“Shall we retire to the billiard room with a brandy and a cigar?”
Certainly, there’s a sense of pomp and ceremony synonymous with brandy, the sweet spirit produced by distilling wine or fermenting fruit juice (although these types must be marked as such on the label).
Best enjoyed swirled and sipped from a snifter glass – featuring an oversized bowl that allows the aromas and flavours to build for optimised taste – it’s usually enjoyed at room temperature or over ice as a digestif after dinner is done to round-off the evening.
Most recently, it’s enjoying something of a resurgence in cocktails, whether a brandy Alexander or sidecar, as younger drinkers discover its flavour credentials. When it comes to varieties of the drink, think seasonally, from long-aged and full to warm the cockles in the winter, and lively and floral for vibrancy in the summer months.
The most common kinds to choose from include Cognac and Armagnac – both made from grapes in their namesake regions of France – brandy de Jeréz, sourced from the Sherry region of Spain, and Calvados, an apple brandy distilled in Normandy. Others, like eaux-de vie (light, unaged, fruity) and applejack (the clue’s in the name) also make for lipsmacking serves.
Richard Woodard, freelance drinks writer and wine and spirits expert at The Whisky World, says: “Brandy is one of the world’s most popular drinks, a staple of bars from San Francisco to Shanghai, and is made pretty much anywhere on the planet where grapes are grown. This is most famously the case in France, which is home to Cognac and Armagnac, but you can find excellent brandies in a number of countries around the world, including all over Europe (France, Spain, Italy and Germany are prime examples), as well as in South Africa, the US and Armenia.”
He adds: “Given that brandy is almost always made from wine grapes, many expressions offer rich, fruity flavours, enhanced and given extra complexity by ageing in oak barrels – in the finest examples, often for decades. People love brandy for its versatility. While aged varieties can be sipped and savoured neat, younger brandies are often consumed in long drinks with mixers and plenty of ice – or in a number of decadent cocktails.”
We’ve rounded up the best brandies to buy and try, spanning a range of budgets and styles.
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Vecchia Romagna Riserva Tre Botti 1820
A great-value mid-ranger, Vecchia Romagna Riserva Tre Botti 1820 has been aged in three different barrels to deliver richness and intensity on the palate, featuring refined notes of oak and toasted walnuts, plus hints of tropical fruits. Structured and characterful.
For an entry level introduction, try the Vecchia Romagna Etichetta Nera (£24.89).
Buy now £48.00, Ocado
Remy Martin XO Brandy
You can’t talk about brandies without mentioning Rémy Martin, the esteemed French producer famed for prestigious cognacs. This XO, best served neat to enjoy its complexity, displays notes of jasmine and iris alongside figs, candied orange and prunes. It’s smooth and balanced on the palate, made from blending over 300 eaux-de-vie ranging from 10- to 37-year-old, creating a soft and velvety finish. The distinctive round bottle, with the famed marque in the centre, is a delight, too.
Buy now £170.00, Harrods
Hafner 15-Year-Old XO Brandy
At the more premium end of the scale is Hafner 15-Year-Old XO Brandy from Austrian producer House of Hafner. Aged for 15 years in small oak casks, it’s got a gorgeous golden hue with deep and intense flavours, while everything is presented in a spectacular glass decanter and satin-lined gift box.
Buy now £79.90, The Whisky World
Stara Sokolova 7-Year-Old Plum Brandy
Smooth and seriously easy-drinking, Stara Sokolova is a seven-year-old plum brandy that combines notes of vanilla, orange and blossom to spectacular effect. A glorious addition to your brandy collection.
Buy now £48.90, The Whisky World
Sassy x Coupette Calvados XO
Now, this is something different. French founders Pierre-Emmanuel and Xavier have teamed up with London bar Coupette to bring you a Normandy brandy made from apple cider. Having spent six years in French oak barrels, the Calvados XO is packed with notes of apple, nutmeg and cocoa, best served as a digestif over ice. The covetable bottle is sassy AF, too.
Buy now £59.99, Selfridges
Metaxa Grande Fine Collector’s Edition
Exclusive to Harvey Nicks, the original Greek spirit – a dark amber nectar made from aromatic Muscat wines and eaux-de-vie brandy – is silky-smooth on the palate with notes of prune, liquorice, baklava and oak. Better still, it’s presented in a beautiful porcelain bottle inspired by the Cyclades and designed by an Athenian street artist, which adds to its charm. Objét d’art or drink? You decide.
Buy now £60.00, Harvey Nichols
M&S Distilled 5-Years-Aged XO French Brandy
Elegant and complex, this French brandy from Marks is aged for five years to serve up rich and fruity flavours, featuring a touch of vanilla and boasting a silky-smooth finish. At just £16.50, it’s an absolute steal, too. Enjoy straight-up or mix into an almond old-fashioned – a next-level nightcap.
Buy now £16.20, Ocado
ODVI Armagnac
Crafted specifically to be blended into cocktails, this complex Armagnac is made from three different grape varieties to produce a smooth, modern brandy with fresh and fruity flavours. Peach aromas pair with prunes and pepper on the palate and a smooth, dry finish.
Buy now £39.95, Collective Spirits
1826 13-Year-Old XO Wine Brandy
Made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Merlot grapes, this Austrian brandy is amber in colour and rich in taste, aged for 13 years in oak barrels. Not dissimilar to a Cognac, the digestif also comes in a distinct bottle, perfect for displaying on a bar at home. It’s kosher, too, so perfect for Passover.
Buy now £31.99, The Whisky World
Lepanto Solera Gran Reserva 12-Year-Old
As the only brand distilled in Jeréz, Spain, Lepanto is made from Palomino grapes and aged for 12 years in oak casks previously used for ageing Fino wine. The result? A dry and elegant brandy with notes of caramel, vanilla and dried almonds. Its colour – a shimmering combination of topaz, gold and orange – is utterly mesmerising.
Buy now £47.95, The Whisky Exchange
Soberano 5 Brandy Reserva
Amber in colour with a fine and spicy nose, this Spanish brandy – which offers incredible value over French varieties – is aged for five years in American oak casks. Characterful and silky, it’s bursting with luscious flavours of raisins, sultanas and caramel, with a fiery and peachy finish.
Buy now £15.00, Asda
Courvoisier Rouge Luxe
Hailing from the highly-awarded cognac producer, this limited-edition bottle is inspired by the iconic brand’s red-and-gold design, while the stuff inside sings with notes of vanilla, dried fruits and sandalwood. Deep, rich and seriously intense. A sophisticated sip indeed.
Buy now £42.00, Tesco
Tesco Finest XO Brandy
As part of the Finest range – a tried-and-trusted marque of quality – the five-year-aged XO Brandy from Tesco hits the nail on the head with dried fruit aromas, smooth and mellow flavours, and oak undertones. A cracking price for a cracking bottle.
Buy now £16.50, Tesco
Morrisons The Best Napoleon Brandy
A blend of brandy, aged for at least five years, and Armagnac, aged for 10 years, The Best Napoleon Brandy is deep, complex and very rich. Fragrant and floral, it delivers plenty of bang for your buck, at just under £20.
Buy now £16.50, Morrisons
Metaxa 12 Stars
Floral and rich, with notes of dark chocolate with orange peel, this Greek brandy offers a twist on the traditional drink. It’s sourced from the island of Samos in the North Aegean, just off the coast of Turkey, and comes in a beautiful blue box. A real conversation-starter.
Buy now £28.75, Amazon
Ebisu Fuke Ume
As part of a new wave of producers experimenting with straight-up brandies, Ebisu – inspired by the god of good luck from Japanese culture – is a plum wine that’s pickled with brandy. It’s refreshing, light and sweet with aromas of bakewell tart and marzipan, not dissimilar to a Pedro Ximénez sherry, and is aged for 20 years. The snazzy label is a work of art, too. Umeshuya
Buy now £32.00, Ume Shuya
