Traditionally, spirits merchants shipped their cognacs in oak barrels and it was discovered that the cognac developed significantly during a long sea voyage.

With the age of branding cognac started to be bottled at source for practical reasons. This meant that the benefits of the sea voyage disappeared as cognac does not mature once it is bottled. We now revive that tradition by sending our Grande Champagne cognacs on a threemonth sea voyage. Routes sometimes vary but most frequently the cognacs are sent around the world - in French: Tour du Monde. This voyage brings out the unique balance of flavours and aromas and produces the unmistakeable roundness that is KELT Ocean Maturation - Tour du Monde.

History does not relate the secret as to why the cognac develops in such a remarkable way during a long sea voyage. Some say it is the constant movement of the liquid, caused by the constant rolling of the sea, which brings out the hidden qualities in the cognac. Others claim that it is the temperature and pressure variations that persuade the lignin in the oak to part with its most delicate qualities. The theories are many but the verdict is unanimous on the result. The Tour du Monde – Ocean Maturation – renders our cognac a remarkable quality