Jacoulot Petit Brandy

Jacoulot Petit Brandy
Brandy de Bourgogne

45% ABV
$35
Website
Jacoulot le Petit Brandy

What the Distillery Says

Jacoulot, located in Romanèche-Thorins, a village in the heart of France’s Burgundy region, is a haute couture distillery that has been transforming the region’s signature pinot noir grapes into rich, complex brandies since 1891. The Jacoulot trademark is a distinctive and unique combination of aromatic complexity, finesse, and elegance achieved by distilling and aging hyper-local fruit spirits in their historic cellar, notable for its consistently cool and humid temperature. Jacoulot rose to fame in the bouchons of Lyon for producing the region’s finest grape-based eau de vie – their iconic L’Authentique Marc de Bourgogne.

Philippe Vançon and Anne Pascal, the current owners and team behind Jacoulot, have taken this historic house to new heights with an intense focus on quality, utilizing the bounty of local ingredients native to the Burgundy and Rhône regions. They are true craftspeople, meticulous in their production methods and thoughtful innovations, consistently delivering exquisite, handcrafted brandies from one of the great viticultural and gastronomic regions of the world.

Production – Petit Brandy is a completely fresh and innovative take on Jacoulot’s classic French grape spirits, distilled exclusively from Burgundian pinot noir. Petit Brandy, a blend of equal parts three-year-old Marc and three-year-old Fine, is one of the first brandies to merge both pomace and wine distillates, highlighting the best attributes and subtleties of both styles. The base eaux de vie are single-distilled in Jacoulot’s mobile alembic still, then aged in 228L, 600L, and 700L French oak barrels in their cool, humid cellar. The Marc and Fine are then married into old 10,000L French barrels before being bottled at 45% ABV, ideal for both sipping and mixing. Jacoulot Petit Brandy captures the full spectrum of the Pinot Noir grape, creating a completely new, deliciously complex brandy profile.

Tasting Notes – Aromatic, integrated notes of milk chocolate, coffee, red plums, golden raisins, and cinnamon. The palate is lush and chewy, with a long, elegant finish.

Usage Notes – Use in brandy-based classics such as a French 75, Sazerac, or Champs-Élysees for dynamic, world-class cocktails with a notably Burgundian character.

  • Distilled pinot noir pomace and wine from Côte de Beaune
  • Single-distilled in a mobile alembic still
  • Blend of brandies aged 3-4 years in 228L barriques and 600-700L demi-muids
  • Notes of milk chocolate, coffee, red plums, golden raisins, and cinnamon
  • Use in classic brandy-based cocktails for an unmistakable pinot noir elegance

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich, milk chocolate, raisins, honey, citrus, bit of a funk I can’t quite put my finger on.
Palate: Honey with candied orange, lemon, raisins, grapefruit.
Finish:  Moderate in length with honey and vanilla.
Comments:  Wow, not being that familiar with brandy I wasn’t sure what to expect – but this surprised me! The honey is pretty heavy, in fact this reminds me a bit of a honey liqueur (not QUITE that honey intensive, but close). Fright forward which I expected, but the richness of the nose surprised me as well. A bit of water brings out some floral and pineapple notes on the nose. This really shines as an aperitif; think summer orchard stroll in a glass. Nicely balanced and nuanced, at least to me. Again, someone with a lot of brandy experience, but I really enjoyed just sipping this one neat.

Rating: Must Try

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E&J XO Brandy

E&J XO Brandy

40% ABV
$16
Website
E&J XO Brandy

What the Distillery Says

Bold and seductively smooth, nothing complements the night quite like E&J XO, which is charcoal-filtered to create the ultimate drinking experience.

Tasting Notes
Barrel-aged for a minimum of two years
Charcoal-filtered for the ultimate smooth finish
Balanced sweet and toasted flavor

What Gary Says

Nose: Heavy vanilla, subtle floral notes with a bit of cocoa, maple and cherry.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, caramel creme candy, vanilla, sugar cookies, nutmeg, a bit of cinnamon and a hint of cherry cola.
Finish: Short in length, sweet with notes of cherry cordial.
Comments: This is nice, very smooth. On the nose, it’s like vanilla extract in terms of the weight of the vanilla – but if you work past that you get some other notes. I bought a 50 mL mini of this just to benchmark some other brandies against, and glad I did as previously I had E&J VS for our ‘cooking brandy’ and I’ll definitely replace it with this!

Rating: Stands Out

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E&J VS Brandy

E&J VS Brandy

40% ABV
$14
Website
E&J VS Brandy

What the Distillery Says

E&J VS entered the scene in 1975 and has been an OG fan-favorite ever since. Sip it straight-up, or mix it up as a cocktail.

Tasting Notes
Barrel-aged for a minimum of two years
Hints of apple, toasted oak, and vanilla
Crisp and light-bodied

What Gary Says

Nose: Bright, crisp, subtle floral, perfume with grapes.
Palate: Round mouthfeel, light, grapes, bit of baking spices with vanilla and a hint of pears.
Finish: Short to moderate in length, slightly drying with caramel and fading spices.
Comments: Compared to E&J XO Brandy, this is brighter but thinner. Shows that the XO age absolutely makes a difference. For only a dollar or two more, I’d definitely go for the XO and skip this one all together. Don’t get me wrong – this wasn’t bad or anything like that, but just pales in comparison for my money.

Rating: Average

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Foursquare Master Series Edition No. 1 Rum

Foursquare Master Series Edition No. 1 Rum
Single Blended Rum

62% ABV
$150-$400 (auction only)
Website
Foursquare Master Series Edition No. 1

What the Bottle Says

Foursquare Rum Distillery
Master Series Edition No 1
Single Blended Rum | Fine Barbados Rum
Private Cask Selection | Concierge Total Wine
Aged 12 Years, MMXX Release
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon & Ex-Sherry
62% Alc./Vol.
Distilled, matured and bottled at Foursquare Rum Distillery, Barbados

What Gary Says

Nose:  Banana, charred oak, coconut, tobacco, vanilla and tahini.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel with dark chocolate, chili oil, caramelized banana, tobacco, vanilla, cinnamon and citrus zest.
Finish:  Long, warm, syrupy, spicy with chocolate, honey and banana.
Comments:  Absolutely not a rum expert, or even afficionado (but am blessed to have friends who gift me samples of lovely things like this, so want to share my thoughts for any who might give a damn). This is a really nice rum! A tad hot on the nose, but intense flavor. A bit of water doesn’t hurt it, and brings out more coconut on the nose while tamping the heat on the palate and bringing some caramel to the party (and while it’s hard to imagine, made the mouthfeel even thicker than it already was). Not sure what this sold for initially, but have seen auction prices ranging from just over $150 (not including shipping/hammer fees) to closer to $400.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Appleton Estate 12‑Year‑Old Rare Casks Jamaican Rum

Appleton Estate 12‑Year‑Old Rare Casks Jamaican Rum

43% ABV
$43
Website
Appleton Estate 12‑Year‑Old Rare Casks Jamaican Rum

What the Producer Says

The proof that craftsmanship and talent need another ingredient to achieve excellence: Joy

12 Year Old Rare Casks is a true expression of Master Blender Joy Spence’s passion. A blend of rare hand-selected pot and column still rums crafted with limestone-filtered water, all aged for a minimum of 12 years in the tropical climate of Jamaica.

Color: Deep bronze with a honey gold ring of age and mahogany reflections.
Aroma: Toasted oak, dried fruit, and hazelnut, followed by notes of dark cocoa, molasses, orange peel, vanilla, and hints of coffee.
Finish: Long, bittersweet, and luscious.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Banana nut bread with tropical fruit notes of coconut, mango, vanilla, oak and a hint of maple.
Palate:  Sweet caramel, vanilla, milk chocolate, unsweetened coconut, bit of maple, candied grapefruit and subtle spice notes.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, with cotton candy, caramel and pepper spice.
Comments:  Continuing with another rum, this one is quite different from the Foursquare offering. On the palate, this reminds me a bit of a bourbon. Enjoyed the tropical fruit notes, and very easy to drink.

Rating: Stands Out

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