Breakthrough Brandy
There’s no Armagnac or Cognac mentioned below, but there are still options with history behind them—like calvados made the same way for 6 generations and apple brandy endorsed by George Washington. Inventive eau de vie made from mango, Douglas fir, and even carrot fill out the list.
Lustau Solera Reserva Brandy $23.96
Spanish brandy is in a class of its own: largely misunderstood and woefully underappreciated outside of its home country or a small community of snooty mixologists. Leave it to famous Andalusian sherry house Lustau to create a lovely brandy at a low price to introduce you to this excellent spirit genre! Aged 3 years in American oak that previously held Amontillado sherry, their Brandy de Jerez is rounder and a tad sweeter than French examples, but with a nuance and composition that is quite rare for brandies at this price point. – Chris Balla, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Laird’s Apple Brandy 100° $34.96
If you like drinking American spirits, but aren’t familiar with Laird’s Apple Brandy, then you’re missing out on a genuine historical treasure. Documented since the colonial era, this distillery holds the first license ever issued by the United States government & can boast that George Washington wrote to the family asking for their recipe. This brandy is a common component in many cocktails. Try a Laird’s Manhattan, Old Fashioned or make yourself a Honeymoon from the PDT Cocktail Book. The Laird family even recommends drinking it straight on the rocks. – Bambi Ray, Sales Manager
Lemorton Selection Calvados Domfrontais $42.96
The Lemorton family has a long history in the Domfrontais; Roger is the fifth generation and his son Didier now runs the company. This is a delicious Calvados, full of apple and pear flavors and followed by floral notes. The producers distill the cider after aging it in oak barrels for 11 months. After distillation, the spirit goes into barrels for about 30 years. More pear is used than usual, which is definitely noticeable. – Andrea Fraccari, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Half-Bottle of Clear Creek Douglas Fir $49.99
Clear Creek Distillery has been at the forefront of the now very popular craft distilling movement since the beginning. To produce this replica of the legendary Alsatian eau de vie, the team starts by picking young, fresh, green buds and immediately dumping them into buckets of their brandy to begin maceration and prevent oxidation. The result is a spirit with delicate texture, clear fruit flavors, and complexly layered, nuanced elements of mint, eucalyptus, rosemary, thyme, and menthol. Excellent as a digestif or in myriad cocktails, especially with gin. – Nima Ansari, Spirits Buyer
Distillerio Gualco Grappa Rubinia $54.96
Let this extraordinary muscat-based grappa make a convert of you. Gualco is a small, family-run distillery that has been operating for more than 300 years and is considered one of the best in all of Italy. One of the keys to their style is the use of a special bain marie.This low, gentle way of heating in a water bath helps retain the aromatic nuances of the grape and retains freshness, but it also allows them to remove the harsh, bitter “tail.” The result is smooth and elegant, full of apricot, floral notes and utterly delicious. – Amy Miller, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Rhine Hall Reserve Apple Brandy $56.96
On a recent trip to Chicago, I was able to pop my head into the Rhine Hall distillery for a tour with co-founder Jenny Solberg. In the corner was a bike-powered apple chopper that they formerly used in their personal eau de vie production (the bike wheel on the label is a nod to this). So clearly apple brandy is a forte of theirs. The balance of the oak on the spirit keeps the pure fruit expression intact while tempering it with notes of butterscotch, apple crumble pie, vanilla, and nutmeg, accenting the harmony of tart and bittersweet flavors coming from the brandy. – Jose Banegas, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Rhine Hall Mango Brandy $59.96
This is real, serious brandy. Some 25 pounds of fruit goes into each bottle, nothing else. No additives, preservatives, or flavor of any kind. Rhine Hall sources mangoes solely from Mexico during the brief season of peak ripeness, making a spirit that keeps a sense of place and a moment in time as well. The flavors are pure and complex, taking in the full range of flavor you’d expect to find in the fruit. Ripe and green at once, lightly herbal, it is powerfully aromatic, full on the palate, and a shockingly easy sipper considering the full proof. – Jon Miner, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Half-Bottle of Hans Reisetbauer Carrot Eau de Vie $74.96
Most people these days don’t drink eau de vie, period, let alone one made from root vegetables. But I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s one of the best spirits we carry. How did a carrot distillate even come about? A neighboring farmer was stuck with excess “ugly” carrots he couldn’t sell at market, but Hans saw opportunity. You taste roasted carrots, and raw carrots, yes, with the sweet earth still clinging to the leaves right off the farm. A flavor like hazelnut comes in on the palate, and rich vanilla cream. – Jon Miner, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Christian Drouin Calvados XO $84.96
I cannot get enough Calvados. It’s an obsession. Thank god it’s still obscure enough that pretty much everything we have is an incredible value. This bottle is a blend of spirits with minimum 8 years of age. Some of Drouin’s bottles have a mix of pear and apple fruit. The XO is 100% apple. It maintains the pure appleyness and slight funk you find in an exceptional Norman cider, even with time in oak. – Jon Miner, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant