We visited with Gonzalez Byass and two of its Spanish brandies (including one Lepanto brand) earlier this year. Now we’re back with higher end expression of Lepanto: affectionately abbreviated as Lepanto PX.
Lepanto PX is made from 100% palomino grapes and spends its first 12 years, solera style, in Tio Pepe Fino sherry casks, then does a tour of three years in much darker Pedro Ximenez sherry casks; all told, it is 15 years old.
The beautifully colored, coffee-brown spirit offers aromas of raisin, dried figs, and caramel-heavy banana flambe. On the palate it’s initially an intense spirit (despite the lower alcohol level), folding those dried fruit notes into lingering flavors of coffee, tea leaf, and cocoa powder. The body is ultimately gentle and quite sweet, but this sweetness is never overblown. The brandy takes on a lightly bitter edge as the finish develops, which adds both balance and nuance, its Port-like, raisiny notes lingering for ages.
72 proof.
A- / $60 / gonzalezbyass.com