Brandy

Brandy (short for brandywine, from Dutch brandewijn—'burnt wine'^[1]) is a general term for distilled wine, usually 40–60% ethyl alcohol by volume. In addition to wine, this spirit can also be made from grape pomace or fermented fruit juice. Unless specified otherwise, brandy is made from grape wine.^[2] It is normally consumed as an after-dinner drink. Brandy made from wine is generally colored with caramel coloring to imitate the effect of long aging in wooden casks; pomace and fruit brandies are generally drunk unaged, and are not usually colored.

History

The origins of brandy are unclear, and tied to the development of distillation. Concentrated alcoholic beverages were known in ancient Greece and Rome and may have a history going back to ancient Babylon. Brandy as it is known today first began to appear in the 12th century and became generally popular in the 14th century.

Initially wine was distilled as a preservation method and as a way to make the wine easier for merchants to transport. It was also thought that wine was originally distilled to lessen the tax which was assessed by volume. The intent was to add the water removed by distillation back to the brandy shortly before consumption. It was discovered that after having been stored in wooden casks, the resulting product had improved over the original distilled spirit.^[2] In addition to removing water, the distillation process leads to the formation and break-up of numerous aroma compounds, fundamentally altering the composition of the distillate from its source. Non-volatile substances such as pigments, sugars and salts, remain behind in the still. As a result, the taste of the distillate may be quite unlike that of the original source.

Types of brandy

There are three primary types of brandy. The term "brandy" denotes grape brandy if the type is not otherwise specified.

Grape brandy

Grape brandy is produced by the distillation of fermented grape juice. There are five main subtypes of grape brandies.

Cognac comes from the Cognac region in France^[2], and is double distilled using pot stills. Popular brands include Hine, Martell, Rémy Martin, Hennessy, Ragnaud-Sabourin, Delamain and Courvoisier.

Armagnac is made from grapes of the Armagnac region in Southwest of France (Gers, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne). It is single-continuous distilled in a copper still and aged in oak casks from Gascony or Limousin. Armagnac was the first distilled spirit in France. Armagnacs have a specificity: they offer vintage qualities. Popular brands are Darroze, Baron de Sigognac, Larressingle, Delord, Laubade, Gélas and Janneau.

Sherry is brandy fortified wine from Spain^[2] made in and around the town of Jerez, Spain and hence in Spanish it is called "Vino de Jerez". It too is a protected Denomination of Origin like Armagnac and cognac.

Brandy de Jerez is the brandy from the area of Jerez. As such it is an essential ingredient to Sherry, but it is also available separately. Like Sherry and Cognac it is a protected Denomination of Origin.

Grape brandies are also produced in several other countries, including Portugal where it is called aguardente (burning water), Mexico, Germany, and South Africa. South African grape brandies are, by law, made almost exactly as in Cognac, using a double-distillation process in copper pot stills followed by ageing in oak barrels for a minimum of three years. Because of this, South African brandies are of a very high quality and often suffer an unfair disadvantage as a result of being called "brandy".

Lourinhã, located in western Portugal's Estremadura region, is one of the few brandy-making areas to receive appellation status along with Cognac and Armagnac.

American grape brandy is almost always from California.^[2]

The European Union legally enforces Cognac as the exclusive name for brandy produced and distilled in the Cognac area of France, and Armagnac from the Gascony area of France, using traditional techniques.

Grape brandies are best drunk from a tulip-shaped glass or a snifter, at cool room temperature.^{[citation needed]} Often it is slightly warmed, by holding the glass in the cup of the palm or gently heating with a candle; however, such heating causes alcohol vapor to become very pungent so that the aromas are overpowered.^{[citation needed]} Brandy, like whisky and red wine, exhibits more pleasant aromas and flavors at a lower temperature, e.g., 16 degrees Celsius (61°F). In most homes, this would imply that the brandy should in fact rather be cooled for maximum enjoyment. Furthermore, alcohol (which makes up 40% of a typical brandy) becomes thin as it is heated, (but more viscous when cooled) leading to a fuller and smoother mouthfeel with less of a burning sensation.

Pomace brandy

Pomace brandy is produced from fermented grape pulp, seeds, and stems that remain after the grapes are pressed for their juice. Examples include the Italian grappa and the French marc.^[2]

Fruit brandy

Fruit brandies are distilled from fruits other than grapes. Apple, plum, peach, cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and apricot are the most commonly used fruit. Fruit brandy is usually clear, 80 to 90 proof, and usually drunk chilled or over ice.

Calvados is an apple brandy from the French region of Lower Normandy.^[2] Apple is pressed into cider, fermented with yeast and double distilled.

Cherry Brandy is a fruit brandy made from cherries. The most famous brand is the HEERING Cherry Liqueur (also known as Peter Heering or Cherry Heering) of Denmark founded in 1818. Cherries are pressed into a must, matured in oak casks and then blended into a liqueur. HEERING Cherry Liqueur is the orginal "cherry brandy" ingredient in the Singapore Sling drink from Raffles Hotel, Singapore.

Eau-de-vie is a general French term for fruit brandy.

Kirschwasser is a fruit brandy made from cherries.^[2]

Pálinka is a fruit brandy traditional to Hungary.^[2] It can be made from any kind of fruit - most often plum (szilva), apricot (barack), grape (törköly), elderberry (bodza), pear (vilmoskörte) and cherry (cseresznye). Less common pálinka-types include apple, peach and even walnut (dió). Mixed pálinka (vegyes) is also popular.

Slivovitz is a fruit brandy made from plums^[2], traditional to Bosnia And Herzegovina,Serbia and Croatia.

Slivovice is a strong 70% vol. (and more) fruit brandy made from plums, in Slovakia, the East mountains of the Czech republic (region Valachia - exactly Vizovice) and Southern mountain region of Poland.

Certain varieties of Schnapps or Snaps, light-bodied spirits that are drunk along with a meal in Germanic or Scandinavian countries.

Tuica (tzuika) is the clear Romanian brandy, made mainly from plums, apples, pears, apricots, mulberries, peaches, quinces or mixes of them. Other regional names as turţ, tura, horinca apply. As wine producers, Romania and Moldova have also a production of cognac-style brandy, named vinars or divin.

Variations

Pot vs. tower stills

Cognac and South African pot still brandy are examples of brandy produced in batches using pot stills (batch distillation). Many American brandies use fractional distillation in tower stills to perform their distillation. Special pot stills with a fractionation section on top are used for Armagnac.

Aging

A brandy can be aged in one of three main ways.

No aging: Many pomace and fruit brandies (cf. eau de vie) are not aged after distillation. The resulting product is typically a clear liquid.

Single barrel aging: Brandies that have a golden or brown color have been aged in oak casks.

Solera process: Some brandies are aged using the solera system. Brandies from Spain are typical of this variation.

Brandy Labels

Brandy has a rating system to describe its quality and condition, these indicators can usually be found near the brand name on the label.
A.C. : aged 2 years in wood.
V.S. : "Very Special" or 3-Star, aged at least 3 years in wood.
V.S.O.P. : "Very Special Old Pale" or 5-Star, aged at least 5 years in wood.
X.O. : "Extra Old", Napoleon or Vieille Reserve, aged at least 6 years, Napoleon at least 4 years.
Vintage : Stored in the cask until the time it is bottled with the label showing the vintage date.
Hors D'age: : These are too old to determine the age, although 10 years plus is typical, and are usually of great quality.

Distillation

A batch distillation typically works as follows: Wine with an alcohol concentration of 8-12%v/v and high acidity is boiled in a pot still. Vapours of ethanol, water and the numerous aroma components rise upwards and are collected in a condenser coil where it becomes a liquid again. The alcohol concentration of the condensed product (the distillate) is far higher than in the original wine (roughly 82% by volume). As the alcohol is continuously being removed from the wine, its alcohol concentration drops, resulting in a drop in the instantaneous alcohol concentration of the distillate. When all alcohol has been removed in the wine, the boiling point will be roughly that of water (100 degrees Celsius), and the distillate will contain no more alcohol. The accumulated distillate, however, will contain roughly 30% alcohol (ethanol) by volume. This distillate is usually distilled a second time and in both cases an amount of distillate is kept separate at the start as well as the end of the distillation process. These fractions are called the "heads" and "tails". The fraction that is kept is called the "heart". The hot conditions in the pot still as well as the fact that it usually consists of copper, cause chemical reactions to take place during the distillation. This leads to the formation of numerous new volatile aroma components, changes in relative amounts of aroma components in the wine, as well as the hydrolysis of components such as esters.

Historical production

As described in the 1728 edition of Cyclopaedia, the following method was used to distill brandy. A cucurbit was filled half full of the liquor from which brandy was to be drawn; and then raised, with a little fire, till about one sixth part was distilled, or till that which falls into the receiver was entirely flammable. This liquor, distilled only once, was called spirit of wine or brandy. Purified by another, or several more distillations, this was then called spirit of wine rectified. The second distillation was made in balneo mariae, and in a glass cucurbit; and the liquor was distilled to about one half the quantity. This was further rectified, as long as the operator thought necessary, to produce brandy. ^[3]

To abridge these several distillations, which were long and troublesome, a chemical instrument was invented, whereby the rectification of spirit of wine was performed in one single distillation. To test the goodness of the rectified spirit of wine, a portion was lit on fire. If the entire contents were consumed, without leaving any impurity behind, then the liquor was good. Another, better test involved putting a little gunpowder in the bottom of the spirit; if the gunpowder took fire when the spirit was consumed, then the liquor was good.^[3]

References

^ Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. 1989.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2007.
^ ^a ^b This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

[oed-1] Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. 1989.

[eb-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2007.

[cyclo-3] This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

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