Courvoisier VSOP Cognac, 40% vs Sainsbury’s Napoleon Brandy VSOP, 36%

This bottle cost £5.

This one £6.25.

Which one to purchase exercises many a customer.

Do you go for the big brand Cognac?

Or the lottery of a supermarket own label Brandy?

Being a blogger I purchased both – with the express intention of doing a back-to-back taste comparison.

Honouring accepted practice I started with the lowest ABV first.

Sainsbury’s Napoleon Brandy VSOP, 36%

Now it doesn’t state Sainsbury’s on the front of the rather plain label – but it’s clearly displayed on the rear.

There’s a confusing trio of terms giving mixed messages.

‘Napoleon’ denotes aged in oak & ‘Aged 3 Years’ is the youngest of the blending components – but ‘VSOP’ suggests 4 years in Cognac terms. Perhaps it doesn’t mean the same for Brandy?

Presented in a plastic bottle at 36% & labelled as Brandy clearly reduces the costs – but does it impact on the flavour?

Golden brown in colour. Soft nose of gentle sweet dark plums follows through into a mild – yet rich & warming – palate. Develops a slightly prickly finish fading slowly away.

An attractive easy going brandy with a touch of flair on the rear.

Courvoisier VSOP Cognac, 40%

Courvoisier pours an identical colour to Napoleon. The nose is rather shy too – but lifted by hints of woodiness. A similar mild palate grows with tannic spiciness on the rear.

The woody oakiness lifts this Cognac’s appeal.

Thoughts

For such a large price difference I was expecting a lot more from Courvoisier.

What I experienced were 2 very similarly tasting brandies with only the extra ageing giving an oaky lift to the cognac.

Given Sainsbury’s lists the 70cl bottles at £11.50 for Napoleon & £38 for Courvoisier – I’d rather spend my money exploring other brandy varieties before choosing the big brand again.

Sláinte

Prices listed March 2023 on Sainsbury’s webpage here.

Courvoisier website here.

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Martell VS, Cognac, 40%

Martell Cognac is available in virtually every Irish supermarket.

Not too surprising – Pernod Ricard own the brand.

I picked up this miniature to give it a whirl.

The nose was quite expressive, rich, warm & inviting with a touch of nuttiness.

The nuttiness followed through on the palate which was pleasingly smooth yet offered some depth & fruity complexity.

A welcome soft tannic spice livened up the finish.

Before the phylloxera bug nearly destroyed the vineyards of the late 1800’s Cognac was the spirit of choice.

I can see why after enjoying the flavoursome delights of this Martell VS.

Worth trying.

All images authors own.

St Rémy VSOP, French Brandy, 40%

Doing the Wine & Spirit Education Trust – WSET – Level 2 Spirits Course a few years ago opened my palate to spirit categories I hadn’t appreciated before.

Brandy being one of them.

This St Rémy bottle is a leftover from that course.

You have to taste a variety of spirits to pick out the characteristics of each category.

It looks like a whiskey.

The nose is sweet & fruity.

Soft, smooth & mellow on the palate.

Finishes with a gentle oaky spice.

An easy approachable drinker to sit back & mull over – if it wasn’t for the phylloxera epidemic of the 1860’s that wiped out most of the grapevines worldwide – could brandy have been as big as whiskey?

Sláinte

All images authors own.

Carlos I, Solera Gran Reserva, Brandy de Jerez, 40%

My wife brought me back this miniature from Spain a few years ago.

Never got round to tasting it – until now.

Plummy sweet nose with a solid earthy feel.

Sweet & easy palate with a slight nuttiness.

Lovely turn of earthy spice on the rear.

Beats any brandy I’ve had before!

One to sip & savour.

Sláinte

Mór Cider, Longueville House, 8%

It’s cider,

Mór cider c/othewhiskeynut

But just Mór.

Mór taste,

Mór flavour &

Mór strength.

Barrel aged cider c/othewhiskeynut

All contributed by ageing in Longueville’s own Apple Brandy casks.

Gimme Mór!

Sláinte

Luigi Francoli, Grappa Di Muscato E Brachetto, Barrique, 41.5%

It’s great to see the independent drinks specialist Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) launch a course in Ireland courtesy of Spirits Training.

When I completed my Spirits Level 2 module a while ago I visited the UK to sit the exam.

It shows a growing appreciation of and increasing demand for the spirits sector in Ireland.

My extra curricular training in Manchester proved to be very entertaining nonetheless! Visit my blog here.

WSET Spirits L2 c/othewhiskeynut

The Spirits Level 2 course doesn’t just cover whiskey – all distilled spirit categories including Gin, Vodka, Brandy, Mezcal & more are explored.

Many I’d little knowledge of – let alone tasted – which is an integral part of training.

I grew to understand each sector has it’s own rules & regulations, history & customs,  as well as creative interpretations & representations of those traditions across the world.

At the end of the day however – it all came down to which spirits excited my palate.

One I’d never encountered before was Grappa.

Long tall Luigi c/othewhiskeynut

Grappa – by definition – is an Italian based spirit distilled from grapes – the leftovers that is from wine production – or pomace as it’s known – and tends to be made by small producers.

The only grappa I could easily find in Ireland was by Luigi Francoli in my local O’Brien’s store.

Presented in an attractive bottle at 41.5%,  it stated the grape varietals used – Muscato e Brachetto – as well as ‘Barrique’ aged – in contrast to the usual unaged Grappa’s.

Oh – the distillery was founded in 1875.

Italian Grappa c/othewhiskeynut

The grape influence was evident – but not in a sweet way – which usually puts me off – more of a nutty, earthy kind of experience.

A lovely soft mouthfeel grew in depth adding fruitiness & more of that nuttiness too – before finishing with a gentle spiciness to add character.

I’d happily enjoy one or two of these after a meal – which is the custom – and possibly explore other offerings as well.

If anything the WSET Spirits course has expanded both my knowledge of the spirits world & introduced my palate to a greater repertoire of tasting experiences.

Isn’t it about time you did the course?

Sláinte