Brandy

[VicParticipant @vic]

I got back from a week away yesterday and whilst I was there I sampled the local Brandy. I’ve never really been a brandy drinker but I really got to like Metaxa 5 star and 7 star. I always assumed Metaxa was just a cheap alternative to the French stuff but given the choice I came back with a litre bottle of the Metaxa 7 star. The Martell VS was ok but of the French stuff I tried I preferred the rather pricey Hennessy XO. The allowance these days is four litres and in hindsight I should have bought a selection back including the Metaxa 5 star Greek Orange, maybe next time. 😋

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

I can’t say I’m a brandy drinker so I looked it up. Apparently it’s blended with wine before aging which doubtless takes some of the harsher notes away. What’s important of course is enjoyment!

I had similar issues with rum. The British dark stuff just tastes like burnt sugar but holidays in the Carribbean introduced me to some rather pleasing Jamaican rums that are quite more-ish

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Pedant alert, but Metaxa isn’t Brandy!

I expect a connoisseur would be upset by the mistake.  Not me, I’m happy if I like the taste!

Enjoy…

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

When I drank Metaxa in Greece I thought they’d got mixed up with the paint stripper. Marginally worse than retsina if that is possible

[SillyOldDuffer]

On SillyOldDuffer Said:

Pedant alert, but Metaxa isn’t Brandy!

I expect a connoisseur would be upset by the mistake.  Not me, I’m happy if I like the taste!

Enjoy…

I’ve had some very good sparkling wine produced outside the Champagne region, and some rather unpalatable stuff produced inside.

[Vic]

On 28 September 2024 at 13:11 Vic Said:

The allowance these days is four litres

Lucky sods!

[Vic]

On Vic Said:

On SillyOldDuffer Said:

Pedant alert, but Metaxa isn’t Brandy!

I expect a connoisseur would be upset by the mistake.  Not me, I’m happy if I like the taste!

Enjoy…

I’ve had some very good sparkling wine produced outside the Champagne region, and some rather unpalatable stuff produced inside.

Me too!   I have a sweet tooth and prefer Prosecco.

My 3 worst drinks were:

• A French Red wine, can’t remember what it was, but the bottle came wired into a stack of 2×5!  Extremely cheap.  I suspect the French use it for cooking if they have to, but prefer to sell it to bargain hunting Brits.
• British Wine bought in Moffat, Scotland circa 1980.  Also very cheap.   Label said it was made from a blend of fruit juice concentrates…
• A local Ouzo brought back from Greece by a mate who persuaded me it should be gulped neat.  Wow! I went purple, and my glasses steamed up.  Even drunk properly, diluted, it was vile.

Young folk today don’t know they’re born. Not had anything nasty for years from a UK supermarket.  In the good old days, fine wine had anti-freeze in it, and yer dad fancied himself with a Boots kit and rhubarb.

Dave

[SillyOldDuffer]

On SillyOldDuffer Said:

Pedant alert, but Metaxa isn’t Brandy!

I was looking for some of the Orange Metaxa Brandy and came across this site. Not the only one either to list Metaxa as a Brandy.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Pedantry only works when you’re right

MichaelG.

.

https://www.remymartin.com/en-uk/news/stories/cognac-vs-brandy-what-is-the-difference/#:~:text=Examples%20of%20brandy%20include%20pisco,in%20the%20southwest%20of%20France.&text=considered%20as%20brandy%2C%20but%20not%20all%20brandy%20is%20cognac.”

[SillyOldDuffer]

On SillyOldDuffer Said:

Pedant alert, but Metaxa isn’t Brandy!

I expect a connoisseur would be upset by the mistake.  Not me, I’m happy if I like the taste!

Enjoy…

Only if you’re inside the EU. It’s a mix of wine and grape spirit so doesn’t meet EU definition of brandy.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

There are 31 occurrences of the word brandy in this EU document:

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32019R0787

The time taken reading it [never mind trying to comprehend it] might be better-spent !

MichaelG.

[Vic]

On Vic Said:

On SillyOldDuffer Said:

Pedant alert, but Metaxa isn’t Brandy!

I was looking for some of the Orange Metaxa Brandy and came across this site. Not the only one either to list Metaxa as a Brandy.

Yup, we know about salesmen!  House of Malt could be mis-selling, or maybe they can call it Brandy in the UK thanks to Brexit!

Metaxa don’t claim the product is brandy and they don’t put the B word on the bottle.   Instead:

Example 1: “The Original Greek Spirit”

Example 2:  The 12 Star version also ‘The Original Greek Spirit’ plus promotion to ‘Greek Specialty Liqueur’.

 

 

Does it matter?  Only if the buyer was conned into expecting legal Brandy, and hated the taste.   Or splashed out on an expensive brandy only to find an old bottle with a good label had been refilled with Metaxa!   Unlikely to upset me because I don’t yearn for “very long and intense flavors: nutty, fruity, and citrusy with a rich, seemingly everlasting finish”, or “clean and smooth, like orange sherbet, with a bit of spice and bracing heat at the end“.

Similar naming complications with Whisky:  should it be spelt with an e or not?

Dave

[SillyOldDuffer]

On SillyOldDuffer Said:

[…] Similar naming complications with Whisky:  should it be spelt with an e or not?

To a first approximation … That one’s easy

[unless perhaps you are fixated upon “1066 and all that”]

… Country of Origin is either Scotland [without]  or Ireland [with].

MichaelG.

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

A slight diversion.  Just remember, “all Cognac is Brandy, but not all Brandy is Cognac”.

[Bo’sun]

On Bo’sun Said:

A slight diversion.  Just remember, “all Cognac is Brandy, but not all Brandy is Cognac”.

As clearly stated by Remy Martin in the link I provided yesterday

MichaelG.

[Michael Gilligan]

On Michael Gilligan Said:

On SillyOldDuffer Said:

[…] Similar naming complications with Whisky:  should it be spelt with an e or not?

To a first approximation … That one’s easy

[unless perhaps you are fixated upon “1066 and all that”]

… Country of Origin is either Scotland [without]  or Ireland [with].

MichaelG.

What about Welsh or English, or even Japanese, which I seem to recall winng a prize recently.

[duncan webster 1]

On duncan webster 1 Said:

[…] What about Welsh or English, or even Japanese, which I seem to recall winng a prize recently.

What about them ?

… I did say: “to a first approximation”

MichaelG.

.

 

P.S. __ The Welsh ones I have tried since moving here have all been Whisky

[Rick HannParticipant @rickhann79631]

Reference the 4 liter allowance.  What is the penalty for bringing in 5 liters as long as you declare it.  Trying to bring it in w/o declaring it would be considered smuggling, but not if you declare it.  When I lived in Germany and travelled to the states, I would often carry more than the “allowed amount” but would declare it.  The tariff on a couple bottles was negligible and the customs people would not want to process the paperwork to collect the tariff and let me go through with no problem.  That was 20 years ago though and maybe things have changed.  Just wondering?  Rick

[Michael Gilligan]

On Michael Gilligan Said:

On duncan webster 1 Said:

[…] What about Welsh or English, or even Japanese, which I seem to recall winng a prize recently..

…

P.S. __ The Welsh ones I have tried since moving here have all been Whisky

As is right and proper!  Whiskey, spelt with an ‘e’, is protected by law and it must come from Scotland.   Whisky describes any somewhat similar spirit,  and anyone can use the name.   This includes liquids that definitely not whiskey!

Many other examples of legal definitions:  Cognac and Champagne must come from a particular region in France.  In the EU, ‘Brandy’ can be made anywhere, but it has to meet a legal definition; not just any flavoured alcohol will do.

I don’t know why booze is so complicated.  I suspect a mix of trade protectionism, governments supporting a tax source, with just a tad of consumerism.

Dave

[Frank GorseParticipant @frankgorse]

I think you’ve got that the wrong way round Dave.Scotch is Whisky,most others are Whiskey.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Penderyn distilled in Wales is advertised as Whiskey

The English Distillery based in Norfolk advertises Whisky

Suntory Whisky is distilled in Japan

Indri Single Malt Whisky is distilled in India

all available on sale in UK. I think the only protected bit is the word ‘Scotch’

Irish and American Whiskey seems to consistently have the ‘e’

[duncan webster 1]

On duncan webster 1 Said:

Penderyn distilled in Wales is advertised as Whiskey

[…]

I was about to apologise, Duncan … but then I remembered, I had kept this  empty bottle:

.

.

MichaelG.

.

Ref. __ https://www.penderyn.wales/

[Frank Gorse]

On Frank Gorse Said:

I think you’ve got that the wrong way round Dave.Scotch is Whisky,most others are Whiskey.

Frank is right!  Apologies to all, though this is how the gods punish pedants!

I’m worried by it, because I’ve been making far too many silly mistakes recently, and not just on the forum.   Caused by my innards distracting me with shooting pains – my ability to concentrate is in ruins.

I already avoid posting when the pain is bad, I think I need to stop as soon as it gets uncomfortable.

🙁

Dave

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Take care of yourself, Dave

Your contributions here are always interesting, but your health is more important than educating/amusing us lot.

MichaelG.

[Michael Gilligan]

On Michael Gilligan Said:

On duncan webster 1 Said:

Penderyn distilled in Wales is advertised as Whiskey

[…]

I was about to apologise, Duncan … but then I remembered, I had kept this  empty bottle:

.

.

MichaelG.

.

Ref. __ https://www.penderyn.wales/

Oops, can’t get it right all the time, some of the time would be good. I think the only protected bit is ‘scotch’

This might be a double post, I thought I had posted it last night but it has not apoeared

[Author]

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