Vecchia Romagna 25yo Riserva
Brandy: Stravecchio
From: Emilia Romagna
House: Vecchia Romagna
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Oolong tea
ABV: 40%
N: Raisins, red grapes, dark chocolate, orange zest, vanilla, pear drops, hints of rose.
M: Medium body, slippery, tingly, warm.
T: Bitter sweet. Dark chocolate, orange zest, oolong tea, hints of coffee, hints of leather.
F: Long. Orange zest, butterscotch, leather, oolong tea, coffee.
Comments:
Oddly, for a country with a long and storied brandy making tradition, Italy does not seem to have an accepted term for grape brandy. Pomace brandy, is, of course, grappa, but brandy distilled from grape wine within the borders of Italy seems to be known by the brand of the producer. However, there are a couple of sources that seem to use 'stravecchio' as a term for grape brandy, so that's what I shall use. It's also a brand of brandy, Stravecchio Branca, made by the famous Fratelli Branca distillers, who also make Fernet Branca.
This stravecchio brandy comes from Emilia Romagna, from a winery that makes its spirit Cognac-style, aging it in French oak. The result of 25 years in wood is stunning. The spirit itself is robust, and stands up to all that aging, with notes of orange, tea, and coffee, over a subtle hint of leather. It's rather in the style of aged whiskies that I, a brandy novice, find familiar, comforting and enjoyable.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Wednesday, 18 December 2019
Thursday, 28 November 2019
Chateau de Lacquy 12yo
Chateau de Lacquy 12yo
Brandy: Armagnac
From: Bas Armagnac
House: Chateau de Lacquy
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Amber brown
ABV: 40%
N: milk, raisins, vanilla, desiccated coconut, hints of damson jam.
M: Light body, loose, airy, astringent.
T: Sweet sour. Raisins, vanilla, damson jam, prune juice, hints of ume, hints of violets.
F: Short. Black tea, cocoa powder, prune juice, damson jam, hints of fresh baked bread.
Comments:
Right, this is my third Chateau de Lacquy, and I believe that I can start to discern the house character. There's something jammy, something savoury (here it manifests as desiccated coconut, and maybe a little bit of Japanese ume, or salted plum), alongside the usual floral, prune notes one can find in most armagnacs. This expression also has something bitter though, like dark chocolate, and black tea, compared to the other two I've tasted.
So how many expressions does one need to taste before one knows a distilery, or a house? I think the answer is, a lot. A good producer will be able to make many subtly different, interesting expressions, whilst retaining most of the house character. On average, for whisky, I reckon I need to taste about 8 to 10 expressions before I learn to recognise the distillery character. For brandy though, most houses don't produce that many expressions!
Verdict:
I like this.
Brandy: Armagnac
From: Bas Armagnac
House: Chateau de Lacquy
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Amber brown
ABV: 40%
N: milk, raisins, vanilla, desiccated coconut, hints of damson jam.
M: Light body, loose, airy, astringent.
T: Sweet sour. Raisins, vanilla, damson jam, prune juice, hints of ume, hints of violets.
F: Short. Black tea, cocoa powder, prune juice, damson jam, hints of fresh baked bread.
Comments:
Right, this is my third Chateau de Lacquy, and I believe that I can start to discern the house character. There's something jammy, something savoury (here it manifests as desiccated coconut, and maybe a little bit of Japanese ume, or salted plum), alongside the usual floral, prune notes one can find in most armagnacs. This expression also has something bitter though, like dark chocolate, and black tea, compared to the other two I've tasted.
So how many expressions does one need to taste before one knows a distilery, or a house? I think the answer is, a lot. A good producer will be able to make many subtly different, interesting expressions, whilst retaining most of the house character. On average, for whisky, I reckon I need to taste about 8 to 10 expressions before I learn to recognise the distillery character. For brandy though, most houses don't produce that many expressions!
Verdict:
I like this.
Dupont 20yo
Dupont 20yo
Brandy: Calvados
From: Pays d'Auge
House: Dupont
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Amber
ABV: 42%
N: dried apples, peaches, strawberry jam, honey, shortcrust pastry, hints of cloves.
M: Light body, loose, cool, slightly astringent.
T: Bitter sweet. Dark chocolate, strawberry jam, cloves, raisins, hints of coffee.
F: Long. Peaches, dried apples, shortcrust pastry, coffee, raisins.
Comments:
Wow. This is apple pie Calvados, mimicking the flavour profile almost perfectly - apples, cloves, pastry. Of course, there's plenty of other stuff in here too, raisins, chocolate, coffee, and some sort of red fruit jam, mostly strawberry.
I think I'm beginning to be able to distinguish between Calvados houses. I've had a few well-aged expressions, and I shall gravitate towards the younger ones for a little while now. Well-aged brown spirits tend to deepen and intensify in flavour, and it will be interesting to see what the younger ones are like.
Verdict:
I like this.
Brandy: Calvados
From: Pays d'Auge
House: Dupont
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Amber
ABV: 42%
N: dried apples, peaches, strawberry jam, honey, shortcrust pastry, hints of cloves.
M: Light body, loose, cool, slightly astringent.
T: Bitter sweet. Dark chocolate, strawberry jam, cloves, raisins, hints of coffee.
F: Long. Peaches, dried apples, shortcrust pastry, coffee, raisins.
Comments:
Wow. This is apple pie Calvados, mimicking the flavour profile almost perfectly - apples, cloves, pastry. Of course, there's plenty of other stuff in here too, raisins, chocolate, coffee, and some sort of red fruit jam, mostly strawberry.
I think I'm beginning to be able to distinguish between Calvados houses. I've had a few well-aged expressions, and I shall gravitate towards the younger ones for a little while now. Well-aged brown spirits tend to deepen and intensify in flavour, and it will be interesting to see what the younger ones are like.
Verdict:
I like this.
Wednesday, 27 November 2019
KWV Imoya VSOP Cape Brandy
KWV Imoya VSOP Cape Brandy
Brandy: Cape Brandy
From: Paarl
House: KWV
Style: Single distillery, single vintage
Colour: Amber
ABV: 40%
N: red grapes, nutmeg, leather, tobacco leaf, honey, raisins.
M: Heavy body, syrupy, cool, round.
T: Sweet. Raisins, molasses, tobacco leaf, honey, black tea, brown paper, hints of fresh baked bread.
F: Medium. Molasses, fresh baked bread, honey, hints of black tea
Comments:
So it stands to reason you make brandy in South Africa, after all they grow grapes, they make wine. How hard is it to distill the wine? Well, quite hard, if you listen to French brandy makers. Cognac and armagnac are made from poor-quality wine, that is, wine that you wouldn't drink, but that you can concentrate and age. Nevertheless, I've found brandy from wine-makers to be rather excellent, from Penfolds in Australia to the sherry brandy by the sherry bodega Romate. This one, Imoya from KWV, made from distillates of up to 20 years old, is another one on that list.
Firstly, it's heavy and round for a brandy, with prominent legs. It's sweet, but there's an alluring undertone of other things that aren't so sweet - leather, tobacco, and even molasses - and this adds complexity. There's spice as well, and a cereally note on the tongue. It all fades to a bitter sweet finish.
So Cape Brandy from South Africa goes on the list of things to try more of. I must say that list is getting rather long, must make a dent in that before I go to try tequila...
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Brandy: Cape Brandy
From: Paarl
House: KWV
Style: Single distillery, single vintage
Colour: Amber
ABV: 40%
N: red grapes, nutmeg, leather, tobacco leaf, honey, raisins.
M: Heavy body, syrupy, cool, round.
T: Sweet. Raisins, molasses, tobacco leaf, honey, black tea, brown paper, hints of fresh baked bread.
F: Medium. Molasses, fresh baked bread, honey, hints of black tea
Comments:
So it stands to reason you make brandy in South Africa, after all they grow grapes, they make wine. How hard is it to distill the wine? Well, quite hard, if you listen to French brandy makers. Cognac and armagnac are made from poor-quality wine, that is, wine that you wouldn't drink, but that you can concentrate and age. Nevertheless, I've found brandy from wine-makers to be rather excellent, from Penfolds in Australia to the sherry brandy by the sherry bodega Romate. This one, Imoya from KWV, made from distillates of up to 20 years old, is another one on that list.
Firstly, it's heavy and round for a brandy, with prominent legs. It's sweet, but there's an alluring undertone of other things that aren't so sweet - leather, tobacco, and even molasses - and this adds complexity. There's spice as well, and a cereally note on the tongue. It all fades to a bitter sweet finish.
So Cape Brandy from South Africa goes on the list of things to try more of. I must say that list is getting rather long, must make a dent in that before I go to try tequila...
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Friday, 15 November 2019
Roger Groult 12yo
Roger Groult 12yo
Brandy: Calvados
From: Pays d'Auge
House: Roger Groult
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Copper
ABV: 41%
N: Candied oranges, apple juice, raisins, fruitcake, aluminium foil, hints of fresh baked bread.
M: Light body, airy, cool, evaporates quickly.
T: Sweet sour. Candied oranges, nutmeg, fresh baked bread, apple juice, hints of cinnamon, hints of cocoa nibs.
F: Medium. Cocoa nibs, apple juice, nutmeg, hints of black tea.
Comments:
All apple Calvados, young-ish. It's got less of that dried apple flavour, here it's milder, like apple juice. This brandy is spicy, cinnamon, nutmeg, and candied oranges. There's a spiky bitter flavour on the edge of the tongue, and in the finish as well, I interpret this as cocoa nibs, and maybe some tannins too.
I think I'm starting to find out what I like about Calvados. Whilst the apple and pear base flavours and lovely, and enjoyable, I much prefer the more complex spirits with more layers underneath the fruit. This one is a good case in point - there's plenty of fruit of course, candied oranges and raisins are particularly prominent next to the apples - but there's also a layer of bitter spice underneath that, a slightly harsh sharp bitterness that reminds me of biting into unsweetened cocoa nibs. Very interesting indeed.
Verdict:
I like this.
Brandy: Calvados
From: Pays d'Auge
House: Roger Groult
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Copper
ABV: 41%
N: Candied oranges, apple juice, raisins, fruitcake, aluminium foil, hints of fresh baked bread.
M: Light body, airy, cool, evaporates quickly.
T: Sweet sour. Candied oranges, nutmeg, fresh baked bread, apple juice, hints of cinnamon, hints of cocoa nibs.
F: Medium. Cocoa nibs, apple juice, nutmeg, hints of black tea.
Comments:
All apple Calvados, young-ish. It's got less of that dried apple flavour, here it's milder, like apple juice. This brandy is spicy, cinnamon, nutmeg, and candied oranges. There's a spiky bitter flavour on the edge of the tongue, and in the finish as well, I interpret this as cocoa nibs, and maybe some tannins too.
I think I'm starting to find out what I like about Calvados. Whilst the apple and pear base flavours and lovely, and enjoyable, I much prefer the more complex spirits with more layers underneath the fruit. This one is a good case in point - there's plenty of fruit of course, candied oranges and raisins are particularly prominent next to the apples - but there's also a layer of bitter spice underneath that, a slightly harsh sharp bitterness that reminds me of biting into unsweetened cocoa nibs. Very interesting indeed.
Verdict:
I like this.
Didier Lemorton Rarete
Didier Lemorton Rarete
Brandy: Calvados
From: Domfrontais
House: Didier Lemorton
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Walnut
ABV: 40%
N: Pear drops, cinnamon, dried apples, lime zest, acacia honey, hints of jasmine.
M: Medium body, warm, slippery, airy.
T: Bitter sour. Cinnamon, dried apples, dried pears, jasmine, lime juice, leather, hints of linseed oil.
F: Medium. Dried apples, dried pears, linseed oil, jasmine, hints of fresh baked bread.
Comments:
One of the very best expressions from this distillery, the spirit is a blend of very old eaux-de-vie, some of which are reportedly more than 100 years old. The colour is certainly impressive, dark walnut with hints of bronze highlights. The nose is classic Calvados, apples and pears, in this case mostly dried. On the tongue, I was surprised - it's not sweet at all, but bitter and tart, highly complex, with a dry, slightly dusty set of fruity flavours. There's even some leather, and an acrid note of linseed oil. It's not at all unpleasant, it's unusual, and it's not like other Calvadoses.
What is it with old spirits? They get more and more complex, picking up more of the wood they are resting in, losing some of the notes from their spirit base. There's a sweet spot where they're super complex and layered, lots of interesting flavours, which can only be unlocked by drinking slowly. Then after an even longer while, they pick up notes of leather, oil and dust, dried fruit and rancio, and start to taste like other old spirits. I've found this with whisky, armagnac, cognac and now Calvados. The age at which a spirit reaches this stage varies though, certainly you need something distilled more than 50 years ago, and hopefully aged in wood for most of that time.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Brandy: Calvados
From: Domfrontais
House: Didier Lemorton
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Walnut
ABV: 40%
N: Pear drops, cinnamon, dried apples, lime zest, acacia honey, hints of jasmine.
M: Medium body, warm, slippery, airy.
T: Bitter sour. Cinnamon, dried apples, dried pears, jasmine, lime juice, leather, hints of linseed oil.
F: Medium. Dried apples, dried pears, linseed oil, jasmine, hints of fresh baked bread.
Comments:
One of the very best expressions from this distillery, the spirit is a blend of very old eaux-de-vie, some of which are reportedly more than 100 years old. The colour is certainly impressive, dark walnut with hints of bronze highlights. The nose is classic Calvados, apples and pears, in this case mostly dried. On the tongue, I was surprised - it's not sweet at all, but bitter and tart, highly complex, with a dry, slightly dusty set of fruity flavours. There's even some leather, and an acrid note of linseed oil. It's not at all unpleasant, it's unusual, and it's not like other Calvadoses.
What is it with old spirits? They get more and more complex, picking up more of the wood they are resting in, losing some of the notes from their spirit base. There's a sweet spot where they're super complex and layered, lots of interesting flavours, which can only be unlocked by drinking slowly. Then after an even longer while, they pick up notes of leather, oil and dust, dried fruit and rancio, and start to taste like other old spirits. I've found this with whisky, armagnac, cognac and now Calvados. The age at which a spirit reaches this stage varies though, certainly you need something distilled more than 50 years ago, and hopefully aged in wood for most of that time.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Tuesday, 12 November 2019
Lot 1990 Pot Distilled Single Batch Brandy
Lot 1990 Pot Distilled Single Batch Brandy
Brandy: Australian Brandy
From: South Australia
House: Penfolds
Style: Single distillery, single vintage
Colour: Rose
ABV: 42%
N: Raisins, strawberries, marmalade, magic marker, coconut water, leather, hints of toasted coconut.
M: Medium body, cool, turns syrupy, slightly numbing.
T: Bitter sweet. Raisins, marmalade, palm sugar, fresh baked bread, black tea, hints of leather.
F: Short. Coconut water, palm sugar, raisins, fresh baked bread.
Comments:
Vat B271, date in wood 18/04/1990.
This brandy is roughly 28 years old, and has been aged in three types of fortified wine casks. It's got plenty of the usual brandy flavours - raisins and marmalade are particularly prominent - but it's got a cereally edge to it, alongside coconut water on the nose. The latter intensifies to slightly bitter, rich palm sugar on the tongue, and makes tasting this spirit a very interesting experience.
I never knew Penfolds made brandy. It turns out that this is very much an experiment, being the results of a distillation run nearly three decades ago. It's part of the Penfolds Special Bottlings series (another expression is a red wine fortified with baijiu), so I expect that it's unlikely to be repeated.
Now I try not to think too much about price when evaluating spirits. A drink is worth whatever people wish to pay for it, although some quality drinking experiences may be had for a lot less than certain other quality drinking experiences, and some dearly priced drinking experiences are not altogether pleasant. But I was extremely surprised when I found this brandy for a fraction of the price of a Penfolds Grange 1990 red wine. Granted the distiller (and wood master) may be less experienced, but the underlying fermentation and grapes are the same.
What does this show? Well, I'm not sure. All I can say is that I'd rather drink the brandy than the wine, it's nearly as good, and more easily available.
Verdict:
I like this a lot
Brandy: Australian Brandy
From: South Australia
House: Penfolds
Style: Single distillery, single vintage
Colour: Rose
ABV: 42%
N: Raisins, strawberries, marmalade, magic marker, coconut water, leather, hints of toasted coconut.
M: Medium body, cool, turns syrupy, slightly numbing.
T: Bitter sweet. Raisins, marmalade, palm sugar, fresh baked bread, black tea, hints of leather.
F: Short. Coconut water, palm sugar, raisins, fresh baked bread.
Comments:
Vat B271, date in wood 18/04/1990.
This brandy is roughly 28 years old, and has been aged in three types of fortified wine casks. It's got plenty of the usual brandy flavours - raisins and marmalade are particularly prominent - but it's got a cereally edge to it, alongside coconut water on the nose. The latter intensifies to slightly bitter, rich palm sugar on the tongue, and makes tasting this spirit a very interesting experience.
I never knew Penfolds made brandy. It turns out that this is very much an experiment, being the results of a distillation run nearly three decades ago. It's part of the Penfolds Special Bottlings series (another expression is a red wine fortified with baijiu), so I expect that it's unlikely to be repeated.
Now I try not to think too much about price when evaluating spirits. A drink is worth whatever people wish to pay for it, although some quality drinking experiences may be had for a lot less than certain other quality drinking experiences, and some dearly priced drinking experiences are not altogether pleasant. But I was extremely surprised when I found this brandy for a fraction of the price of a Penfolds Grange 1990 red wine. Granted the distiller (and wood master) may be less experienced, but the underlying fermentation and grapes are the same.
What does this show? Well, I'm not sure. All I can say is that I'd rather drink the brandy than the wine, it's nearly as good, and more easily available.
Verdict:
I like this a lot
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