Discover more about the Bredon XO Cognacand its parent company, Louis Royer. 3. Chevalier VS Cognac (Aldi) 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. If you’d rather enjoy a simpler creation, brandy goes particularly well with a range of different fruit juices. Lemon is the top choice, offering a blend of tart notes to combine with the spirit’s sweetness. Orange, cranberry, and lime juice are also excellent choices. For more traditional mixers, a brandy and coke is a popular request, while mixing brandy with lemonade releases more citrus notes. What are the top five best brandy brands?

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”. Brandy can be produced anywhere in the world but Cognac has to be made from white grapes from specific French terroirs. Both generally contain 35–60 percent ABV. Brandy is typically made from grapes but can also be produced from another fermented fruit mash. However, a brandy made from a different fruit is typically called just that, for example, “apple brandy” or “pear brandy”. As for who produced the Cognac? Well, Costco are keeping that a closely guarded secret. But we’ve heard rumors suggesting Peyrat is the producer, although we can’t confirm if this is true or false.

Captain Morgan Spiced Rum v Captain Cook's Spiced Rum

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. 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: Most wine-producing countries also make brandy, ranging from Greece’s Ouzo to Peru’s Pisco and Italy’s Grappa. Cognac – considered by many to be the champagne of the brandy world. There are many styles, but all Cognac must be made from a specific selection of grapes, double-distilled in copper stills and aged for at least two years in French Limousin oak.

It’s also a spirit that’ll leave you guessing until you’ve taken a few sips. The number or term on the bottle might give a hint as to what sort of flavors are inside but, thanks to the spirit’s diverse nature, each new bottle of brandy promises a unique experience.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. However, the Cognac has certainly impressed industry judges in various competitions, with a handful of silver awards to its name. Sorry for those of you outside of the UK, it appears that at present this is the only country where it’s offered for sale. 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 Brandy de Jerez – Comes from Spain and is distilled once in copper stills, then aged in oak barrels. This must be produced in the Jerez area of Andalusia, within the so-called “Sherry Triangle”, and comes in three categories. Solera is the youngest and fruitiest, with a minimum average age of one year; Solera Reserva has a minimum average age of three years, and the Solera Gran Reserva is the oldest with a minimum average age of 10 years. Any advice on serving and storing brandy?

Any fruit that ferments can be distilled and turned into a brandy but the most common and most favored choice is grape. Some people choose to heat their brandy slightly with a candle, by holding the bowl of the glass above a small candle for a moment or two. However, it’s easy to overheat the liquid this way, exposing the harsh alcohol fumes. No time to read through our entire list? We’ve chosen Rémy Martin XO as the overall best brandy of the year and Asbach Brandy 8 Year as the best value brandy.Brandewijn: The original name for brandy – a Dutch word that is derived from gebrande wijn, which literally means “burned wine”. 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. Continuing the same boring presentation theme, the Tesco VSOP stands muster thanks to its multiple industry awards. Still dull as dishwater, the Tesco VSOP bottle. Calvados: A type of apple brandy, also produced in France that’s either double or single-distilled and is aged in oak barrels.