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.
Top Brandy Posts:
How Is Brandy Made?
Hine Rare, Homage, Antique, and H by Hine
Paul Masson Grande Amber VS Brandy
In a modern landscape filled with a seemingly endless supply of large and craft distillers, the title of “master distiller” is a bit murky. We all know who has definitely earned the title of master distiller, but the bigger question is regarding those who claim the title with a questionable or unaccomplished resume. We don’t…
If you didn’t think you’d find room for innovation and new blood in old school Cognac, look no further than the Naud family, which revived an old distillery and has been making Cognac here since 2017. The operation also produces gin and vodka in addition to its four expressions of the iconic French brandy. We…
There’s a new Cognac on the market, and it’s trying very hard to appeal to a younger generation of brandy drinker. Despite the hipper approach to a very old drink, Martingale Cognac retains the pedigree of a heritage brand. It is the product of Guillaume and Amaury Thomas, fourth generation Cognac-makers whose family distillery has…
If you’re still sleeping on Pineau des Charentes — essentially young wine blended with Cognac to fortify it — then it’s time to wake up. Here’s a new release from Fanny Fougerat made from ugni blanc grapes grown in Cognac and fortified with a bright, effusive brandy. The bottle is more evocative of spirits, with…
New Hampshire’s Tamworth Distilling, the company behind graveyard tree-sap infused rye, crab whiskey, and a famed venison-flavored whiskey, is back with yet another novelty, this time a brandy, infused with the flavor of smoked trout. Or, more accurately, a trout distillate flavored with apple brandy. No typo. The 2023 Food & Wine Drinks Innovator of…
Best known for their highly-aged brandy, Raj Bhakta’s eponymous spirits brand is making moves into other categories, including whiskey. They released an Armagnac-cask finished bourbon earlier in 2023, and they’ve also dabbled in rum. Now, they’re mixing up something different altogether: a blended spirits that’s 60 percent rye whiskey, 30 percent Calvados, and 10 percent…
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some festivities in the form of holiday revelry. Naturally, the holidays mean gift-giving time is nigh, and you’re going to want recommendations for what to wrap up and stash under the tree. As always, this year we want your gift-giving to make a statement, but we…
For the third time in the brand’s history, Louis XIII has released its Rare Cask expression. With an estimated $50,000 price tag, it’s the most coveted and expensive expression of Remy Martin‘s Louis XIII Cognac currently on the market. This particular Rare Cask is also the first such release in over ten years, and the…
While we’ve regularly covered Martell‘s various special edition Cognacs, we’ve never taken a stroll with Cordon Bleu, which sits just below Martell XO on the quality and price band. It’s made with a high proportion of Borderies eaux de vie, but otherwise Martell doesn’t offer a whole lot of information about the product. We won’t…
Cognac Park isn’t a household name in the U.S., but its Carte Blanche release makes a strong case that maybe it should be. While it’s just a VS release, composed of 50% Fins bois and 50% Petite Champagne eaux de vie, it drinks a lot like a more refined, rounded Cognac — at least a…