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
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…
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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 Louis XIII Cognac’s most coveted and expensive expression currently on the market. This particular Rare Cask is also the first such release in over ten years, and the first from Cellar Master…
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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…
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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…
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We’ve written about Belle de Brillet twice before, first as a standard Poire Williams and more recently as a “Pear & Cognac Liqueur.” Now owner Rémy Cointreau has reformulated and relaunched the brand once again, billing it as a “Pear Liqueur with Cognac.” Reportedly revamped “from bottle to liquid,” it is currently a blend of…
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As Benedicte Hardy likes to tell it, when she took the helm of Hardy Cognac nearly 30 years ago, Cognac was in a very different place compared to today. There was little international education around the spirit. A post-millennium cocktail revolution had yet to break the Cognac from its perception as an after-dinner drink for…
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Independent bottling isn’t just for whiskey and rum, La Maison & Velier is bringing the idea to fine brandies from Cognac, all bottled under the Through the Grapevine label. Each of the six Cognacs in this line are designed to showcase smaller producers, a few of which I’ve never even heard of before. We received…
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I picked up this bottling during my recent trip to Cognac, as it’s normally an Asia-only exclusive that I’d never even heard of before. (You can track it down stateside if you try, though.) A blend of 70% Grande Champagne and 30% Petite Champagne eaux de vie, aging extends for to up to 20 years.…
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Inspired by Cognac, made in America, Omage is the brainchild of Julious Grant, a 30-year wine and spirits industry veteran with brandy in his blood. Omage is made from California-grown grapes (the varieties aren’t specified) with methods similar to those used in Cognac, all intended to mimic the king of all brandies. That said, it’s…
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On a busy street in Paris’s 8th Arrondisement, you’ll find the official headquarters of Armagnac Castarede, the oldest Armagnac producer still operating. At the end of my recent Cognac-focused trip to France, I called up the office on a lark, only to find that proprietor Florence Castarede was actually on site and would readily welcome…
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