This month we are going to dive into a common multi-part question we get here in the shop...
What's the difference between Cognac and brandy? What about Armagnac? Calvados?
What's the difference between Cognac and brandy? What about Armagnac? Calvados?
The quick answer is, they are all brandies. Brandy is simply the name for distilled wine (from the Dutch gebrande wijn or bradewijn- literally "burnt wine") and wine in its broadest sense is just fermented fruit. Cognac and Armagnac are sub-categories of brandy. Calvados is brandy made from apples and/or pears, in Normandy.
Traditionally, the most prestigious of these sub-categories is Cognac. Good Cognac will show complex flavors ranging from dried fruits to vanilla and flowers. To legally be referred to as Cognac, a brandy must first of all be from the Cognac region of France (the same way you can make a sparkling wine in Walla Walla, but you can't call it Champagne). It must then be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Troncais. Got all that? No matter- just remember that Cognac is brandy with a bunch of strict rules. I didn't even get into the list of approved grapes that can be used. Cognac also has a really weird system for declaring age statements. Here's a breakdown, and remember that the declared age is only the youngest spirit in the blend (Cognac is almost always a blend):
Eau de vie- Literally "water of life" is the term for unaged brandy that can become brandy when it grows up.
V.S. (Very Special) - The youngest brandy has been aged for at least two years in the barrel. These can be drunk neat, often as an aperitif with fresh, clean flavors, but are the most common choice for cocktails such as The Sidecar or Vieux Carre.
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/sidecar/ (I say skip the sugared rim on this one and try it with Meyer lemon juice. You're welcome ;)
This recipe might sound a bit odd but it is delicious:
https://tuxedono2.com/vieux-carre-cocktail-recipe
Oh look- it's the perfect cognac to try with these recipes!
https://www.compasswines.com/bache-gabrielsen-cognac-vs-tres-kors-700ml-spbgtk700-50900/
V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale)- The youngest brandy is aged for at least four years in the Barrel. This is drunk pretty much interchangeably with V.S. but is versatile enough to work as a digestif as well. It has more depth and complexity. Try one of these...
https://www.compasswines.com/prunier-vsop-granc-champagne-cognac-spprunvsop700-49182/
https://www.compasswines.com/vallein-tercinier-cognac-premium-selection-vsop-750-spvtvsop750-50224/
Napoleon- The youngest brandy is aged for at least six years in the barrel. This is generally taken neat as a digestif.
X.O. (Extra Old)- This used to be six years, but as of 2018 it means that the youngest brandy has spent 10 years in the barrel. Just to confuse you. Yes, you. Now we are getting into some wonderful rich, flavors for savoring after a meal. Some excellent options are...
https://www.compasswines.com/deux-familless-xo-cognac-spdexxo700-50515/
https://www.compasswines.com/prince-de-didonne-xo-cognac500-sppddcxo500-42865/
X.X.O. (You guessed it- Extra Extra Old)- The youngest brandy is aged for at least 14 years in the barrel.
Hors de Age (Beyond Age)- Is technically the same as X.O but in actual practice is used to denote something beyond any of the other age statements. These are the most complex, often the most sought-after Cognacs. Serious stuff here...
One final note- While Cognacs are the most iconic, prestigious, and sometimes intimidating members of the brandy family, it is worth remembering that at their best, they will definitely show you why they are so highly regarded. We only carry good examples, so...
On to Armagnac! Just as with the rules for Cognac, first and foremost an Armagnac must be from the Armagnac region of France. Unlike Cognac, Armagnac must be produced using column stills. Another difference is that Armagnac is more often labeled with the vintage as opposed to the VSOP, XO etc. system (though they can use that system...just to confuse things). Because the grapes used in Armagnac often make a spirit that reaches maturity faster than those used in Cognac (especially the Folle Blanche grape), they can be a better deal than their more prestigious counterparts. Some say it has a more "rustic" flavor profile but I feel like that has a whiff of elitism about it. Armagnac has a distinct taste that I associate with almonds and candied fruits that I absolutely love. It is wonderful stuff and you should give it a try if you haven't already.
https://www.compasswines.com/dartigalongue-dry-cellar-bas-armagnac-spdartdrarm750-49601/
https://www.compasswines.com/dartigalongue-hor-dage-bas-armagnac-spdarthorsarm750-49318/
Last stop...Calvados! Calvados is brandy made from apples and pears (in varying ratios) in a specific part of Normandy. Apple and pear brandies are made all over the world but those from Calvados are the most sought after and highly regarded. They are so highly regarded because at their best they are very, very good. We are not talking about overly sweet, mass produced fruit brandy here. Good Calvados has a fantastic balance and basically tastes like you are in an orchard in France. And if you thought Cognac and Armagnac had a lot of rules, you ain't seen nuthin' yet (I will try to keep this brief). There are three main AOCs (appellation contrôlée) for Calvados:
AOC Calvados covers about 70% of the region and has a bunch of rules.
AOC Calvados Pays d'Auge is a smaller region on the East side of Calvados and has even more rules.
AOC Calvados Domfrontais is smaller still, and in addition to the usual laundry list of rules has one significant distinction. The fruit used to make the brandy must be at 30% pears. That's the only part you need to remember.
The way that ages are denoted is similar to Cognac but with a few wild cards thrown in:
Vieux or Réserve must be at least 3 years old.
Vieille Réserve and VO are the same as VSOP for some reason. Minimum of 4 years old.
X.O., Napoleon, Extra, Hors d'Age, and Tres Vieille Reserve all mean the same thing in Calvados because why not? The distillate must be at least 6 years old.
Here are some excellent examples to try:
https://www.compasswines.com/coquerel-calvados-fine-spcoqucafine750-37511/
https://www.compasswines.com/chateau-de-breuil-calvados-pays-dauge-vsop-spchduvs700-51001/
https://www.compasswines.com/claque-pepin-calvados-hda-750-spcpcalvhda750-49903/
Is that all there is to know about brandy? Absolutely not. I didn't even mention Californian, Spanish, and other assorted fruit brandies, but this newsletter is already too long so we will leave that for another day.
Thanks for reading!
Cory