Tommy wrote:Anyone in Chicago want a nearly full 1.75 of Christian Brothers?Already got one I can't get rid of, thanks.

"Kickstart my groin"Brandy tonics are pretty good, it turns out.

Recently tried a really great brandy from Majorca called Suau that makes an 8yr and 15yr solera (youngest brandy in the blend is 8 or 15 respectively. Actually preferred the 8, which oddly is darker in color. Must be the wood regimen is different. They don't say what kind of wood or what the oldest brandy in the solera is but the company goes back 150 years. 100% airen grapes, no additives. The 8 yr retails for about $18. Awesome stuff. I know it's available throughout California at least.

enframed wrote:Recently tried a really great brandy from Majorca called Suau that makes an 8yr and 15yr solera (youngest brandy in the blend is 8 or 15 respectively. Actually preferred the 8, which oddly is darker in color. Must be the wood regimen is different. They don't say what kind of wood or what the oldest brandy in the solera is but the company goes back 150 years. 100% airen grapes, no additives. The 8 yr retails for about $18. Awesome stuff. I know it's available throughout California at least.I would be interested in this thing.

Antero wrote:enframed wrote:Recently tried a really great brandy from Majorca called Suau that makes an 8yr and 15yr solera (youngest brandy in the blend is 8 or 15 respectively. Actually preferred the 8, which oddly is darker in color. Must be the wood regimen is different. They don't say what kind of wood or what the oldest brandy in the solera is but the company goes back 150 years. 100% airen grapes, no additives. The 8 yr retails for about $18. Awesome stuff. I know it's available throughout California at least.I would be interested in this thing.Yes, you would. Any place you can buy Four Roses Bourbon should be able to get this for you.

A handful of staff and I went up to Osocalis yesterday. Spent a few hours talking to the owner/distiller and tasting some of his wonderful brandies. Dan is on the committee that Signatory hires to pick out barrels for them to bottle. Learned a lot about brandy, Cognac, and whisk(e)y. Tasted a 10yr Tempranillo, 21yr viognier, a blend of brandies w/ a min age of 14yrs to be used in the next bottling of his XO, and a younger blend he was preparing for bottling for his entry level release, "Osocalis Rare Alambic Brandy." Learned some interesting things about big Cognac production. Remy Martin requires that the wine be preheated before distilling, Martell and Hennessy require that the wine NOT be preheated. Also, there are around 4000 independent producers of eau-de-vie in Cognac, the majority of which is sold to the big houses. The big houses age bois and sugar syrup (fortified with brandy for stability over time) just like they do brandy, they aren't just adding sugar and wood pulp. He said he tasted 100yo bois still used by Remy Martin, and the caramel color they use. There's one single dude who makes all the caramel color used by the entire industry, and he is literally just burning sugar to make it. So fun.He was distilling at the time, if you look close you can see some first run distillate pouring from the condenser.https://www.instagram.com/p/BQRhDk0jqDv/

Here's a oointed article about brandy production in America. Now that's it's got some rock n roll style it's interesting.https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/dini ... llers.htmlThis new wave of brandy is being marketed as "like bourbon" thanks to aging in American oak, which imparts a very specific flavor/aroma a LOT faster than French oak. Also, these guys are trucking grapes from California to motherfuckin' Kentucky to distill. This make ZERO sense to me: trucking grapes 2500 miles to make wine and then brandy, or, perhaps someone is making wine in CA and trucking that in tanks 2500 miles. (I've asked sales reps, they don't know). Whichever, it's fucking stupid. Why would anyone pay $40/btl for something that "drinks and mixes like bourbon" when they can buy actual bourbon for $20/btl?

enframed wrote:aging in American oak, which imparts a very specific flavor/aroma a LOT faster than French oak.That's got to be your answer. Faster maturation, less of your $ tied up in barrel.

There's a new "California Fine Brandy" on the market and it's actually really fucking good. Mostly colombard, double distilled in pot still, distilled during vintage (by March 31), blend of 3-7 years solera style (tastes more like VSOP than VS), 70% in French oak/30% in American, no additives, no color, no sugar added. $40-$45. Everything from and done in California. Great for cocktails and good for sipping as well.

Also, if you can find it, Rochelt Schnapps from Wachau, Austria are insane. A 375ml will set you back about $300. In 2017 only 8 btls made it to the US, not sure how many made it this year. Crystal bottles, each topper w/ spout is hand-made. Average age is 8 years rested in glass balloons. This is available in California. I have only tried the apricot but they make others.