Tasting and enjoying Brandy

Forget the angels hovering above the barrels in a brandy cellar to claim their share; it’s the permanently intoxicated spiders that intrigue me. Grown men fall over their own two feet after a few too many sips of spirit that has been watered down to 38% alcohol by volume (ABV). So how do these tiny eight-legged cellar-dwellers manage to weave their intricate webs and catch the occasional fly in an environment where nine litres of 70% ABV evaporate from each 300-litre barrel annually?

 

There are so many things to discover about brandy, the only spirit made from another alcoholic beverage, particularly in South Africa which boasts a 330-year history of production, a wealth of awardwinning brands, and average annual sales of around 45 million litres. That’s an incredible amount of alcohol to imagine, especially when you consider how much has been lost due to evaporation along the way. Not to mention that it takes five litres of wine to make one litre of brandy in the first place, with distillation based on the simple fact that alcohol boils at around 78.5°C while water boils at 100°C. By heating wine to around 80°C, the alcohol vaporises and wafts upwards, where it can be trapped and condensed, leaving a large amount of water behind.

A TASTE OF HISTORY

It was the Dutch who first came up with the idea for brandewijn (burnt wine), possibly because alcohol was taxed by volume rather than strength in the 16th century, so merchants buying wine from France’s Cognac region used distillation to reduce their tax bills. Another theory is that this wine was particularly poor, only improved by distillation. Either way, the Dutch enjoyed the resulting brandy – especially once it had spent some time being stored and/or transported in cask, a chance discovery which became common practice from the 17th century.

So it’s little wonder that brandy was being made at the Cape within 20 years of Dutch colonisation, the first documented distillation taking place on 19 May 1672. It’s also little wonder that Cape brandies can rival the best Cognacs of France, given we’ve been doing it for almost as long as the French have. Although restrictions under state/KWV co-operative control for most of the 20th century didn’t exactly encourage passion and innovation, even the cheaper brandies (containing up to 60% wine spirit produced in a continuous column still) were well made, and also made for a specific purpose: “It’s nice and warm in South Africa so we enjoy long drinks with lots of ice,” is how Distell master distiller Brink Liebenberg puts it.

However, he stresses that recent years have seen South Africans shift away from a ‘brandy and cola’ mentality – at the very least towards more subtle or complementary mixers such as Appletiser and ginger beer. On an even more exciting level, we are apparently showing more interest in the premium potstill brandies being produced by the big spirit companies as well as the small-volume brandies being handcrafted on wine estates. While these brandies might be as good as Cognac, they don’t (and shouldn’t aspire to) taste like Cognac, simply because our climate results in fresher, fruitier brandies: “You can smell the sunshine in the wines we use for distillation,” says Brink.

Where Ugni Blanc is the dominant grape in Cognac, SA brandies are predominantly made from Chenin Blanc and Colombar, grapes with a naturally high acidity (especially when picked relatively early) and a veritable fruit salad of flavours; flavours that are both purified and intensified by the distilling process. This is why Distell Spirits business director Caroline Snyman, a Cape Wine Master, describes brandy as “the very soul” of the wine from which it was distilled.

THE SOUL OF WINE

Medical doctor, botanist, poet and amateur chef C Louis Leipoldt once said, “For the layman it is not necessary to study the chemistry of brandy. I would also advise him not to try as it will only give him a headache.” But there are some important things to know, as well as some misconceptions to dispel – most importantly the one that only inferior or leftover wine is used to make brandy. “People don’t realise the quality of the wines that go into brandy,” says Brink. “But distillation is a concentration process, so it’s impossible to make a good brandy from a bad wine.”

He reveals that SA’s production regulations are among the strictest in the world, with distilling-wine production arguably more tightly controlled than table-wine production. For example, fining agents are not permitted (as fining would strip the wine of fatty acids and esters that add to the aromatics and flavour of the final product). Also, the use of sulphur is limited to 20 milligrams per litre (compared to a basic upper limit of 160mg/l for table wine), and alcohol content must be between 10% and 12%.

Distell, which dominates South African brandy production with big names including Van Ryn’s, Klipdrift, Oude Meester and Flight of the Fish Eagle (as well as the estate brandies of Nederburg and Uitkyk), buys wine from 56 different cellars across the winelands, qualifying Brink to observe that different regions produce different styles. “Generally speaking, what we get from Stellenbosch ends up in Van Ryn’s, while Robertson wines are typically more suited to Klipdrift.”

SA law stipulates that even blended brandies must contain at least 30% brandy that has been double-distilled in a copper potstill, while potstill brandies may contain no more than 10% wine spirit (and most are 100% pot-distilled). Once the ‘heart’ of the brandy has been extracted (and the highly alcoholic, volatile ‘head’ and ‘tail’ full of impurities removed), this clear liquid of around 70% ABV with all the essential fruity and floral characteristics of the original wine is transferred into oak barrels and must be matured for at least three years.

This is where the angels (and spiders) get their share, with Distell alone losing a staggering 300.000. a year to evaporation. “There’s not a lot left after 20 years,” laughs Brink. But it’s a price worth paying, given that the toasted wood slowly gives brandy those ever-deepening shades of amber as well as flavours like roasted nuts, spices, vanilla, chocolate and coffee. “There are interesting things happening in there,” he says, revealing that Distell has even employed someone with a PhD in analytical wood chemistry to unravel some of the mystery. “But ultimately the taste profile of the end product is what it’s all about.”

HAPPY ENDINGS

Consistency is highly desirable for a big distillery like Van Ryn’s, three-times winner of the Worldwide Best Brandy award at the International Wine & Spirit Competition, and three-times winner of the Best Brandy trophy at the International Spirits Challenge (both held in London). Why change a winning formula?

But that doesn’t mean consistency is easily achieved, given that each barrel of brandy differs in terms of flavour, smoothness and balance, and there are currently a staggering 130.000 barrels under maturation for Van Ryn’s potstill brandies. “I’ve got a lot to play with,” laughs Brink who must sniff, taste, test-blend and make notes about goodness knows how many components to come up with Van Ryn’s 10-, 12-, 15- and 20-year-old blends (the age refers to the youngest component).

To complete their brandies, South African distillers are legally permitted to add a miniscule amount of natural sweetness in the form of sugar syrup or honey (no more than 8g/l) and colour in the form of caramel (no more than one part per thousand). They then ‘cut’ the alcohol by volume down to 38% through the gradual addition of distilled water. The brandies are now ready to drink because – unlike wines – they do not continue developing in bottle.

Like wines, however, they can be sipped on their own or paired with food – as Caroline Snyman proved to me a couple of years ago over a very memorable lunch prepared by acclaimed Le Quartier Français chef Margot Janse. “Brandy’s many nuances of aroma, taste and texture mean it can be matched with a variety of dishes, from starters to main courses, desserts and even cheeses,” she said. “Its bracing acidity makes it an ideal counter to rich dishes, cleansing the mouth and even aiding digestion.”

Because South African brandies have exceptionally fruity notes of peach, apricot, apple and citrus, combined with wood spice notes of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, nuts and caramel, she said: “These intense and multi-layered bouquets and flavours mean that pure potstill brandies can stand up to very aromatic dishes offering an amalgam of flavours.”

She concluded the rather tipsy lunch as follows: “There are no rules when it comes to enjoying brandy except one of moderation.”

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BRANDY

BLENDED
Produced with long drinks in mind, blended brandy contains a minimum of 30% potstill brandy (wood-matured for at least three years) and a maximum of 70% wine spirit (unmatured) from a column still. 43% ABV (as the brandy will be further diluted by a mixer).

VINTAGE
Vintage brandy has a distinctive wood-maturation character thanks to containing a minimum of 30% potstill brandy and a maximum of 60% column-still spirit that have both been matured for at least eight years, as well as a maximum of 10% wine spirits (unmatured). 38% ABV.

POTSTILL
Potstill brandy must contain a minimum of 90% potstill brandy (wood-matured for at least three years) and a maximum of 10% wine spirits (unmatured), making it the most complex and flavourful of the three types. The longer the wood maturation, the richer and more full-bodied the brandy. 38% ABV.

ESTATE
Estate brandies may be made in any of the above three styles (and labelled accordingly), but must be produced from grapes grown, harvested, fermented, distilled, bottled and matured on the estate.

BRANDY TASTING GUIDE

APPEARANCE: Tilt the tasting glass (or a brandy snifter/balloon if you have one) away from you against a white background. The darker the brandy, the longer it has been matured in oak barrels, so you can typically expect wood spice aromas as well as a fuller, richer taste.

SMELL: Do not swirl the glass, as you would with wine, as the more volatile flavours could be lost. Keeping the glass still will also allow your nose to get used to the high alcohol. Don’t inhale deeply but rather ‘hover’ above the glass to pick up the subtle top notes of fruit, herbs and flowers. Then press your nose deeper into the glass to pick up the more complex aromas, including wood notes ranging from vanilla, toast and nuts to coffee and chocolate.

TASTE: Sip a small amount and ease it over the palate before swallowing. The focus is the degree of smoothness, with younger brandies tending to be harsher while older brandies are smoother and sweeter. Lighter, less complex brandies are generally good for mixing, whereas full-bodied, aged potstill or vintage brandies are best savoured neat, over ice or with a dash of water. Optimal serving temperature is 19°C and, in our warm climate, there is no need to cup the glass in your hands to warm the brandy...

EXPLORING SA BRANDY

Just as Cognac is dominated by companies like Martell, Hennessy, Remy Martin and Courvoisier (accounting for about four-fifths of exports), SA brandy production is dominated by two companies, namely Distell (think Van Ryn’s, Klipdrift, Oude Meester, Flight of the Fish Eagle, Olof Bergh, Nederburg, Uitkyk) and KWV (which also produces Imoya and owns award-winning brandy producer Laborie).

Distell’s Van Ryn’s Distillery near Stellenbosch offers tastings of its brandies paired with chocolate, coffee and desserts or with charcuterie (for R60 per person), plus you can take a tour to learn about every step of the brandy-making process – including the age-old art of cooperage or barrel-making (R80 for a tour and tasting). Tel 021 881 3875, www.vanryn.co.za.

The KWV Wine Emporium in Paarl offers a tasting of four brandies and four Belgian chocolates for R35. Tel 021.807.3007, www.kwv.co.za.

Both of the above are on the Western Cape Brandy Route, whose other members include Avontuur, Kaapzicht, Louiesenhof, Tokara and Uitkyk in Stellenbosch; Backsberg, Laborie and Nederburg in Paarl; De Compagnie, Oude Wellington, Jorgensen’s Distillery (Savingnac de Versailles) and Upland in Wellington; Cabrière in Franschhoek; and the historic Oude Molen distillery in Grabouw. The R62 Brandy Route includes the KWV House of Brandy in Worcester; Klipdrift in Robertson; Barrydale Cellar in Barrydale; Boplaas in Calitzdorp; and Grundheim, Kango and Mons Ruber in Oudtshoorn. For more information and contact details, see www.brandyroutes.co.za/routes.html.

This year’s Standard Bank Fine Brandy Festival takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre from 25 to 27 May. Cost of R195pp includes a brandy glass and beverage vouchers. Tickets through Computicket or at the door. See www.brandyfestival.co.za.

DID YOU KNOW?

• SA brandy producers have won the International Wine & Spirit Competition trophy for Best Brandy in the World no fewer than nine times over the past 12 years, namely KWV-owned LABORIE in 2010, BARRYDALE CELLAR in 2009, Distell-owned VAN RYN’s in 2008, 2005 and 2004, the KWV in 2007 and 2000, and OUDE MOLEN in 2001 and 1999.

• UPLAND in Wellington produces SA’s first cask-strength brandy, the Guinevere at 65% ABV.

• NEDERBURG in Paarl and OLOF BERGH in Goudini (both owned by Distell) use the age-old Spanish method of ageing Sherry, the Solera system, to mature their potstill brandies.

• CABRIÈRE in Franschhoek makes its Fine de Jourdan potstill brandy from 100% Chardonnay, while some distillers (e.g. NAPIER) are experimenting (successfully) with red varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage.

• The KWV HOUSE OF BRANDY in Worcester boasts the world’s biggest brandy cellar of its kind, including 120 copper potstills under one roof.

• MONS RUBER near De Rust is the only brandy distiller whose potstill is still heated by a wood-burning fire (in SA most use steam, though Van Ryn’s uses oil).

•The biggest potstills in South Africa are found at the historic OUDE MOLEN distillery in Grabouw. “Big Bertha” holds 25 000 litres and “Long Tom” has a capacity of 19 000 litres.