Carlos 1 Brandy: What do you need to know?

Brandy from Spain usually comes from one of two regions: Jerez and Penedès. Carlos 1 hails from Jerez and is an XO style brandy.

• Did you know?

  The term XO Brandy, short for “extra old”, refers to a Brandy where the youngest spirit in the blend has been stored for at least six years in cask.

Produced by Pedro Domecq, this is a 38% alcohol grape Brandy that has been aged in a solera system, best known as the maturation system used for Sherry wines.

What does Carlos 1 Brandy taste like?

To look at, it’s got a beautiful colour, dark amber with hints of brilliant gold. Stick your nose in and take a sniff, and you’ll be treated with pleasant vanilla and wood. Take a sip, and the first thing you’ll note is just how smooth it is. Forget any preconceived notions you may have about Brandy here, there’s nothing rough here. The palate is smooth, subtly fruity, and the finish is pleasant and persistent.

How to serve Carlos 1 Brandy

Carlos 1 Brandy is a versatile drink, and you have a few options when it comes to how to serve and enjoy it. Let’s look at our top three ways to serve this Spanish delight!

1. Serving Carlos 1 Brandy neat

Serving Brandy neat is just about as classic as it gets. A high-quality bottle like Carlos 1 truly doesn’t need any accompaniment: The Brandy can and will speak for itself. While some cheaper brown spirits can be rough or unpleasant when served neat, Carlos 1 Brandy is nicely in balance. The alcohol is strong, though never overpowering. 

Pour yourself a measure into a Brandy snifter (or wine tasting glass if you’re stuck), sit back by the fire and enjoy the aromas and flavours. It’s not really advisable to serve your Brandy on the rocks, unless you find the alcohol (or flavours) too strong. Adding ice will effectively water down your drink and dull its character, so do so with caution!

2. Carlos 1 Brandy Sidecar

The Sidecar is a classic cocktail. Traditionally made with Cognac, it’s perfectly acceptable to use a Spanish Brandy instead, and Carlos 1 is our favourite. The ingredients are simple, it’s easy to put together, and it’s delicious!

Ingredients

• 5cl Carlos 1 Brandy
• 2cl orange liqueur
• 2cl lemon juice

Method

• Mix all three ingredients together in a cocktail shaker, and add crushed ice.
• Give it a good, strong shake and strain your mixture into a cocktail glass.
• Serve as is, without adding ice – enjoy!

3. Carlos 1 Brandy Stinger

The Stinger is another cocktail bar staple, and again we recommend using Carlos 1 in place of Cognac. This one is perhaps even simpler than the Sidecar, though no less potent – or delicious!

Ingredients

• 5cl Carlos 1 Brandy
• 2cl crème de menthe

Method

• Mix the Brandy and crème de menthe together with ice.
• Strain into a cocktail glass and serve.
• Optional: Serve on the rocks by adding ice!

Where to buy Carlos 1 Brandy

Crash course complete, you might be thirsty right about now. Reading is all well and good, but when it comes to wines and spirits, it’s all about learning by tasting!carlo

Buy Carlos 1 Brandy here and put our cocktail recipes and tips to the test!

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La entrada Everything you need to know about Carlos 1 Brandy se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.

Soberano Brandy and Cognac: How do they stack up?

First, let’s be clear: Not all Brandy is created equal. Some Brandy is intended to be unfussy and of entry-level quality. Others are prestigious and among the finest alcoholic drinks in the world, intended to be sipped and savoured much like a fine wine. Soberano Brandy belongs to the first category, while most Cognac will fall into the second. Nonetheless, it’s interesting to line them up and compare, to see how and why a quality Cognac is considered the superior drink. As we’ve got Spain’s most famous Brandy, let’s compare it with France’s most famous Cognac: Hennessy V.S.

Comparing Soberano Brandy with Hennessy V.S. Cognac

The difference in price alone will probably suggest that we’re dealing in two different leagues here, but let’s at least identify the players:

• Soberano Brandy
• Hennessy V.S. Cognac

Let’s compare these two Brandies on a different aspects, and try to see if there are any surprises!

Origin

Soberano Brandy is Spanish, and is produced by the well-known Gonzalez Byass in Jerez. This region is, of course, best known for producing Sherry, though they make Brandy here too. Hennessy, on the other hand, is French. It is the best known producer in Cognac, which lies to the north of Bordeaux. Hennessy is a world-famous Cognac house, and is owned by the international luxury goods group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. In terms of prestige, Hennessy beats Soberano Brandy here for sure.

Taste

Cognac is considered to be one of the finest beverages known to man. There is very little bad Cognac, and the best examples are up there with single malt Scotch whisky in terms of complexity. Hennessy V.S. is not the top Cognac in the Hennessy portfolio, though it is the flagship product. Virtually every liquor or spirits store in the world sells it, and for many it is the only Hennessy product they’ll ever taste, so it’s gotta be good! Thankfully, it is. Hennessy V.S. is intense and full-bodied, with flavours ranging from citrus, oak, apple and grapes. How does Soberano Brandy compare?

Compared to Hennessy, Soberano Brandy can feel a little thin. It has aromas of toffee and vanilla, and is quite smooth on the palate. However, it is simply nowhere near as complex as the Cognac. Soberano Brandy is lighter, less complex and less refined than its pricier equivalent. Speaking of price…

Price

Price is an important consideration for many, and why not? Hennessy – and any other Cognac, for that matter – simply cannot compete on price with Soberano Brandy. If you are looking for something cheap and cheerful, the Spanish bottle is your best bet – particularly due to its one-litre capacity. Those with a more discerning palate, however, may want to forget about Soberano Brandy altogether and opt instead for the finer, more balanced and luxurious option that is Hennessy V.S.

What is your favourite Brandy? Have you tried Spanish Brandy and French Cognac? Which is your favourite? Let us know in the comments!

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La entrada Soberano Brandy: How does it compare with Cognac? se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.

Brandy from Jerez is the result of distilling white wine from two specific grape varieties: Airén and Palomino, plus a further aging process in wooden barrels.
The ageing in wood is one of the characteristics that differentiate the Brandy from other spirits. The aging takes place in American oak casks with a capacity raging from 250 to 600 litres, and the requirement to have been “seasoned” for a minimum of three years, i.e. have contained some kind of Sherry (Fino, Palo Cortado, Amontillado, Pedro Ximénez, …), contributing significantly to provide the wooden casks with many different nuances, depending on the sherry they have previously contained.
Thus, from a barrel seasoned in Fino, we would obtain a paler Brandy than if it had contained Amontillado or Oloroso. The casks seasoned in Pedro Ximénez produce a much darker, medium-sweet spirit.

Aging is performed through the system of “soleras” and “criaderas”, which takes place exclusively in the famous triangle formed by the municipal boundaries of Jerez de la Frontera, Puerto de Santamaria and San Lúcar de Barrameda.

The uniqueness of this product is the time factor, determined by the system of “soleras” and “criaderas”. The complexity of this system guarantees that any Brandy from Jerez, regardless of age (minimum 6 months), contains components with a much higher aging degree than those resulting from a static aging system.
“Soleras” and “criaderas”, along with the distillation process and the micro-climate of the area, are the most important factors for the production of Brandy, providing homogeneity and quality during time and furnishing its peculiar personality.

According to the years of aging, we can find different denominations on the market:

• Solera: aged for a minimum of 1 year
• Solera reserve: aged for a minimum of 3 years
• Solera gran reserva: aged for a minimum of 12 years

We encourage you to re-discover this magnificent and historic distillate that will surely not leave you indifferent.

La entrada Brandy from Jerez se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.