COGNAC-TON

Camus Bottle Catalog (last updated: Nov 21, 2020)

(660 regular sized bottles, 28 magnums and stands and 367 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, VVSOP 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 Réserve Spéciale and Réserve Privé
– 11f Île de Ré
– 11g Other limited editions
12. Limoges porcelain
– 12a Grand Masters Collection
– 12b Napoleon books
– 12c drums
– 12d sports
– 12e other
13. Canons and special stands (tonneau)
14. Magnums
15. Miniatures and mid-sized (20-50cl) bottles
– 15a Three star Miniatures
– 15b VS Miniatures
– 15c VSOP Miniatures
– 15d Napoleon Miniatures
– 15e XO
– 15f Extra
– 15g Vieille Reserve and VO
– 15h Reserve Extra Vieille and Hors d’Age
– 15i miniature limited editions
— 15i-a Celebration
— 15i-b GMC miniatures
— 15i-c Other miniatures
— 15i-d Mini limoges: grand masters collection
— 15i-e Mini limoges: napoleon books
— 15i-f Mini limoges: belle epoque
— 15i-g Mini limoges: golfballs
— 15i-h Mini limoges: tonneaux
— 15i-j Mini Île de Ré
— 15i-k Mini canons, stands and various other
– 15j 20-50cl bottles
16. 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, Camus above cognac on shoulder label:

               

Grand VSOP, elegant bottles, Camus below cognac on shoulder label and a wider gold band on the capsule:

    

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 vieille réserve, Camus in large letters, emblem in the neck blob (1970-80s):

   

Napoléon Extra, Extra Old and Rare Old

     

        

   

5. XO

XO, Long necks

           

XO, Superior

                 

XO, Elegance

      

 

XO crown, imperial

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, VVSOP and VO

   

8. Réserve Extra Vieille and Hors d’Age

                

9. Vintages, Family Héritage and Rarissimés

Old vintages

               

Rarissimés, single crus:

            

Rarissimés, blends

                       

Family Héritage (rarissimés):

 

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)

 

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)

                 

No paper label (ca. 1970s):

         

Celebration, black paper label (ca. 1970-80s)

            

 

Celebration, aberrant

11e. Reserve Spéciale and Réserve privé

     

11f. Île de Ré

                 

 

These are all four Bois Ordinaires cognacs.

11g. Other limited editions

                       

   

       

 

12. Limoges porcelain

12a. 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:

    

12b. 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.

12b1. 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, Artoria or Jammet Seignolles. Click on the photo’s to see back and bottom of the books.

                            

12b2. 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, Bernardaud or De Haviland. Click on the photo’s to see back and bottom of the books.

         

12b3. Napoleon in unicolour, standing.
Adornments on front and back vary. Qualities are Napoleon or Napoleon Vieille Reserve. Limoges factories can ve Castel, MNP or De Haviland. Click on the photo’s to see back and bottom of the books.

            

12b4. 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:

   

12c. Drums

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

    

12d. Sports

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

             

700ml Golf balls

   

12e. Other

Petit Trésor:

Belle epoque:

              
Special occasions:

    

  

Royal wedding:

Other:

     

13. Canons and special stands

              

   

14. Magnums

 

                              

The three XO Borderies have different emblems.

15. Miniatures

15a. three stars

Three stars clear glass (or almost clear)

                

Three stars green glass

            

15b. VS

VS de Luxe 3cl

        

VS de Luxe 5cl

        

VS Elegance, white labels

       

VS Elegance, black labels

    

15c. 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

     

Destination

VSOP Intensely Aromatic, 5cl

15d. 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

              

15e. XO

XO and XO Superior

          

XO Elegance

    

XO Borderies

   

XO Chungwa

15f. Extra

   

15g. Vieille Réserve and VO

       

15h. Réserve Extra Vieille and Hors d’Age

       

15i. Miniature limited editions

15i-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:

      

15i-b. GMC miniatures

         

15i-c. Other limited edition miniatures

               

     

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

15i-d. Mini limoges: grand masters collection

           

    

15i-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:

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:

 

15i-f. Mini limoges: belle epoque

                

15i-g. Mini limoges: golfballs

  

     

15i-h. Mini limoges: tonneaux

                  

15i-j. Mini Île de Ré

               

15i-k. Mini canons, stands and various other

                   

15j. 20-50cl bottles

VS:

    

VSOP:

              

Napoléon:

Special Réserve:

   

XO:

      

Extra:

 

Celebration:

       

VSOP, destination (2016):

Destination editions in porcelain limoges bottles:

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’:

 

                          

Special editions:

            

 

16. 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.