Korbel Brandy
Korbel California Champagne Cellars
40% Alcohol (80 Proof)
You rarely hear about California brandy. It's always the stuff from Europe that garners attention. Not that there isn't amazing brandy made in California (Germain-Robin for example), it's just not that big of industry here in American compared to say our wine or craft beer cultures.
The good thing about brandy made here in the states is that it tends to be cheaper on average. Case in point, this brandy, the Korbel California Champagne Cellars Brandy. I picked this bottle up on sale for $8, while retail is still only something like $11. Now that's ridiculously cheap.
At this super low price point, I wasn't expecting much at all. Maybe a boozy, hot mess that didn't really taste like brandy. But what did I get? Well, let's see...
The Korbel Brandy is aged in semi-charred American oak barrels which lends some unique characteristics. It has a fairly deep color for a young brandy, mostly due to the charcoal oak aging, much like bourbon. It has aromas of grape juice, caramel and a hint of smoke and ethanol. Tasting brings a some generic wine flavors, a bit of sweet caramel and apricot, and more of the hints of smoke and oak, with the alcohol presence being noticeable but not as much as I was expecting for such a cheap brandy.
All in all, one of the better super cheap brandies I've tried. It's not great by any means, but it's a brandy that I could easily have a drink of while I'm using it to cook a sauce with. It's not overly sweet like many cheap brandies, but it's also not overly hot and boozy. Still, if I want a brandy purely for drinking I'm much more likely to spend another $20 a bottle and buy something a bit more elegant and maybe with a silkier mouthfeel. But at this price (~$11 or less), it's hard to complain.
Drink This: if you want a super cheap brandy that's perfect for cooking, but good enough to have a drink or two of.
Don't Drink This: if you're looking for a classy, elegant brandy. My recommendation for amazing American brandies is still the Germain-Robin line up, but those aren't really everyday type of drinks being that most are >$100 a bottle...
Cheers, my friends!
A few of the top liquor bottle caps manufacturers in India have gone a bit ahead, and have even ventured successfully into an area that was all these days the realm of the French - making special liners for wines and even labeling wine corks. Several very popular wines from around the world now get their corks labeled in India. Some of the Indian firms have technologies that even the world's best firms can't surpass. That ensures that all the necessary quality parameters, including the exact shade of the colors on the liquor bottle aluminum caps, and the wine corks that are used in bottling, are of a perfect quality. According to industry experts, this is a positive move for the vintners, as it helps offset some of the rising costs the industry has been facing in the recent times.. empty liquor bottles wholesale
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time visit to your blog and I am very interested in the articles that you serve. Provide enough knowledge for me. Thank you for sharing useful and don't forget, keep sharing useful info: visit website
ReplyDeletethank you
ReplyDelete