What Does Brandy Taste Like?

Because brandy is made by using fermented fruit juice, the liqueur tastes a bit sweet and fruity. These flavors are combined with an oaky taste as well, due to the fact that brandy is aged in oak casks or oak barrels. 

Some of the fruits used to make brandy include:

• apples
• pears
• cherries
• plums
• apricots
• grapes

Used commonly as a palate cleanser, brandy is an after-dinner drink that is served at room temperature. It contains 40-50 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) depending on the specific type of brandy. 

The Different Tastes & Types of Brandy

There are several types of brandy which include:

• Pisco: Named after the Peruvian port and made from grapes in Chile and Peru.
• Brandy de Jerez: This type of Spanish brandy comes from the Sherry Triangle region of Spain.
• Calvados: An apple brandy which comes from the Normandy region in France.
• Kirschwasser: A type of brandy made only from cherries.
• Applejack: An American brandy that is considered a fruit brandy because it’s made by using apples.
• Grappa: Created in Italy, Grappa is an Italian brandy made from wine. This type of pomace brandy can only be made in Italy.

Cognac & Armagnac Brandies

First of all, it’s worth noting that cognac is one of the many types of brandy. Oftentimes, people can get the two confused.

Popular forms of brandy include cognac and armagnac. In both French brandies, cognac comes from the Cognac region of France while armagnac comes from the Armagnac region.

Popular French cognacs you may be familiar with include:

• Rémy Martin
• Courvoisier
• Martell
• ​Hors d’Age
• Napoleon
• Hennessy

A French brandy may be referred to as cognac while an American brandy can simply be called “brandy.”

France requires strict grading of brandy to determine the specific age. Therefore, a French brandy can be categorized as Very Special (VS), Very Superior Old Pale (VSOP), Extra Old (X.O.)., or Napoleon.

A VS drink is a brandy that has been aged for at least two years while a VSOP has been aged for at least four years. An XO and Napoleon brandy is aged for at least six years. 

Cognac is made by mixing a total of six different grape varieties. Brandies coming from France will typically be aged by using French oak barrels or casks for the distillation process. 

Brandy Cocktails

Popular brandy cocktails include the sidecar, the metropolitan, and Vieux carre. These mixed drinks contain brandy and are considered classic cocktails. 

Eau de Vie is a clear fruit brandy while the Old Fashioned classic drink can be used with brandy instead of bourbon. From California to France and everywhere in-between, you can find specific brandies that are tailored for specific tastes.

How Brandy Is Made

Brandy means “burned wine” in Dutch. Brandy is made all across the world in a variety of places using different methods. Since brandy uses numerous fruits, or sometimes a distillery may be located close to where specific fruits grow, such as near an apple orchard.

The distillation process uses dried fruits. Each distillery will likely have its own distilling techniques. While some may use wooden oak barrels, others use pot stills. 

A brandy that has been aged for more than two years is considered mature. Brandies that have been aged for less than two years are considered unaged.

Once the distilled spirit contains the tastemakers are searching for, the bottling process then takes place. Distillers can make their own choices when it comes to the types of fruit used as well as how the brandy is aged. 

You’ll find that brandies made by using specific fruit, such as apple brandy, will have this marked on the label of the bottle. In fact, all brandies made without grapes must be labeled on the bottle.

If you’re drinking too much brandy or alcohol in general, treatment programs can likely help. To learn about our options, please contact us today.