Uno et Mil Solera Gran Reserva
Brandy: Brandy de Jerez
From: Jerez
Style: Single distillery
House: Sanchez Romate
Colour: Amber
ABV: 40%
N: Raisins, vanilla, honey, coffee, walnuts, hints of dark chocolate.
M: light body, loose, warm, astringent.
T: Bitter. Honey, dark chocolate, date honey, coffee, hints of iron filings.
F: medium. Honey, dark chocolate, coffee, black tea, hints of orange peel.
Comments:
“One in a million”, this is Sanchez Romate’s entry-level expression of Jerez brandy. It’s lighter than the older expressions, with just a little hint of rancio, presenting as a slightly metallic note on the tongue. It’s quite complex, lots of bittersweet notes, lots of fragrant, almost herbal flavours.
A solera aging tends to produce this style in whisky, that is, a blend of ‘older’ flavour notes - like rancio and tobacco - as well as ‘younger’ flavour notes - like fruit and nuts. I do enjoy it when I can find it, but it’s relatively rare, for both whisky and brandy.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Showing posts with label Brandy de Jerez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brandy de Jerez. Show all posts
Saturday, 1 August 2020
Friday, 31 January 2020
Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva
Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva
Brandy: Brandy de Jerez
From: Jerez
House: Sanchez Romate
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Dark amber, hints of red
ABV: 42%
N: Raisins, red grapes, walnuts, candied oranges, orange blossom honey, dark chocolate, hints of iron filings.
M: Heavy body, syrupy, cool, mouth coating.
T: Sweet. Walnuts, walnut skins, raisins, rum and raisin ice cream, dark chocolate, orange blossom honey, hints of lemon curd.
F: Long. Red grapes, walnut skins, iron filings, candied oranges, fresh baked bread.
Comments:
Well, this is a lot like its sibling, the Carta Real. I believe that one is older, yet I felt this, the Solera Gran Reserva, had many more layers, despite it being relatively less intense. There were at least three distinct layers, or flavour groups. The first, and most obvious, was the intense sweetness, almost reminiscent of Pedro Ximenez sherry. This first layer had overtones of red grapes, raisins and orange honey. Then, there was a bitter, slightly metallic layer underneath that, mostly dark chocolate and walnuts. And last of all, something citrusy and light, which lifted the brandy for me.
Is it possible to find too many flavour notes in your spirit? Perhaps. If so, this one may be the example that proves the rule. Taking a step back and looking at my tasting notes, I am baffled as to how many flavour notes I managed to find. Normally, it's no more than 4 to 5 per category, but here I am pushing 6 or 7. Yet I distinctly remember tasting them. This brandy is certainly unusual in its complexity, and I really enjoyed drinking it.
Verdict:
Magnificent.
Brandy: Brandy de Jerez
From: Jerez
House: Sanchez Romate
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Dark amber, hints of red
ABV: 42%
N: Raisins, red grapes, walnuts, candied oranges, orange blossom honey, dark chocolate, hints of iron filings.
M: Heavy body, syrupy, cool, mouth coating.
T: Sweet. Walnuts, walnut skins, raisins, rum and raisin ice cream, dark chocolate, orange blossom honey, hints of lemon curd.
F: Long. Red grapes, walnut skins, iron filings, candied oranges, fresh baked bread.
Comments:
Well, this is a lot like its sibling, the Carta Real. I believe that one is older, yet I felt this, the Solera Gran Reserva, had many more layers, despite it being relatively less intense. There were at least three distinct layers, or flavour groups. The first, and most obvious, was the intense sweetness, almost reminiscent of Pedro Ximenez sherry. This first layer had overtones of red grapes, raisins and orange honey. Then, there was a bitter, slightly metallic layer underneath that, mostly dark chocolate and walnuts. And last of all, something citrusy and light, which lifted the brandy for me.
Is it possible to find too many flavour notes in your spirit? Perhaps. If so, this one may be the example that proves the rule. Taking a step back and looking at my tasting notes, I am baffled as to how many flavour notes I managed to find. Normally, it's no more than 4 to 5 per category, but here I am pushing 6 or 7. Yet I distinctly remember tasting them. This brandy is certainly unusual in its complexity, and I really enjoyed drinking it.
Verdict:
Magnificent.
Tuesday, 5 November 2019
Cardenal Mendoza Carta Real
Cardenal Mendoza Carta Real
Brandy: Brandy de Jerez
From: Jerez
House: Sanchez Romate
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Mahogany
ABV: 40%
N: Red grapes, rum and raisin ice cream, walnut wood, date honey, dried apricots, hints of dark chocolate.
M: Heavy body, sticky, thickens, round.
T: Sweet. Prunes, date honey, raisins, cloves, walnut wood, walnut skins, hints of tobacco leaf.
F: Long. Walnut skins, prunes, date honey, dried apricots, dark chocolate.
Comments:
Right, my first venture outside France, in terms of brandy, at least. This is solera aged, with an average age of between 25 and 30 years old, so there's some very, very old stuff in this spirit. It's gloriously sweet, as befits a sherry brandy, and it's also rich and sticky, and round. The last is how I best describe this feeling I get when I smack my lips after wetting them with the brandy - somehow unctuous and lip-coating, as if my pursed lips were rounder.
Sweet flavours abound, of course, but on the nose and on the tongue, there are also some woody notes, and these turn bitter. There's dark chocolate too, accentuating the bitterness, and herbaceous tobacco. In fact, as I smell the empty glass, the woody and herbal notes predominate, becoming almost cedar like. All that fades to a long, bittersweet finish.
Yes, I really do like sherry brandy, despite the fact that sweet spirits aren't usually my thing. I like sweet flavours, like fruit and flowers, but I don't like them to taste sweet, as a rule. But this, well, this is an exception. Highly sugared, with deep layers of flavour, it's wonderful brandy.
Verdict:
Magnificent.
Brandy: Brandy de Jerez
From: Jerez
House: Sanchez Romate
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Mahogany
ABV: 40%
N: Red grapes, rum and raisin ice cream, walnut wood, date honey, dried apricots, hints of dark chocolate.
M: Heavy body, sticky, thickens, round.
T: Sweet. Prunes, date honey, raisins, cloves, walnut wood, walnut skins, hints of tobacco leaf.
F: Long. Walnut skins, prunes, date honey, dried apricots, dark chocolate.
Comments:
Right, my first venture outside France, in terms of brandy, at least. This is solera aged, with an average age of between 25 and 30 years old, so there's some very, very old stuff in this spirit. It's gloriously sweet, as befits a sherry brandy, and it's also rich and sticky, and round. The last is how I best describe this feeling I get when I smack my lips after wetting them with the brandy - somehow unctuous and lip-coating, as if my pursed lips were rounder.
Sweet flavours abound, of course, but on the nose and on the tongue, there are also some woody notes, and these turn bitter. There's dark chocolate too, accentuating the bitterness, and herbaceous tobacco. In fact, as I smell the empty glass, the woody and herbal notes predominate, becoming almost cedar like. All that fades to a long, bittersweet finish.
Yes, I really do like sherry brandy, despite the fact that sweet spirits aren't usually my thing. I like sweet flavours, like fruit and flowers, but I don't like them to taste sweet, as a rule. But this, well, this is an exception. Highly sugared, with deep layers of flavour, it's wonderful brandy.
Verdict:
Magnificent.
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