Cognacs and brandies are aged like whiskeys, first distilled, and then aged in oak casks. While the minimum aging is usually around 2 years, many producers extend there aging beyond that point. This isn’t the only way to age a liquor though. Enter Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva, which utilizes the Solera method to craft a brandy utilizing Spanish white grapes.
Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva
Aged in ex-American oak casks used for Amontillado casks for three years, Lustau Brandy de Jerez is produced in the Solera method.
The Solera method is a method of aging multiple vintages and blending them over time. When in a Solera, wine (or in this case liquor) is placed in tiers, where the youngest wine is at the top of scale, the oldest wine is placed at the bottom. The wine is then removed from the lowest level in parts for bottling, and is replenished by the layer above. Depending on the size of the solera, this layer is topped up with the layer above it, until top is reached – where new wine (or liquor) is added. By this blending method, multiple vintages of wine are combined so that the end product is consistent.
Sight: A lovely brownish caramel with hints of aging pennies.
Smell: There’s a beautifully raisined smell that comes off in heady waves. It mixes dark fruits and caramelized, dried fruit sugars. Touches of candied sugars and yeastiness join in with touches of candied orange and dried apricots.
Sip: The caramelized fruit sugars continue onto the palate with a light sweetness that gradually fades. Notes of oak and yeast come in, with a bit of baking croissant. Touches of raisin and an earthiness continue throughout with a hint of spice and nuttiness.
Savor: The ending is gentle, tannic, and dry. Flavors of spice and toast mix with touches of dried dark fruit and a hint of caramel.
Lustau Brandy de Jerez is slightly sweet and delightfully layered. While there is a definite grape flavor going on, there’s also a lot of great dried fruit and caramelized sugar notes that don’t show up in all brandies. The complexity leaves it in a lovely spot below the price of cognac, but with significantly more complexity than basement dwellers. While it isn’t the most exciting sipper, there’s a lot here you can work with in a drink.
In Cocktails
In testing we found that Brandy de Jerez adds a lot of caramelized sugar, bready notes, and hints of fruit. As a result, it helps express complexity with Amaros or other spicy ingredients. In a sidecar it gives a delightful roundness and a dark fruit, spice, and nutty note that plays nicely off the citrus. In our upcoming cocktail book, you’ll be able to find one of our favorites, the Snickerdoodle.
Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva Overall
Lustau Brandy de Jerez was one of my favorite finds of the last year. It’s particularly fun to craft around, thanks to it’s deep complexity. If you need to split a difference between Christian Brothers and Pierre Ferrand 1840, this comes in at a price point that’s certainly worth a try. For these reasons, we feel that Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva deserves a spot on our recommended bottles for starting a home bar list.
Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva Cocktails
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