Rievaulx Napoleon VSOP French Brandy 70cl Bottle

Product Information

Finally comes the aging process. Brandy is typically aged in oak barrels to ensure flavor and quality. Some brandies, especially Spanish varieties, are aged using the Solera system, where the barrels are changed each year. After a period of aging, which varies depending on the country producing the liquid and the type of brandy, the spirit is bottled and prepared for retail. Throughout the drinking experience, enjoy further notes like caramel and coconut. It’s a bottle that’s well suited as an after-dinner drink, with its high-quality flavors and warming experience. It’s fruity and easy to drink, with a butterscotch finish that goes on and on. If you haven’t yet tried it, it’s sure to be a new favorite. Courvoisier XO Cognac was judged to be one of the finest XO cognacs in the world and it’s easy to see why. It’s a bottle with many layers, thanks to the brand’s Master Distiller using a prime selection of beautifully matured eaux-de-vie, all aged from 11 to 25 years. Brandewijn: The original name for brandy – a Dutch word that is derived from gebrande wijn, which literally means “burned wine”. Brandy snifter: The traditional glass used for drinking brandy. This is the best way to enjoy brandy for all of its delicate flavors, thanks to the shape of the glass. The large surface area releases the aromas of the spirit while the short foot encourages you to hold it by the bowl, warming the brandy slightly.

A brandy can also be designated as an Hors d’Age, which translates from French as “beyond age” and covers the spirits that have been aged for at least six years and often for decades, or “vintage” which covers those produced from the very best years. A vintage brandy is the best of the best and should only be sipped neat.But give it a bit of time, and you’ll discover a world of rich new flavors and fascinating nuances. What’s the difference between brandy and cognac? Eau de vie: The clear, colorless fruit brandy produced after the fermentation and double distillation period. Translating from French to “water of life”, it typically has a very light fruit flavor. Vintage: A term used for a bottle of brandy (or, commonly, Armagnac) for when a particular year’s harvest is all that’s gone into the bottle. These bottles are very expensive due to their rarity and age. Methodology: How we select, test, and rank the best brandy and Cognac on the market Brandy is a spirit distilled from wine or another fermented fruit juice. The name originates from the Dutch “brandewijn”, meaning “burnt wine”, and it’s thought to have been discovered when wine was boiled down to reduce its volume, with a view to making it cheaper to ship overseas. The result was an even richer drink that had taken on some of the taste and colour of its oak casks.

The beauty of brandy lies in its aging process, making this element of its production arguably the most important. When we put together the shortlist for the best brandies and cognacs on the market, we kept each bottle’s age at the forefront of the decision-making process. Today, there are many types of brandy to choose from; it can be aged or unaged, and it can come from anywhere in the world. In fact, today there’s pretty much no country that doesn’t make brandy. What are the common types of brandy? Cognac is usually blended, using grapes from different regions and classified according to age. For a VS (“Very Special”) Cognac, the youngest brandy must have been aged for at least two years; the VSOP (“Very Special Old Pale”, also known as “Reserve”) designation indicates a minimum age of four years. XO (“Extra Old”, also known as “Napoleon”) brandy must have been aged for at least ten years, while the oldest and most expensive Cognacs are referred to as “Hors d’age” – literally, “beyond age”. Discover more about the Bredon XO Cognacand its parent company, Louis Royer. 3. Chevalier VS Cognac (Aldi) It boasts a deep flavor of oak, violet, and strawberry, with aromas of apricot, brown sugar, and cacao nibs. Courvoisier XO Cognac is a true example of brandy at its best; combining its rich character with a full-bodied finish and a sharp taste. It’s a popular bottle among brandy lovers and is known for being a staple of the industry.Produced for and sold by German cut-price chain, Lidl, the Bredon XO caused so much controversy when it was launched that even the French government stepped in! Bredon is, in fact, part of the more widely known house of Louis Royer, and when this XO hit the shelves for the headline price of 19.99 Euro, even though it was presented in a smaller sized 50cl bottle directly contravened French sales law. Read more about this in our blog article, Lidl Sells Bredon XO Cognac for 19.99 Euro. The Bredon XO Cognac had France up in arms with the price it was offered for This aging and storage process can often be a sign of an impressive brandy or cognac. Most brandies are blended products of various ages. The age of the youngest brandy in the blend designates the age statement on the bottle, but can also be noted with various abbreviations:

In comparison to many other spirits, brandy doesn’t go off. An unopened bottle can keep indefinitely as long as it’s stored properly: a tightly sealed container, away from heat or light. Read more about the supermarket Cognac that’s got everyone talking, and let us know if you’ve managed to try Chevalier VS Cognac. 4. Waitrose VSOP CognacCognac must also be distilled twice using copper pot stills and aged in French oak barrels for a minimum of two years. How are Brandy and Cognac made? We looked into the region where each brandy or cognac was produced and then, especially for cognacs, looked at the quality of grape used and which cru its grapes originated from. We took into account the authority and popularity of each brand, its range of offerings, and its distillation method. Armagnac: A grape brandy, made in France’s Armagnac region, with a similar flavor profile to Cognac but often with more spiced and bold notes. It also uses three additional grape varieties: Folle Blanche, Colombard, and Baco Blanc.