Up here in New England, if you can believe it, leaves have already started to fall. A couple of storms ripped through town and took the muggy heat with them as they left. Even though it is not officially autumn, it sure feels like it now.

And as the fall season takes effect, oftentimes well before it does, the pumpkin spice folks start getting very excited for said flavors to infiltrate every food and drink imaginable. Pumpkin spice is an option in every coffee drink available. And syrup. And Peanut butter. And waffles. How about yogurt pretzels, tea, and chocolate. Pumpkin spice is in your beer and Jell-O pudding. Hell, it's even in the things you don't eat: candles, soaps, perfumes, and so on.

Here's a hot take for you: I'm not into ANY of the above, especially in my coffee. This is also not a criticism of you if you are a pumpkin spice lover; eat and drink what tastes good to you, I am all for that. However, you know what my job is for my profession and here at Flight School. I am here to show you a beverage that you may not have given consideration to or perhaps forgot about. So for all you pumpkin spice champions out there, I have something for you that I absolutely love at this time of year: Cognac

Yes...Cognac! This is MY pumpkin spice. While it is something I like to use in cocktails such as a Sidecar year-round, in the fall I am all about sipping this spirit of power and delicacy. It's not an easy spirit to generalize, but fine aged examples of Cognac give me dried orange, apricot, apple, and figs fruit flavors. With increased age, Cognac becomes more savory and earthy, all while preserving delicate floral notes that give Cognac its finesse and elegance. Accompanying flavors and aromas give you the range of baking spices you love in that pumpkin spice latte: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and anise. Throw in a little pipe tobacco and dead leaves, and you have all the smells of fall in one glass!

Additionally, if you are a wine-lover and you have never tried Cognac before, give it a shot; this type of brandy is actually a distilled white wine! The region of Cognac is located north of Bordeaux, whose vineyards almost form concentric circles as it spreads from the central heartland and top area of production. Each region and choice of grape variety brings something different to the final spirit. For example, Grande and Petit Champagne (not to be confused with the sparkling wine region of Champagne) give Cognac the combination of floral notes and ageability. Fins Bois is fruity, with faster maturing spirits. Borderies is rich, earthy and full-bodied. When it comes to grapes, Ugni Blanc (also known as Trebbiano in Italy) is a popular choice as it provides high acid necessary for quality distillate, as well as floral, spicy, and fresh-baked pastry aromas. Two other grapes, Folle Blanche and Colombard, provide body and depth of flavor, along with additional acidity and intense aromatics.

As for barrel aging, which is required to produce Cognac, here are some helpful labeling terms and their definitions.

• VS or ***: Minimum of 2 years

• VSOP: Minimum of 4 years

• Napoleon: Minimum of 6 ½ years

• XO: Starting with 2016 vintage, Mininum of 10 years (previously 7 years minimum)

• Hors d’Age: For very old Cognacs, usually an age statement (as in Scotch whisky)

Now let's get down to business. Let's hook you up with a flight of the three most popular styles of Cognac: VS, VSOP, and XO. It often pays to try these three styles from one producer to see the effect of age, but I will share three different producers for you to seek out that offer outstanding quality. When you are done with this flight, you will be saying it with me: Cognac is my pumpkin spice.

Camus VS Cognac ($30): Fruity and floral. Lively, but mellow on the palate. This is a great way to get introduced to Cognac. Use this as part of a cocktail, or if it is still warm in your location, this will be great on the rocks.

Thomas Hine Fine Champagne Cognac VSOP ($55): "Fine Champagne Cognac" means all the Cognac comes from the Grande Champagne and Petit Champagne regions, with Grande Champagne making up over 50% of the blend. Rich with a creamy texture, it is fruity with cloves, nutmeg, and ginger spices.  

Delamain XO Pale & Dry ($100): Powerful and deep, with dried figs, vanilla, smoke, and the entire range of baking spices, but still retains an orange blossom character and fragrance that is hard to achieve from a Cognac subjected to extended aging. A special bottle!