Other Spirits

Jacoulot Petit Brandy
Brandy de Bourgogne

45% ABV
$35
Website

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). Fruit 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