Louis Royer Bottle Catalogue (last updated: Jan 20, 2024)

(211 bottles, but still not complete)

Introduction

Louis Royer establishes his ‘Maison de Cognac’ in 1853 in Jarnac. In 1890 he was able to buy the Jules Duret firm from Théodore Duret who had more interests in art. With this purchase he acquired a large stock of excellent old cognacs. The Duret brand has long been used by Royer for the export of top cognacs to the US.
In 1989 Louis Royer was bought by Suntory and in 2015 Suntory sold the company to Terroirs Distillers.
At first they predominantly produce grande champagne cognacs, but more recently the focus is shifted towards blends, made from grande champagne, petite champagne and borderies.
Very early on Louis Royer started using the bee for his emblem and they still do. But during a certain period of time, they also used an eagle.

  The eagle. The modern emblem

One other striking feature: I think I have never seen an ‘e’ sign (estimation) to accompany the content on any of the Louis Royer bottles.

Contents:


1. Fine champagne and Three star
2. VS
3. VSOP
4. VSOP – Napoléon
5. Napoléon
6. XO
7. Extra
8. Vintages
9. Decanters
10. Limited editions and specials
11. Magnums

 

1. Fine champagne and Three Star

Domaine d'Estrell, Französisches Erzeugnis Fine champagne (est. 1940-50s 3 star (est. 1960s) 3 star (est. 1970s)  'Mise en bouteille en Espagne' printed

3 stars (1970s) With a black capsule (1970s)

2. VS

VS, Französisches Erzeugnis (est. early 1980s)

70cl on the left and 40%vol on the right side indicated; the back has a green point 70cl stated on the left, 40%vol on the right; with a pregnancy warning  750ml 70cl, with a hechsher symbol on the right side (kosher) Also a hechsher on the right side, but less other pictograms on the right 100cl stated

70cl, not stated 70cl, stated 70cl, said to be kosher, but no hechsher (supervised by Rav zekbach) 70cl with an OU-p hechsher (kosher for Passover) 750ml with an OU-p hechsher (kosher for Passover)

70cl, 2022

3. VSOP

1960s  70cl, different shoulder label; est. 1950-60s, Portuguese import  est 1970s VSOP, grande fine cognac

VSOP, no content or ABV indicated on the front Additional line of text left and right of the emblem; Französisches Erzeugnis (1980s) Französisches Erzeugnis and with an EAN code (1980s) 700ml, Japanese import

70cl, the bee has no colour 100cl bottle, black capsule and a red bee, on the bottom: 100cl 100cl bottle; capsule is black with a red band and a red bee 100cl bottle; capsule is black with a red band and with a gold coloured bee

70cl, no OU symbol 70cl, no OU symbol; with a paper duty seal 70cl stated and with an OU-p symbol in the lower left corner; kosher for Passover Difficult to read, but said to be 750ml; no OU-symbol Difficult to read, but said to be 750ml and kosher; an additional symbol above the ABV on the right: OU-p Said to be 1L; no kosher symbol

70cl, text in blue letters 70cl stated, text in brown letters 70cl, Italian duty seal Only 40%vol stated; said to be 700ml (in Asian shop) No abv or content stated on the front; said to be 70cl 70cl, Asian import 1L bottle; 1L stated on the front and 100cl stated on the back on the left  1L stated, Asian import No abv or content stated on the front; said to be 1L 70cl with an OU-p symbol (kosher for Passover) 750ML stated; OU-p (kosher for Passover) With an OU-p symbol (kosher for Passover); no content stated

70cl, introduced in 2022  750ml

4. VSOP – Napoleon

Napoleon VSOP, 70cl (not stated), with 'Grande Fine Champagne' stamped on it (est. 1950s) Napoleon VSOP, 40° and 70cl stated, with 'Grande Fine Champagne' stamped on it (est. 1950-60s) Napoleon VSOP, 73cl stated, no stamp; Italian import (est. 1960s) Napoleon VSOP, 70cl (not stated), (est. 1960s) Italian import, 73cl; With a big 'N' on the capsule (1960s)

Italian import, bronze coloured capsule, no tax seal (est. 1960s)Italian import, bronze coloured capsule (est. 1960s)Spanish import, bronze coloured capsuleRed capsule, shinier label Content and ABV stated a little higher on the label 73cl; red capsule; with produce of France indicated; Italian import (1960-70s)

1980s

5. Napoleon

Italian import: aquavite di vino (1960s) Italian import: distillato di vino (1960s) 70cl (1960s) Blue, white and red ribbon gold coloured ribbon

1970s, napoleon in roman font 1970s, cognac in roman font and Napoleon in italic font 1970s, cognac and Napoleon in italic font; Dutch import 1970s, cognac and Napoleon in italic font; 70cl indicated; Dutch import 1970s, cognac and Napoleon in italic font; just one line of text underneath (Mexican import)

0,7L stated in the lower left and ABV in the lower right 0,70L stated in the lower left and also a cotisation symbol Content and ABV not stated; no back label 70cl, Französisches Erzeugnis (1970-80s) 75cl stated and 40%vol 700ml Japanese import; with the text Grande Fine Champagne printed underneath 1L (1970s)

70cl, not stated (est. 1980s) 700ml, Japanese import

70cl; with a 'green point' on the back Seems the content is not stated; no 'green point' on the back Content not stated? No EAN on the back

6. XO

XO, no content stated (1970s) 750ml stated The text in the lower left corner is different No content stated and no 'produce of France' stated in the lower left

70cl XO, Französisches Erzeugnis

70cl (est 1980-90s) 70cl, with a number on the back and an EAN sticker 70cl, with a duty seal on top; Italian import Content 70cl stated on the back; Lisboa import 700ml stated 70cl, with an OU-p symbol (kosher for Passover); also a pregnancy warning pictogram 750ml, with an OU-p symbol (kosher for Passover)

70cl and 40%vol stated (ca. 1990s) XO, content and ABV printed somewhat lower, on the same line as the address; back side has different text 70cl; German import 70cl Swiss import (Aarberg)

70cl, stated (2010s)  70cl, not stated (2010s) 750ML stated 100cl stated

70cl, OU-p (kosher for Passover) 750ML, OU-p (kosher for Passover)

7. Extra

1940s Extra Extra, Grande Reserve (GC) Extra, Grande Reserve (GC), 4/5 Quart indicated (US import)

680ml Extra (est. 1960-70s); no. 79. There seems to be no bee emblem on it. 0,70L; no. 142 With an emblem of the bee, content not stated; no. 494 700ml. With a South African importer number (B 195) and a bottle number (508) 0,67L (est 1960s) no. 856  0,70L (1980s); no. 2875  0,70L, Französisches Erzeugnis; content and ABV also indicated on the front side; no. 2035 0,70L, Französisches Erzeugnis; content and ABV only indicated on the back side; no. 5182

Extra, 70cl indicated on the back; Portuguese import Grande Réserve Extra, vieille fine champagne

Extra in carafe With an additional label on the side: UK tax seal, 70cl  750ML stated on the back side, below 75cl, with a side label; different lay-out: cognac stated above Louis Royer

8. Vintages

1973 Grande champagne, landed 1980, bottled 1988 (Bristol, England)

9. Decanters

50cl VO

Eloge (Part des Anges 2018) Eloge

10. Limited editions and specials

Concorde (agreement/harmony/union; not related to the airplane) (est. 1960-70s) Same as previous, but with a Portuguese duty seal Stated at the bottom: Mise en bouteille en Espagne 40° and 0.70L indicated 700ml 40° 80Proof

Authentique   Napoleon as a basket bottle

Très Vieux, grande champagne cognac; 70cl, with a green point symbol Très Vieux, grande champagne cognac; 70cl, with a green point symbol and a paper duty seal (Italian import)  Royer collection distillerie Les Magnolias, Très Vieux Cognac, grande champagn; without a green point (ca. 2000s) Royer collection distillerie Les Magnolias, grande champagne wtith a paper duty seal, Italian import Royer collection distillerie De L´Ecole, petite champagne; with a 'green point' symbol between the content and ABV Royer collection distillerie De L´Ecole; different name: cognac très vieux petite champagne With a paper duty seal Petite champagne not mentioned, with a pregnancy warning and a green point; Italian import Royer collection distillerie des Saules, Borderies; with a pregnancy warning and a 'green point' symbol between the content and ABV Royer collection distillerie des Saules. Now it is called: Cognac Rare Borderies. With a paper duty seal Royer collection distillerie Daumagne, fins bois; with a green point; 70cl Royer collection distillerie Daumagne, fins bois Royer collection distillerie Daumagne, fins bois; with a paper duty strip Royer collection distillerie Chantal, bons bois Royer collection distillerie Chantal, bons bois; with a 'green point' symbol between the content and ABV With a paper duty seal

Reserve Royale, grande champagneReserve Rare, fine champagne

Family Collection, fine champagne Family Collection, vieille fine champagne Family Collection, reserve, fine champagne  Reserve; with a paper duty seal  Fine champagne

Single Cask aged 23 years (1974), bottled Nov 1997, 70cl Single Cask aged 23 years (1974), bottled Nov 1997, 70cl; with an Italian duty seal Single Cask aged 23 years (1976), bottled Sep 1999, 70cl Single Cask aged 23 years (1977), bottled 2000, 750ml  Single Cask aged 23 years (1977), bottled 2000, 750ml Single Cask aged 32 years (1975), 70cl, bottled in 2007 Single Cask aged 32 years, 750ml Single Cask aged 35 years, bottled 2009, 70cl Single Cask aged 35 years, content not stated Single Cask aged 36 years (1975), 70cl (bottled 2011) Single Cask aged 37 years (1974), 70cl (bottled 2011) 37 Years old without bottom label Single Cask aged 38 years, no content stated Single Cask aged 38 years (1974), bottled Oct 2012, 70cl Single Cask aged 39 years (1974), bottled Dec 2013, 70cl Single Cask aged 39 years, 750ml

Préference Préference, diffirent colour label Courrèges Courrèges Hong Kong, Duty not Paid

Prédilection, grande champagne (Part des Anges 2013)

Antarctica borderies XO, 70cl

53°, 50cl stated (2015) 53°, 50cl stated and a pregnancy pictogram 53°, 50cl not stated 53°, 50cl not stated and no ABV stated 750ML 750ML, smooth capsule  750ML, smooth capsule; produce of France in two languages

Venus de Milo  Venus de Milo, with a Singapore Duty Not Paid stamp and sticker  Whit a white porcelain stopper.

11. Magnums

Three stars 2.5L; 40° printed on the right side (1960s) Three stars 2L (said by shop); 40° printed on the left side (1960s)  VSOP 1.4L (1960s)

VSOP 4.5L VSOP 4.5L VSOP 3L VSOP 1.5L

XO 150cl XO 150cl XO 150cl, content not stated

XO 3L XO 3L, not stated

3L VSOP in a stand 3L VSOP in a stand 150cl XO in a stand

3L Family Reserve, tonneau


Reacties

Louis Royer — 7 reacties

    • Félix Poussard was a fairly unknown bouilleur de cru in Javrezac. He is in de borderies district and his cognacs are indeed borderies. He passed away in 2018. I am not sure if he has children who have succeeded him. His VSOP did not rate very well by an author who wrote about him in 1999. I haven’t tried his XO.
      Where have you bought this bottle?

    • Hi,

      The photo is a little too small, so I can’t read the details.
      Maybe you can send some bigger photo’s if I send you an email?

      Regards,
      Ton

  1. You are right, not much is written on this brand. But Louis d’Or is from the 1950s till 70s. This bottle is probably 1950s, or early 1960s. It hasn’t aged wery long. Louis d’Or is essentially a three star quality. On some bottles there are also three stars added. Value: around €40-60 I would say.

  2. Good evening, I recently bought a bottle of such cognac, but I don’t know anything about it, there is little information on the Internet about how valuable it is and how it ages.
    Thank you for your answers and clarifications regarding my other questions.
    Sincerely.

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