What Is Brandy?

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Brandy

 

What Is Brandy?

If you wonder what brandy is, here is the place for you. Here you will find everything about brandy; you will read about what it is, how it is made, its taste, its origins, the best brandy, its difference from cognac, and a lot more.

In this article, you will read about these topics:

  1. A close encounter of the third kind!
  2. What is brandy?
  3. What does brandy taste like?
  4. How is brandy made?
  5. History of brandy
  6. The technology used to produce brandy
  7. What is written on brandy labels?
  8. What is the difference between brandy and cognac?
  9. What are brandy’s health benefits?
  10. What are the different types of brandy?
  11. Which are the best brandies?
  12. What are some popular cocktails with brandy?
  13. The final advice

 

 

  1. A close encounter of the third kind!

Now back to the stories of ME and my clumsiness. I clearly remember the day when I first heard of brandy.  I was just fresh out of college and one day my friends and I decided to go to a bar. We drank at the bar and I was a little tipsy when Mike said “hey guys, let’s have a shot of brandy”. Brandy? It was the first time I was hearing the word; so I was like “brandy? Brandy what? A brand of wine you mean?” and everybody laughed.

“No idiot. It’s a drink, like wine” said Mike, tapping my head with an open palm.

I thought for a moment and then laughed; at least I finally had an idea what brandy was like; it was something like wine. I was still thinking when the brandy arrived; still thinking it was like wine, I gave a full sip at the glass and I was about to spit the drink out; brandy was much stronger than wine, there was too much alcohol in it, I thought. A few sips more and I almost got used to it and even liked it. I thought like “yeah, this is a drink for a young man” and I smiled at my own thought.

As if he had read my thought, Mike started a lecture and a long one at that! He was the nerd of the class and he always had both the most useful and useless information about anything at the same time; I don’t know how he managed, especially in the time when there was no internet.

Anyways, after one hour and two bottles of brandy, he had just reached the history of brandy, only after describing the taste, different types of brandy, and the technology for making it. But he never got the chance to finish it because, in the middle of the speech, I don’t know why I suddenly fell off the chair and lay on the ground; I don’t remember anything after that until I woke up in the back seat of Mike’s car, only to find out that he was still talking about the history of brandy to the others! I could faintly hear what he was saying but I didn’t open my eyes.

 

Foreword; let’s pick it up from where it was left!

Well in this article, I’m going to finish what Mike couldn’t! I’m going to tell you even more, oh la la, yes, even more; everything about brandy. I just hope that you won’t pass out while reading the article.

You’re going to read about what brandy actually is, its history, its types, how it is made, the best brandies, and so on.

 

  1. What is brandy?

Well, brandy is basically a type of distilled wine. The word has also expanded to cover any type of distilled drink. Due to its distilled nature, brandy has higher alcohol levels, between 35 to 60 percent. People drink it after a meal as a digestif and also as entertainment. Brandy usually ages in wooden casks, giving it a wooden aroma. The aging gives brandy caramel coloring and therefore some producers give it an artificial caramel coloring to imitate the aging effect; of course, there are some types of brandy that have both qualities; the actual aging and the caramel coloring.

In fact, brandy is any type of distilled drink that is either derived from a ‘base wine’ or from fermented fruit juice but the typical brandy has grapes as its base.

Many of you might be thinking of cognac at the moment; yes it is true, cognac is a type of brandy, and maybe the most famous type, but with some slight differences which will be discussed later in this article.

And where does the word ‘brandy come from?’ Well, it is originally a Dutch word meaning ‘burnt wine’- brandewijn- referring to its production and the distillation process.

 

  1. What does brandy taste like?

It is true that brandy is basically distilled wine but its taste differs greatly. The first big difference is the alcohol feel you will get on your palate. Brandy tastes much stronger than wine; so don’t expect the same lightness you feel on your palate when you drink wine. Since brandy is usually made from the mash of young gapes or their wine, it has higher acid concentrations and lower sugar levels, contributing to its stronger taste.

Although high in alcohol, brandy is a lightly sweet drink with an oaky flavor. It combines the oaky flavor of whiskey and the softness of wine.

 

  1. How is brandy made?

As mentioned earlier, brandy is a type of distilled drink made from grapes’ juice or base wine. Its production usually includes two phases of distillation; the first distillation removes water and solid parts from the base, resulting in a type of liquor with an alcohol level of around 30% (28-30% ABV). The second stage will in turn produce a type of drink that is actually brandy.

As you will see in the ‘origins’ chapter later, the production of brandy used to include three stages, distilling the base wine once at every stage.

 

  1. History of brandy

In fact, the origins of brandy are tied to the origins of distillation, dating back to the time when people learned how to distill drinks. An interesting fact about this drink is that the wine was originally distilled to make it easier for transportation. Another reason behind the original distillation of the drink is said to have been to get rid of the tax payment. Traders distilled the drink and therefore shrank its volume, hence paying less tax. The missing water was then added at the destination and when the drink was supposed to be drunk. However, they gradually realized that the resulting distilled drink had a different and even better taste. People discovered that the distillation process had somehow fundamentally changed the structure of the wine and that the taste had dramatically improved; the distillation would cause the formation of numerous aromatic compounds; besides, since the drink was stored in wooden casks, there was a pleasant wooden note added to the drink, which made the drink rank above the original base one.

Now an interesting fact about the history of brandy; in order to test the purity of the brandy produced, the operator set a portion of the drink on fire, and if the fire spread all over the drink and the whole content was ignited, the drink was considered a pure one. It must be noted that this method is still one of the traditional ways used by people to test the purity of numerous types of spirits, including cognac.

 

  1. The technology used to produce brandy

The apparatus used to distill wine in the eighteenth century, which is still used to produce local drinks as well, was an alembic. An alembic, which is originally an Arabic word, was originally an alchemical device used to distill liquids. The main part of an alembic is a cucurbit; a still pot containing the drink to be distilled. The cucurbit is heated by flames and it sends the vapor into a receiver container through a slanting pipe.

In the old times, brandy was produced through several stages of distillation. the first stage of distillation produced a drink which was called ‘spirit of wine’; the second stage resulted in ‘spirit of wine rectified’; this distillation process was repeated until the winemaker decided that distillation was no longer necessary and the final product was called ‘brandy’.

These traditional methods are still used in many parts of the world to produce brandy and other distilled drinks; although, the base technology to produce brandy, even in the biggest distilleries today, is basically the same.

 

  1. What is written on brandy labels?

When you buy brandy or cognac, you might face some abbreviations on the labels. Here are some labels you might encounter;

  • VS: standing for Very Superior, and it is a brandy type that has been stored in wood for 2 years
  • VSOP: it stands for Very Superior Old Pale. This type of brandy must spend at least 4.5 years in a wooden cask.
  • XO: This abbreviation stands for Extra Old and the corresponding brandy must be stored in wood for at least 6.5 years. Apparently, this standard has changed since 2018 and current XOs must spend at least 10 years in wood to be eligible for this label.

 

  1. What is the difference between brandy and cognac?

Well, the simple answer is that cognac is a type of brandy; probably the most famous type of brandy for that matter. However, both these names have turned into generic terms for distilled drinks, and depending on the region, either of these names is locally used to refer to such drinks.

Nevertheless, cognac is traditionally a type of grape brandy that is produced in the Cognac region in France and it is famous for its elegance. A distinct feature of cognac is the terrier of the grapes is based on. Cognac grapes are white grapes originating from one of six terriers the main of which being Ugni Blanc.

However, as mentioned earlier, like brandy, cognac has become a generic name for a distilled drink in various parts of the world.

One more fact about cognac; Hennessy is by far the most popular type of cognac in the world. Hennessy XO is an extra old cognac made in Hennessy distillery in France. It has a pretty amber color and the drink has tones of oranges, cocoa, and oaky leather.

Needless to say, you might as well find similar labels mentioned about brandy on cognac bottles as well.

 

  1. What are brandy’s health benefits?

Basically, the health benefits of brandy are more or less similar to those of wine, but maybe with some subtle differences due to higher concentrations of alcohol and acid in the drink as opposed to the good old wine.

  • Anti-aging properties

Like wine, there are antioxidants in brandy that remove the free radicals in the body and hence have anti-aging properties.

  • Heart-friendly qualities

Due to the existence of special compounds, namely antioxidants and resveratrol, brandy can neutralize the effects of free radicals and also remove bad cholesterol and help the function of the heart.

  • Immune-system-friendly qualities

It is also said that brandy can boost the immune system and help protect your body against diseases, especially cardiovascular ones.

Of course, always remember that you have to drink in moderation to enjoy the benefits of any type of liquor, specifically the ones high in alcohol.

 

  1. What are the different types of brandy?

 

  • Grape brandy (brandy) and fruit brandy

Basically, brandy is made from grapes; either from the juice, mash, or the wine made from grapes. However, brandy can be made from any other variety of fruit. This type of brandy is called ‘fruit brandy’ and although less popular, it is still loved by many.

  • Pomace brandy

There is also a type of brandy that is distilled from the left-over of grapes or fruit and it is called pomace brandy. Pomace is the dried remains of grapes after they are pressed for juice; the distillation of these remains will produce pomace brandy.

  • Eaue de vie

‘Eau de vie’ (meaning ‘water of life’) is a type of French fruit brandy. In the wine culture, eau de vie is an un-aged, colorless, and clear fruit brandy.

There are various eau de vies; here are the names of some famous ones:

  • Framboise; which is a variety made from raspberries
  • Kirsch; this is a type made from cherries
  • Slivovits; it is a kind of eau de vie produced from plums
  • Poire; an eau de vie based on pears

 

  1. Which are the best brandies?

Brandy types cover a wide range both in terms of variety and price. However, here are a few of the most famous and popular types of brandy in the world:

  • Remy Martin XO: this is an eau de vie par excellence. It is an XO champagne blending 400 different types of eau de vies. The drink has aromas of dark chocolate, port wine, spices, and figs. It also includes notes of white and red grapes, dried apricots, nutmegs, caramel, and many more.
  • Hine Antique XO: this is a spectacular cognac with notes of caramel, jasmine, and vanilla.
  • Asbach: this is a German brandy with a rich and spicy taste. This brandy has won many awards in the past.

Some other brandies include Louis XIII, Torres Gram Reserva, and of course the famous Hennessy.

 

There are numerous cocktails that you can try creating with brandy. Here are two famous ones:

  1. B&B

This is a very simple cocktail to create using only two types of drinks; brandy and Bénédictine D.O.M Liqueur. You can mix one and a half ounces of each drink in a brandy snifter and then mix it well. Add ice if you like and enjoy the cocktail.

Another version of this cocktail is made with cognac.

 

  1. The Brandy Cocktail

This cocktail is a mixture of four ingredients:

  • Brandy
  • Orange Curaҫao
  • Angostura Bitters
  • Peychaud’s Bitters;
  • Lemon peel

Pour these in a shaker and shake well. Then pour the resulting drink into a chilled cocktail glass and enjoy it.

These were just two examples; there are numerous others a well; the whole wine experience is about having fun, so use your creativity and make some innovative cocktails by yourself.

 

  1. The final advice

Experience different drinks and enjoy, but never forget the good old wine! Remember that we have all these drinks only because once we learned to make wine; so always have a Nik Pegasus bottle in your refrigerator and resort to it when you get tired of all these creative experiences. Now if you allow me, I’ll go and drink a shot of Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

 

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