Brandy is an alcoholic beverage that contains, on average, between 35% and 60% alcohol. When examined as a word, brandy was born from the phrase "burned wine". Its real origin is in the Netherlands; Brantwijn.
As you might guess, brandy is produced from grapes or different fruits. Burnt wine as its name suggests. The brandy produced by filtering grapes and their pulp is called "pomace", while the brandy obtained from other fruits (apple, plum, peach, etc.) is called "eaux-de-vie".
Many wine-based brandies are produced by aging in oak barrels, just like whiskey. During the waiting period, the brandy matures and acquires an amber color. Brandy kept in oak barrels; It creates a unique taste by incorporating various spice, caramel and dried fruit aromas. And of course, just like whiskey, it differentiates and gains value during the aging process.
BRANDY TYPESCOGNAC
Cognac is produced from grapes grown in the Cognac region of France. Young brandy products usually leave light fruit and oak aromas on the palate. Older ones leave more spice and dried fruit flavors on the palate. Cognac generally contains around 40% alcohol. By law, cognac can only be produced within the Cognac region of France and can be used to produce certain grape varieties grown in this region.
ARMANIAC
Armaniac comes from the region of France called Armanag. Armania is much more difficult to find than cognac. You may not be able to find it even in very high-end liquor stores. Armagnac can only be produced in the Armagnac region and is protected by law. As for its taste, it has a much more fruity taste as it goes through a different distillation stage compared to Cognac. It also has a more caramel-like taste. It also has an alcohol content between 46% and 48%.
AMERICAN BRANDIES
Americans cannot resist creating an alternative for every beautiful product on Earth, and they create their own type of brandy, using various grapes from their own country. Of course, they can't come close to their true creators, but they don't produce bad products either. If we look at the taste profile of American brandies, they can generally be compared to cognac. The oak barrel expresses the aromas inside. Of course, since they use many different types of grapes, grape aromas other than the standard are also reflected in the taste.
BRANDY DE JEREZ
Of course, it wouldn't be possible if the Spaniards, who specialize in wine in a different way, did not produce brandy. Although Spain is not widely known in the market, it is a country that produces very successful brandy. The production techniques of Sherry wines, specially produced by the Spanish and gifted to the whole world, are also used in the production of brandy. With these techniques, special brandies that carry the aromas of nuts and nuts as a taste profile are obtained. So, they are special.
CALVADOS
It is a type of brandy produced using fresh apples. And again, the French undertook this production. The aroma of the apple combines with the caramel and woody aromas coming from the oak barrels to create a perfect taste. The type of brandy called Calvados must be produced on the Lower Normandy coast and aged in oak barrels for at least 2 years. Otherwise, it wouldn't be called Calvados.
APPLEJACK
It's the Americans again. They couldn't resist and produced the same brandy as the French Calvados type apple brandy. In this case, of course, they name her Applejack to reflect American culture. As a difference, we can say that the apple flavor is a little more revealed compared to French brandies.
PISCO
>Brandy is also produced in South America. In particular, the brandies produced in Peru and Chile have become famous all over the world and these brandies are called "Pisco". It is lighter yellow in color and clear in appearance. It may be produced by keeping it in metal barrels as well as in oak barrels. The grape taste comes to the palate in a fresher and sharper way.
Finally, Başgann, it would be useful to check the brandy labels. There are phrases that you should examine carefully when checking the labels. The most important of these are, in order:
-Brandies aged for at least 2 years, i.e. VS (very special).
-Brandies aged for at least 4 years, i.e. VSOP (very special, superior old pale)
-Brandies aged for at least 6 years, i.e. XO (extra old)
-Brandies that have been aged for at least 10 years, i.e. Hors d'age (beyond age)
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