Category: Learning about Brandy

When exploring the world of Cognac, two terms often encountered are VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) and XO (Extra Old). These labels indicate the age of the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend—four years for VSOP and ten years for XO.Read more

We love to celebrate National Cognac Day!  This year it’s on Sunday 4th June so if you have a bottle you keep for special occasions or fancy trying something new for the first time, this is time to do it!Read more

Montanaro is one of the oldest distilleries in Langa established by Master of the Still, Francesco Trussoni in 1885.  He established the first single vineyard Grappa using Nebbiolo grapes for Barolo.  In 1922 Mario Montanaro, together with his wife AngelaRead more

Whether you call it applejack, calvados or bätzi, apple brandy is a spirit made from fermented and distilled apples.  There are clear, unaged versions and golden-coloured ones that have spent years in oak barrels.  These are five of the most popular: Applejack Historically, applejack was made with North AmericanRead more

Calvados is a brandy made from apples and produced exclusively in Normandy.  Its history dates back to 1553, when the drink was known as cidre eau-de-vie.  The name calvados was introduced in the late 1700s, when France was divided intoRead more

Here at Brandyclassics and Bunch & Bushel we sell three main types of French brandy: cognac, armagnac and calvados. Brandy is the generic name for spirits that have been made from fruit and produced all over the world.  But someRead more

Armagnac is produced in the south west of France in the departments of Gers and Landes in the region known as Gascony. The region has very little industry and the landscape is relatively flat, very green and the people areRead more

‘What is the safe storage temperature for cognac?’ is a question that comes up at regular intervals.  It is worth noting that once cognac has been bottled, its maximum storage temperature becomes more critical.  Usually, a suitable space is leftRead more

XO brandy, XO cognac. XO armagnac. Why is the term XO used so often when few of us actually know what it means? Originally, XO stood for Extra Old. In terms of age, up until 2018, an XO cognac had toRead more

The growth in generic cognac sales over the last quarter of a century has distracted from the single most important criteria in determining the quality of a cognac. The age, or to be precise, the barrel age of a cognacRead more