I had brandy once and it tasted mighty fine. It was smooth, rich, and a perfect relaxation drink. A couple weeks back I ordered a drink of brandy at the SUnspot Cafe, something of a local fixture.
It made my mouth go numb and I had to gag it down. I left the Sunspot and never returned, and prolly never will. I later learned I had been served *cooking *brandy. I was not amused.
Anyone got some good brands or brandy?
Grappa.
One of my favorite things in the whole world (not just favorite brandy; not just favorite liquor) is a Spanish brandy named Gran Duque dAlba. Incredibly smooth. Touch of sweetness, like hints of melted caramel. It’s not cheap… roughly $45 for a 750 ml bottle, but worth every delectable drop.
Armagnac is your friend.
That’s good. Cruel, but good.
Anything more oriented to a small budget?
Armagnac is your friend.
Also:
Laird’s (the applejack people) also make a 7-year and a 12-year apple brandy that are pretty good.
Clear Creek has a whole bunch of brandies; try the pear.
If you’re genuinely just getting into brandy for the first time, you might want to try Metaxa as a gateway drug.
I find that Courvoisier and Hennessy are both smooth enough to drink straight or with ice.
Many cheaper brandies/cognacs can be a bit rough and need a mixer of some kind.
See if you can get some good South African brandy. Made exactly like good Cognac, by law, pot-stilled, oak-aged and smooth. At a fraction of the price.