PCF official Brandy thread (1 Viewer)

[Coyote]

Cognac is name/region-protected, but there are many very nice grape distillation extracts out there.
Be it grappa, tsipouro, tsikoudia, raki etc. Or just "brandy", the generic term.
Here is a nice one, aged in oak barrels:

Due to ageing, it's lost its transparency and turned gold.
Feel free to chime in.

 

[Eriks]

Wish I could contribute but I'm more of a whisky guy myself

 

[pltrgyst]

Well the term "brandy" applies to all fruits. Cognac is a bit too sweet for us much of the time. Our favorites, in descending order, are Calvados (apple), Calvados (pear), Armagnac, Salignac, Cognac, Brandy de Jerez. But any of them will do in a pinch, except American brandy products...

 

[Coyote]

Well the term "brandy" applies to all fruits. Cognac is a bit too sweet for us much of the time. Our favorites, in descending order, are Calvados (apple), Calvados (pear), Armagnac, Salignac, Cognac, Brandy de Jerez. But any of them will do in a pinch, except American brandy products...

Tsipouro (or Tsikoudia, in Crete) is closest to Grappa. Not really sweet, but can become somewhat so, with ageing.

 

[Mongoose]

I like to indulge in Cognac on occasion. Martell Cordon Bleu is hands down my favorite. Not as sweet as some of the others like Remy

 

[Coyote]

Coming from semi-mountainous areas of Thessaly, this tsipouro is ultra-rich with grape aromas. It's almost "grape juice with a kick".
Not ideal for either seafood or meat; rather ideal for savouring it alone.
I 've drunk more subtle tsipouros (e.g. from Epirus) from around Greece (when it comes to aroma) and certainlly stronger ones, in alcoholic content, both from Epirus and Crete.
This one gets my vote, in the absence of food, other than dried bread.
(Greeks would never have any alcoholic beverage in the absence of some food, be it dried bread).

 

[Taghkanic]

My dad used to import bottles from a Calvados maker in the Dordogne named M. Danfleu (sp?) who like my dad has passed on.

I spent two summers in Normandy when I was younger, and have to say as far as Calvados goes, the French are not “sending us their best.” Most of what I find on U.S. shelves is overpriced garbage.

Friends in Normandy taught me to drink “Calva” properly: sip a little bit without swallowing, then breath in so it partially evaporates in your mouth.

 

[Beakertwang]

So I’m completely new to brandy. My wife had bit of a respiratory thing going on. I tried to make her a hot toddy, but she hates almost everything with whiskey in it. So I picked up a bottle of Paul Masson. I know it’s a cheap, pedestrian bottle, but I dig it! Around here, there just aren’t many options. Basically, it’s E&J, Christian Bros, etc, Hennessy, and the occasional bottle of D’Ussé. Any recommendations for something other than those above, that won’t cost me a fortune, but give me an improved brandy/cognac experience?