Brandy
Spirit distilled from wine or fruit fermentate.
What is Brandy? Brandy is a spirit made by distilling wine or fermented fruit must, typically bottled between 35 and 60 percent ABV (70 to 120 US proof). The name comes from the Dutch brandewijn, meaning "burned wine," a nod to the heat-driven process that concentrates a fermented base into something far stronger and more aromatic. The category is broad: grape-based brandies such as Cognac, Armagnac and Brandy de Jerez sit alongside pomace brandies like grappa and marc, and fruit-based eaux-de-vie distilled from apples, cherries, plums and other orchard fruit. Most styles spend time in oak, which softens the spirit and gives it the amber color and layered flavor drinkers expect.
Production and Distillation
Beverage distillation for brandy became significant in France in the 15th century, and the core technique has changed surprisingly little since. Most brandy is made through double distillation in pot stills. The first pass produces a rough spirit known as low wine, usually around 28 to 30 percent ABV. The second pass is carefully divided into three fractions — heads, heart and tails — and only the heart is kept, because it carries the richest aromatic compounds while leaving the harsher elements behind.
Some styles instead use column stills, which run continuously and can reach roughly 90 percent ABV in a single operation. After distillation the spirit goes into oak. EU regulations set a minimum of six months in cask, while US rules require at least two years in oak for standard brandy. Cognac and Armagnac, both protected designations from southwest France, take different paths from the same region: Cognac is double-distilled in pot stills, while Armagnac is traditionally produced via a single continuous column distillation and is often bottled as a vintage.
Styles and Age Statements
Beyond the famous French names, Brandy de Jerez from Spain is matured using the solera system, where casks are stacked and partially blended over time to create a consistent house style. Pomace brandies are distilled not from wine but from the skins, seeds and stems left over after winemaking — grappa in Italy and marc in France. Fruit brandies, broadly grouped as eaux-de-vie, are distilled from fermented fruits other than grapes: Calvados from apples, Kirsch from cherries, Slivovitz from plums.
Age statements on Cognac follow rules set by the BNIC and updated in April 2018. V.S. must spend a minimum of two years in cask, V.S.O.P. at least four years, and X.O. a minimum of ten years. These categories give a useful shorthand for what to expect in the glass — younger expressions tend to be brighter and more fruit-forward, while older bottlings lean toward dried fruit, leather, spice and the deep oak influence that comes only with extended maturation.
