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Best Brandy/Cognac?

As I get older I am more partial to 'shorter' drinks than I was as a young man (when I was purely a pint drinker).
Especially in the winter I enjoy a brandy but have never really cared about the brand....what do people consider to be a 'good' brandy? (and I realise there is quite a bit of personal opinion as there is with razors and brushes), but I am just looking for a recommendation.
Regards
Jem
 
A good brandy wouldn't be a shooter, but a sipper.
If you're looking for something reasonably priced you can check out Louis XIII by Remy Martin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XIII_de_R%C3%A9my_Martin

Ok, I jest. I'm not the man to ask about Brandy/Cocnac, but there are several gents here who can help you out.

Just avoid Cheminaud and you'll probably be ok to start with.

EDIT: Just realized shorter, not shooter.... Damned dyslexia acting up.
 
No easy answer to that question! There are many excellent Cognacs, all with unique profiles and attributes. Generally, I prefer Armagnac to Cognac (both are brandies). Although they are from different areas of France, the two are traditionally quite similar. Armagnac, the older of the two, is produced in a single distillation while Cognac is distilled twice. As a result, Armagnac is a little rougher and typically spends more time in the cask.

To answer your question, the Cognac region is divided into a number of regions (terroirs) which, as I recall, produce different Cognacs (via variations in growing conditions). Those from the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne areas are considered the finest Cognacs. From these regions you would want a XO Cognac (XO is one of the age classifications, indicating in this case that the youngest Cognac in the bottle is at least six years old). Of course it is still possible to get a mediocre XO Cognac from either region but since many/most are blends you can expect a certain level of consistency.

Armagnac has three growing regions, Bas-Armagnac, Haut-Armagnac and one I cannot remember. Age is denoted by many of the same terms as Cognac - VS, VSOP and XO. Additionally, there is the Hors d'Age class which is the oldest class. Unlike Cognacs, these older Armagnacs are often sold as single year vintages.

Cost notwithstanding, a nice bottle Haut-Armagnac Hors d'Age would be my recommendation.

BTW - Germany makes some very nice brandies too! (Look for Weinbrand).
 
I really appreciate the back story and context on your reply...I have certainly learned something tonight.
Thank you!
Jem
 
Brandy is made anywhere they make wine - its a distilled grape spirit.

While I like a good cognac or armagnac, the best values are often found in brandies from Germany, Greece, or Spain.

I'm a real fan of the Spanish brandies - Duff Gordon has a lot of flavour and some nice sweet notes and performs well above its price point.

I'm not sure if its sold in the UK, but other respectable well-priced brands include Pedro Domeq and Torres.
 
As the Prof said, there's no simple answer to this question. However, a few personal notes:

If you favor a dry, more floral cognac, you can't go wrong with Delamain.

If you prefer a richer, more fruity spirit (as I do,) I'd suggest cognacs from Pierre Ferrand. I think their entire line is excellent, and performs well beyond its price. I'm quite fond of their Cigare.

A final note: Like wine, some cognacs really benefit from some time to breathe. I had an interesting experience recently, with a cognac I'd never before tried. On first tasting, I found it cloying, and rather flat, but after sitting in a snifter for 30 minutes or so, the sweetness toned down, and it really "opened up," becoming much more complex.

Mmmm...cognac. One of my favorite parts of winter.
 
Two prime Spanish brandies you should try.

Gran Duque d'Alba

Cardenal Mendoza

The latter has a bit of anise added to it.

Both run about $50 the bottle.
 
Mmmm...cognac. One of my favorite parts of winter.

Cognac and Armagnac might be my favorite part of winter! You cannot go wrong with Pierre Ferrand and Delamain.

I'm a real fan of the Spanish brandies - Duff Gordon has a lot of flavour and some nice sweet notes and performs well above its price point.

I haven't tried Spanish brandies, but seem to recall that, much as Cognac is a derivative of wine, Spanish brandy is derived from Sherry. Do you know if there is any truth to that?
 
...A final note: Like wine, some cognacs really benefit from some time to breathe. I had an interesting experience recently, with a cognac I'd never before tried. On first tasting, I found it cloying, and rather flat, but after sitting in a snifter for 30 minutes or so, the sweetness toned down, and it really "opened up," becoming much more complex...
Oh, man. I am such a weenie.
 
I haven't tried Spanish brandies, but seem to recall that, much as Cognac is a derivative of wine, Spanish brandy is derived from Sherry. Do you know if there is any truth to that?

Not quite, Spanish brandy is made the same way it is everywhere else, but the difference is that it is aged using the same solara system where the brandy is aged by through a process of transferring it from one cask to the other - every time they rack the brandy about 1/3 is left behind to help mature the 2/3 of younger brandy that is added it to it. This speeds up the maturation process by continuously blending older spirits into the mix.
 
Personally, I've never been much of a brandy/cognac drinker.... but that being said, I ALWAYS have a bottle on hand at home.

I use cognac typically to flambe dishes in the kitchen. It doesn't matter if it is steak au poivre, saganaki, or cherries jubilee... cognac does the heavy duty flambe job in my kitchen. Other than that, I don't touch the stuff to drink:confused:
 
i have really enjoyed the brandy's that ive had, which have been only a few. i was excited to see this thread and wrote down the majority of names folks had mentioned. however, i had an unsettling issue when i got to the liquor store.

they had NONE of them! :001_huh: the clerk told me that she had seen this or that... and maybe another store would have this one... but then she pulled out the state catalog and informed me that NO liquor store would have them. i may have been fed a touch of b.s. but id like my liquor to be easier to get than Hans Baier products!:001_rolle

so i picked up a medium sized bottle of "courvoisier - v.s" will this be "okay" benchmark to use as im able to find some others?
 
Brandy is my #1 go to drink no matter what time of year.

That being said I keep a red bottle of E&J for mixing and a blue bottle of E&J for sipping. I am in college so the prices work for me.

I have one conac on hand but I prefer the brandy. The conac is the black bottle of Remy.

My favorite mixed brandy drink is either a Sidecar or Brandy and coke.
 
Not quite, Spanish brandy is made the same way it is everywhere else, but the difference is that it is aged using the same solara system where the brandy is aged by through a process of transferring it from one cask to the other - every time they rack the brandy about 1/3 is left behind to help mature the 2/3 of younger brandy that is added it to it. This speeds up the maturation process by continuously blending older spirits into the mix.

Well now I have no choice but to try it! Thank you.
 
Make sure you let us know how you like it - if you can find the Duff Gordon, I highly recommend it - its one of my favourite price:value brandies and it delivers well above its price point.

I will make it a point to find it! And I certainly will post my thoughts.
 
I don't have a tremendous amount of experience with brandy, but I have tried quite a few over the years. Two of my longtime favorites are Courvossier VSOP and Remy Martin XO.

Tim
 
Jem,

What price range are you looking at?

Where do you live?

With that information I'd have an easier chance of offering you a sound recommendation
 
Hi Rob,
I am down the road in Burton On Trent- been looking at the £30 ish mark.
I have been searching on the internet for some of these mentioned above but most supermarkets only stock 3 or 4 brands.
I suppose a recommendation for the best 'off the shelf' brand would help...I have only ever had coivouisier and am eager to try something different.
Cheers!
 
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