Rievaulx Napoleon VSOP French Brandy 70cl Bottle

Product Information

Some people choose to heat their brandy slightly with a candle, by holding the bowl of the glass above a small candle for a moment or two. However, it’s easy to overheat the liquid this way, exposing the harsh alcohol fumes.

VSOP: Very Superior Old Pale, or brandy that’s aged a minimum of four years. These brandies are known for being more mellow than previous categories thanks to their time spent in barrels. Produced for and sold by German cut-price chain, Lidl, the Bredon XO caused so much controversy when it was launched that even the French government stepped in! Bredon is, in fact, part of the more widely known house of Louis Royer, and when this XO hit the shelves for the headline price of 19.99 Euro, even though it was presented in a smaller sized 50cl bottle directly contravened French sales law. Read more about this in our blog article, Lidl Sells Bredon XO Cognac for 19.99 Euro. The Bredon XO Cognac had France up in arms with the price it was offered for It has an aroma of dark chocolate, port wine cask, exotic spices, and figs, while a sip will reveal notes of white and red grapes, dried apricot, nutmeg, cinnamon, honey, and caramel. It’s certainly a complex brandy, and one that will leave you wanting more than just one taste. It’s a popular choice for brandy lovers, with a warming finish and smoky wood quality running throughout. It’s a bottle that’s won competitions against some of the biggest names in brandy in the world, and is unrivaled for its delicious taste and strong characteristics. The brandy is aged for around 17 years, with the process taking place in Limousin oak barrels. Wood spices and red fruit are two of the immediate aromas noted, and a sip will reveal a rich and deep brandy filled with soft orchard fruit, vanilla, and hints of chocolate.

Finally comes the aging process. Brandy is typically aged in oak barrels to ensure flavor and quality. Some brandies, especially Spanish varieties, are aged using the Solera system, where the barrels are changed each year. After a period of aging, which varies depending on the country producing the liquid and the type of brandy, the spirit is bottled and prepared for retail. Read more about the supermarket Cognac that’s got everyone talking, and let us know if you’ve managed to try Chevalier VS Cognac. 4. Waitrose VSOP Cognac Eau de vie: The clear, colorless fruit brandy produced after the fermentation and double distillation period. Translating from French to “water of life”, it typically has a very light fruit flavor. Continuing the same boring presentation theme, the Tesco VSOP stands muster thanks to its multiple industry awards. Still dull as dishwater, the Tesco VSOP bottle.

To drink brandy the classic way, leave the bottle on the counter for around an hour before drinking and then pour it into a tulip glass; the best glass used to savor the spirit. Its bowl and rim shape is specially designed to allow the spirit to hit the correct part of your tongue while delivering the aromas straight to your nose.Brandy snifter: The traditional glass used for drinking brandy. This is the best way to enjoy brandy for all of its delicate flavors, thanks to the shape of the glass. The large surface area releases the aromas of the spirit while the short foot encourages you to hold it by the bowl, warming the brandy slightly. Grappa – a distinctively Italian take on brandy It’s a strong, pungent drink made by distilling grape skins and seeds, as opposed to a sweeter grape brandy, which includes the grape juice. Its impressive character means this is a brandy that should only be enjoyed neat or, at most, with ice. This sweet and smooth bottle is perfect to win over brandy novices right through to experts. Any fruit that ferments can be distilled and turned into a brandy but the most common and most favored choice is grape. Germain Robin makes 10 barrels a year of its XO alambic brandy and about 80 percent of the wine used for distillation is pinot noir – a premium grape that’s evident in this brandy’s taste.

As long as you keep the bottle tightly sealed and away from direct sunlight or heat, it should last indefinitely. It doesn’t improve with age once in the bottle, but nor should it go off if stored correctly. Brandy is a spirit that demands attention: fragrant and elegant, smooth and rich, and dark and brooding all at the same time. Thought it was just a sweet drink suitable for drawing rooms and cigars? Think again. Brandy is a spirit distilled from wine or another fermented fruit juice. The name originates from the Dutch “brandewijn”, meaning “burnt wine”, and it’s thought to have been discovered when wine was boiled down to reduce its volume, with a view to making it cheaper to ship overseas. The result was an even richer drink that had taken on some of the taste and colour of its oak casks. The supermarket chain also has an XO version, although this is sold in a 50cl bottle, rather than one of full size. Cognac must also be distilled twice using copper pot stills and aged in French oak barrels for a minimum of two years. How are Brandy and Cognac made?It boasts a deep flavor of oak, violet, and strawberry, with aromas of apricot, brown sugar, and cacao nibs. Courvoisier XO Cognac is a true example of brandy at its best; combining its rich character with a full-bodied finish and a sharp taste. It’s a popular bottle among brandy lovers and is known for being a staple of the industry. Discover more about the Bredon XO Cognacand its parent company, Louis Royer. 3. Chevalier VS Cognac (Aldi) If you’re new to the world of brandy, the broad variety of options available on the market might be overwhelming at first. It will require patience and trial to explore the different brands. It’s also a spirit that’ll leave you guessing until you’ve taken a few sips. The number or term on the bottle might give a hint as to what sort of flavors are inside but, thanks to the spirit’s diverse nature, each new bottle of brandy promises a unique experience. Armagnac: A grape brandy, made in France’s Armagnac region, with a similar flavor profile to Cognac but often with more spiced and bold notes. It also uses three additional grape varieties: Folle Blanche, Colombard, and Baco Blanc.

VS: Very Special: the second youngest brandy and the term covers brandy that’s been aged for a minimum of three years. Cognac – considered by many to be the champagne of the brandy world. There are many styles, but all Cognac must be made from a specific selection of grapes, double-distilled in copper stills and aged for at least two years in French Limousin oak. Brandy de Jerez – Comes from Spain and is distilled once in copper stills, then aged in oak barrels. This must be produced in the Jerez area of Andalusia, within the so-called “Sherry Triangle”, and comes in three categories. Solera is the youngest and fruitiest, with a minimum average age of one year; Solera Reserva has a minimum average age of three years, and the Solera Gran Reserva is the oldest with a minimum average age of 10 years. Any advice on serving and storing brandy?

Grande Champagne: A French district, otherwise known as a cru, known for its Cognac. The Grande Champagne region is regarded as the best and most respected region, followed by the Petite Champagne. Rodell Napoleon is marked as a VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) but as its namesake suggests, the brandy is Napoleon grade, meaning the youngest contribution of the final product is aged somewhere in between the VSOP and XO minimum maturation requirements of four to six years. 3. How much is a bottle of Napoleon brandy? The beauty of brandy lies in its aging process, making this element of its production arguably the most important. When we put together the shortlist for the best brandies and cognacs on the market, we kept each bottle’s age at the forefront of the decision-making process.