the photo’s to see back and bottom of the books.

                              

12c2. Napoleon standing, plain front.
Backs and front are adorned with laurels on the front and solid bands or wedges on the back. All Napoleon. Limoges factories can be Castel, L, MNP or De Haviland. Click on the photo’s to see back and bottom of the books.

           

12c3. Napoleon in unicolour, standing.
Adornments on front and back vary. Qualities are Napoleon or Napoleon Vieille Reserve. All are from Castel Limoges factories. Click on the photo’s to see back and bottom of the books.

            

12c4. Napoléon bust:
Adornments on front are always laurels, on the back solid bands or wedges. They are all Napoleon quality. Limoges factories can be Castel, ‘L’, De Haviland or Bernardaud. Click on the photo’s to see back and bottom of the books.

                               

To see some very small differences in the heads: click!

Be aware of imitations: the Napoléon books with ‘feathered hat’ are not Camus, as probably is the last one with quite different laurels:

   

12d. Drums

These drums are Napoléon Vieille Réserve, 70cl and are made of Haviland Limoges.

    

12e. Sports

700ml Limoges bottles, most are Napoléon (Moscow is Napoléon Extra).

             

700ml Golf balls

     

12f. Other

Petit Trésor:

Belle epoque:

                 
Special occasions:

    

  

Royal wedding:

Other:

     

13. Île de Ré

                  

These are all four Bois Ordinaires cognacs.

14. Canons and special stands

             

   

15. Magnums

 

                               

The three XO Borderies have different emblems.

16. Miniatures

16a. three stars

Three stars clear glass (or almost clear)

                

Three stars green glass

            

16b. VS

VS de Luxe 3cl

        

VS de Luxe 5cl

        

VS Elegance, white labels

       

VS Elegance, black labels

    

16c. VSOP

VSOP (not De Luxe, Grand, Elegance)

                         

Grand VSOP

– grand VSOP, green bottle, no label

            

– grand VSOP, green bottle, black and golden label

                       

– grand VSOP, clear bottle, red label, no content stated

                

– grand VSOP, clear bottle, red label, 2.9cl

   

– grand VSOP, clear bottle, red label, 3cl

            

– grand VSOP, clear bottle, red label, 5cl and more

            

VSOP de Luxe

         

VSOP Elegance, 3cl

   

VSOP Elegance, 5cl

       

16d. Napoleon

Napoleon, no label

       

Napoleon, black label

                

The first six bottles say ‘La Grande Marque’ just underneath the embleme. The other four: ‘Produce of France’.

Napoleon Extra, Rare Old, Extra Old and Napoleon Vieille Réserve

              

16e. XO

XO and XO Superior

          

XO Elegance

    

XO Borderies

 

XO Chungwa

16f. Extra

   

16g. Vieille Réserve and VO

       

16h. Réserve Extra Vieille and Hors d’Age

       

16i. Miniature limited editions

16i-a. Celebration

Celebration white labels:

                   

Celebration, no paper labels:

        

Celebration, black paper labels with Camus above the emblem:

        

Celebration, black paper labels with Camus beneath the emblem:

                   

Celebration, flasks:

    

16i-b. GMC miniatures

         

16i-c. Other limited edition miniatures

               

    

The Celebration tube says ‘Selebration’ (Click it). I do not know what to think of it.

16i-d. Mini limoges: grand masters collection

           

    

16i-e. Mini limoges: napoleon books (5cl)

These collection are all Limoges porcelain. At the bottom they have marks that differ according to the series they belong to. Thus you can have just the mark, the mark with ’22K Gold’ written and the mark with ’22K Gold Edition Limitée’. For instance for the blue standing Napoléon:

Standing; with on the back bands of laurel leaves:

White, Napoleon in a frame in the shape of  keyhole.

 

with bands of laurel leaves on back, Napoleon cognac

                         

with laurel leaves bands on back, Napoleon Vieille Reserve cognac

                    

Standing, with solid bands on back:

        

First four are all Napoléon, last one is Napoleon Vieille Reserve.

Standing, with solid wedge shaped bands on back:

        

All four are Napoléon cognac

Buste of Napoléon:

   

16i-f. Mini limoges: belle epoque

                

16i-g. Mini limoges: golfballs

  

     

16i-h. Mini limoges: tonneaux

                  

16i-j. Mini Île de Ré

               

16i-k. Mini canons, stands and various other

                   

16j. 20-50cl bottles

                                

     

     

          

17. Camus Extravaganza

The very expensive and extravagant bottles of Camus have their own page, where there is room for a more extensive description of the bottles: the Master Piece Collection and the Jubilée Réserve Extra Vieille.

Click on this link to see the Camus Extravaganza page.

Or in Dutch: Click on this link to see the Camus Extravaganza page in Dutch.