Brandy
Brandy is a spirit mostly made by distilling wine. The name comes from a Dutch word, brandewijn, which means “burned wine.” Two of the best-known and indeed best types of brandy, whose production is governed by strict rules, are Cognac and Armagnac, both from France. So, all Cognac is brandy but not all brandy is Cognac. Many wine-growing regions of the world also produce brandy, and the flavors vary according to both the types of grape used for the wine and the differing production processes. Most U.S. brandy comes from California. Brandy is also used as an ingredient in spirits such as Metaxa, a Greek spirit. A distinct type of brandy is fruit brandy, which is made from fruit juice, wine, or pulp from fruit other than grapes. Grappa, common in Italy, and the South American spirit called pisco are also types of brandy.
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How Is Brandy Made?
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Paul Masson Grande Amber VS Brandy
Even if you aren’t familiar with Aguardente Vinica by name, you have probably tried it before: It is the Portuguese brandy used to fortify Port wines. Not many Aguardente Vinicas make their way to the U.S., which is a shame since they can be delicious and warrant attention. They range from unaged expressions to XO,…
Ho ho ho! Forget milk and cookies, what Santa needs this year is a shot of good, hard alcohol to help get him through whatever 2025 has in store for us. Shopping is tough, so if you’re considering a special bottle for a special someone in your life, look no further. We have you covered…
We’ve barely scratched the surface on Oregon-based Clear Creek Distillery’s many brandies and liqueurs, but today we’re taking a look at a pear of them. Ha, see what I did there? Clear Creek’s unaged Pear Brandy was actually the first spirit we tasted from the distillery way back in 2009, but we figured it was…
Hennessy’s Master Blender’s Selection releases have been arriving at haphazard intervals since their 2016 launch. We reviewed Nos. 2 and 3, but missed out on No. 4. Now Master Blender’s Selection No. 5 is here — the first release in three years — so we’ll have to make up for lost time. This time out,…
There are a couple of theories regarding how bourbon came to be aged in charred oak barrels. Perhaps the most plausible theory lies in the fact that the French mature brandy in toasted wood barrels. In the era of bourbon infancy, Cognac was a known luxury French spirit. Did Americans begin using charred or toasted…
Calistoga Depot Distillery is a new spirits brand from the Boisset Collection, which has of late been making a major push into harder alcohol, most notably tequila. The Calistoga Star is a more expected offering from the notable winemaker — a brandy made from California wine grapes, named in honor of San Francisco’s first newspaper,…
Patricia Green Cellars is one of Oregon’s leading wine producers and now it’s getting into … whiskey! Why not, right? You have never encountered whiskey like these, in large part because none of them are whiskey the way you probably think about them. All of them are made at least in part with brandy distilled…
For its next trick, the House of Tamworth, known for its evocative gins and crazily flavored whiskeys, is turning to the apple for inspiration. Lilith Apple Brandy is “named for and inspired by Lilith, the fabled figure known as the first woman ever created and the first wife of Adam – an equal to man,…
Solera Gold is a new brandy from Napa Valley Brandy Co., which in itself is a new entrant into the burgeoning world of California brandy. What, with all the grapes being grown here, they needn’t all end up in table wine, right? The brandy is unusually made from cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes, harvested from…
We’re backfilling some forgotten expressions in the Remy Martin Cognac lineup today, with belated reviews of Remy’s VSOP and Tercet expressions. Details follow, along with some opinions. Remy Martin VSOP – A big blend of eaux de vie from all over Cognac — Grande Champagne, Fine Champagne, and Petite Champagne. A simpler expression of brandy,…