Cognac is a special type of brandy which is only produced in the Cognac region of France.  For a distilled brandy to bear the name Cognac, an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, its production methods must meet certain legal requirements governed by The Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC). These Cognac must be double distilled in traditional Charentais copper stills and are aged for at least two years in French oak barrels.  Every barrel is sealed by wax and should they require to be opened for bottling, an officer from the BNIC must be present as witness to ensure that the Cognac is legitimate and that the Cognac is bottled and labeled according to the indicated vintage.