There is much more to Bandy than people are aware of. Brandy is a spirit that comes in so many different forms, with so many different expressions of the fine liquor. It has a rich history and a rather strict set of rules and production processes that make for an amazingly consistent product.
We are going to go deep into the Brandy production process, as well as highlight specifications between the variations. You will be pleasantly surprised with how many different types of Brandy there are. We also guarantee you will be intrigued as to some of the details that is incorporated in differentiating the different types.
Brandy has 10 main varieties. 3 of the most famous ones come from France, while others come from around the world. They are all incredibly distinctive from one another in some ways, but in other ways, they can be similar. Brandy is commonly drunk after meals or sipped neat in a casual setting.
We will lay out the 10 different types of Brandy’s with a special focus on the distilling process. The distilling process is often the place where most rules and restrictions are placed. Each different brandy variety will have its own must-haves for the distilling process, and we will outline them within each product.
Cognac
Cognac is certainly the most famous of all the brandy products. Hailing from the Cognac region of France, you will find this delicious spirit in almost any liquor store in the world. Brands such as Hennessy, Courvoisier, and Rémy Martin are some of the big hitters in this industry, providing brandy to the masses at great prices.
Cognac is made from grapes. The grapes that are used are unable to be used for wine production for a variety of reasons. There are several grapes used, though Saint-Émillion are most common. The cognac is processed in a similar way that wine is in terms of picking the grapes and fermenting them. The fermentation process is longer than wine, for around 2-3 weeks to allow for a higher alcohol content to build. Then it is time to distill.
Cognac distillation takes place in traditionally shaped Charentais copper alembic stills – these are referred to as pot stills. These are made with legally controlled designs and dimensions. Cognac goes through a double distillation process which results in an eau de vie. This transparent liquid is then allowed to age before being blended and classified.
Armagnac
Armagnac is another Brandy that is produced in the Armagnac region of France. It is also made from grapes – particularly Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle Blanche, and Ugni Blanc. Armagnac is considered to be a slightly more robust product with great appreciation from its fans. It is thought to have been created before Cognac but it is far behind in terms of prevalence today.
Armagnac has a similar production process to wine and Cognac in terms of picking grapes and fermenting them. Armagnac has a higher alcohol content due to its distillation process – which we will go into below. It is considered to be closer to a ‘barrel strength’ spirit when referencing whiskey, with it being more of a no-frills product.
There are two main distinctions between the distillation of Cognac and Armagnac. Armagnac is only distilled once. It is also distilled in column stills rather than pot stills. The single distillation makes it more robust, punchy, and stronger in terms of alcohol content. The column stills are thought to produce a cleaner, more highly distilled spirit than pots. It also means you can be constantly distilling, passing the liquid through slowly at all times, meaning you can make more product!
Calvados
Calvados is another French brandy that is native to the region of Normandy. Normandy is located in the Northwestern part of France, West of Paris. Calvados is made from apples instead of grapes. The apples are small and intense in flavor and work perfectly for spirit production, cooking, and composting rather than just eating raw.
Calvados distillation methods are more relaxed than their fellow countrymen. Calvados can be either double or single-distilled, unusually in copper pot stills. Before distillation, a cider is made from the apples during the fermentation process. The resulting Brandy is distinctly apple-flavored with a sharp booziness.
Brandy de Jerez
Quite possibly the most well known brandy outside of France is Brandy de Jerez. This Brandy is made within the Sherry region of Spain. There are some nailed-on rules such as the fact that it must be aged in previous Sherry casks, as well as having to be aged in a specific region. This Brandy is made of grapes as well.
The distillation process is a little bit more relaxed than the production process. It is usually distilled just once but can be done so in alembic stills or pot stills, both made of copper. The aging process has to be done in oak barrels that were previously used to age Sherry.
Pisco Brandy
Pisco is an ancient Brandy from South America. Different countries make it in different ways though they all use grapes as the base. Peruvian pisco is the most famous and is made from eight different grape varietals from an incredible 500 producers in 42 valleys in the magnificent country.
Pisco goes through a single distillation through massive copper pot stills called alambique. It is stored for a minimum of 3 months before it is bottled. The spirit is unaged and has a delicious, bright sweetness to it. It has a complete lack of harshness that you wouldn’t normally associate with an unaged spirit. This spirit is made into one of the most iconic cocktails in the world – the Pisco Sour.
We hope you have enjoyed reading a bit about Brandy in some of its many forms, particularly the distillation process. Though some of these seem like minute differences, they can have a huge impact on the end result. Why not send this over to a fellow brandy lover and share your new knowledge with them?
Also Read: 15 Cognac Brands That You Should Definitely Try In 2024
