Sampled some 1920, Torres 10-Year, Camus VS Cognac, and Chateau de Briat Hors d'Age Bas Armagnac. The 1920 is fine if you're gonna mix something sweet cuz it's pretty sweet. The two of us sampling it didn't finish the sample. Chick brandy. Any non-citrus fruity cocktail that called for vodka could probably be made a little better with this stuff. Torres 10-year from Spain is interesting. Not super long. Nice color, and in flavor it leans towards Scotch, or maybe tequila, with it's slight smokiness. Mellow on the nose. It was also very sweet. I could not ever have it again and be fine but offered it I'd not turn it down. I hear the Hors d'Age is fantastic but I don't think I'd drop the cash to find out.Camus VS is pretty good all around, not to long in the mouth but a nice flavor. Good for the price. I haven't been intoxicated solely by it so I can't attest to its purity but a colleague tells me he sleeps as well with it as with finer Cognacs or Armagnacs.Chateau de Briat Hors d'Age Bas Armagnac is wonderful, really excellent stuff. The bottle, the color, the brandy, all stellar. I like it when I get baseball glove. Not much to say except it's incredible. One thing I've noticed in drinking brandy (good stuff, anyway) is that you have to have a certain amount to get the full experience. The first pull is good, the second is not as good as the first, third and fourth are pretty good and getting better with each. It's really around the fifth that your mouth becomes fully acclimated to it and it's really heavenly.

Antero wrote:Camus VS is excellent for a brandy punch.That sounds really delicious. I bet the 1920 would be good in that as well. I'll just leave this here:Remy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl Limited Edition. $27,000 for 750 ml."Blended from more than 1,200 eaux de vie that vary in age between 40 and 100 years..."

Probably tasty, but I ain't paying 27k for something I can't drive.If I had that sort of money to burn and a hankering for brandy, I'd check out this:What happened in 1893? The great northern railway connected Seattle with the East Coast. Grover Cleveland was inaugurated for his second term as U.S. president. The Ferris Wheel debuted at the World's Fair in Chicago. Dvoráks New World Symphony premiered at Carnegie Hall. And....the Claverie family distilled this Armagnac at their small farm in Gascony. Made from pre-phylloxera grapes, and distilled by Mr. Claverie's great-grandfather, the 1893 Armagnac from Chateau Baraillon is a family heirloom, a piece of 19th Century history, and one amazing bottle of brandy. Big spice, incredible richness, and lots of spice dominate the palate. The brandy is nuanced, powerful, and almost other-worldly. Maple syrup, exotic spices, lean on the finish and slightly oxidized, but in a good way. But, really, this isn't so much about the flavor, is it? This is a chance to say, That '93 Armagnac was pretty incredible. Oh....I meant 1893, by the way, not 1993. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)

enframed wrote:Antero wrote:Camus VS is excellent for a brandy punch.Sounds like the above would work. Also, Sidecar:60 ml brandy40 ml Cointreau20 ml lemon juicelemon twist garnishSeems sweet. I'd usually go with the Golden Fucking Ratio Of Sours, which is 2 oz spirit, 3/4 sweet, 3/4 sour.Brandy and Tonic:2 or 3:1 brandy to toniclemon juice to tastelemon twistI am a big brandy and tonic enthusiast.Stinger:3 parts brandy1 part creme de mentheBig fan of those. Suggestion: Tempus Fugit Creme de Menthe is the best on the market.Sazerac (pretty sure it began as a brandy cocktail):Substitute brandy for bourbon/ryeYeah, it started as a brandy cocktail. Even better is going 50/50 with cognac AND rye, that makes an awesome fucking drink.Never put bourbon in a Sazerac.

Antero wrote:Camus VS is excellent for a brandy punch.Sounds like the above would work. Also, Sidecar:60 ml brandy40 ml Cointreau20 ml lemon juicelemon twist garnishPhoebe Snow:60 ml brandy60 ml Dubonnet (or any red vermouth)dashes of absinthe or Pastis or Herbsaint, etc., to tasteBrandy and Tonic:2 or 3:1 brandy to toniclemon juice to tastelemon twistBrandy Old-Fashioned:Substitute brandy for bourbon/ryeStinger:3 parts brandy1 part creme de mentheSazerac (pretty sure it began as a brandy cocktail):Substitute brandy for bourbon/rye

Tommy wrote:Please discuss this bottom shelfer:So, we have a 1.75mL of this that was originally purchased to go into a wine punch/grog type mixture during th holidays. It didn't work out. We're having a party and I'd like to see this bottle consumed. Any ideas on what kind of cocktail this might be useful for so I can get the damn thing out of my life without being wasteful?

Tommy, what did you do with that Christian Brothers?Decided I'm not a fan of the brandy Stinger, it ruins good brandy. The creme de menthe was Marie Brizzard, so good stuff, and used Osocalis brandy. Maybe a 5:1 ratio would work for me but not 3:1. However, was thinking that muddled mint in the "Blanche d'Armagnac" will be delicious. Will try that soon.Having been told that for the price it's a good example of age, I tried the DeLord 25 Ans d'Age Bas Armagnac. Lots of rancio, little fruit, way too short a finish. I doubt I'll have this again. For the money I prefer every other younger Armagnac I've tried. Tried some Germain-Robin Craft-Method Brandy which is really outstanding. Wonderful balance of fruit and age, very smooth up front with little burn, and a nice long finish. I'm looking forward to trying the Coast Road Reserve.A friend of ours is working at the pumpkin patch this year since Mrs. and I both have full-time jobs. She usually keeps Bulleit Bourbon around for warmth in the cool evenings and to keep loose for annoying customers (we find that slightly buzzed employees are happy employees). She ran out of Bulleit on Saturday so I gave her a small bottle (200ml, maybe, can't recall) of Camus VS before I left for work yesterday. When I returned it was gone. She requested it next time instead of Bulleit.

I don't have much to say about Cognac, but some of the Eastern European fruit brandies I've tried have been great. I was given a bottle of Hamvas Palinka while I was working in Budapest, that stuff was lovely. I brought a bottle of Burgas 63 Rakia back from Bulgaria too, also nice drinking. I nearly managed to blag a bottle of 70% homebrew Rakia from one of the guys I was working with, but missed out by being in the wrong place at the wrong time...

enframed wrote:Tommy, what did you do with that Christian Brothers?Let it sit on the goddamn shelf. Late in the party I just put it out hoping some would disappear.

I use a Glencairn glass usually. I'm not a fan of the big bowl-like snifters.