Choosing the Perfect Brandy

Brandy can be a very confusing subject as you stand in the liquor store scanning rows upon rows of it. Brandy is distilled in countries around the world and can be made from many different ingredients using various processes. There is a huge range in both taste and price. Price is not always a good indicator of quality.

The Process of Making Brandy

Brandy starts of with a fermentation process that creates a wine. Grapes are the most common ingredient used but brandy can also be produced from various fruits such as apples and apricots and even from anise. Once fermentation has completed, the brandy is filtered and distilled to both remove off-flavors from the brandy and to bump up the alcohol content (most brandy is 40% alcohol by volume). Finally, quality brandy is aged in oak casks to smooth the flavors and pick up character from the barrel.

Cheap brandies are not barrel-aged and have caramel coloring and flavoring added to simulate cask aging. Stay away from these low-quality brandies.

In general, the longer the aging process, the smoother and higher quality the brandy will be. There are many variations in flavors and processes around the world though that your best bet is to purchase very small bottles of many different brandies and find the one that matches your budget and your tastes.

Deciphering Brandy Labels

When choosing a brandy, you may be mystified by letters on the label. Here's a quick guide to what they mean:

V.S. '" "Very Special". To be able to use this on the label, a brandy must be aged in oak for at least 3 years.

V.S.O.P- "Very Superior Old Pale". This brandy is aged for a minimum of 5 years on oak.

A.C.- at least 2 years of aging.

X.O.- "Extra Old". Aged from 4-6 years, depending on the brandy type.

Note that these labels are not regulated outside of a few areas in France. They are commonly used but do not represent a guarantee of age or quality.

Choosing the Right Brandy for You

Finding the right brandy will likely result in significant amounts of taste testing until you find your perfect match. It also depends on what you want to use the brandy for. If using it only in mixed drinks, a mid-priced Spanish or French brandy will serve you well. If, however, you plan on drinking warmed brandy from snifters by the fireplace, there is only one choice: cognac.

Cognac (cone-yak) is a French brandy only made in the Cognac region. French law dictates everything about the process of making Cognac including the types of grapes used. It must be aged in barrels for at least two years and the barrels can only come from Limousin or Troncais. Most cognac is aged far longer than the required minimum casking times.

Common varieties of cognac available in the United States include Remy Martin, Courvoisier and Hennessy. Grand Marnier is a liqueur based on cognac and added bitter orange essence.