The Global Brandy Masters 2015 results

Casting aside memories of market tumult, our judges set out to reward the best brandies on the world stage and discovered gems aplenty.

Brandy is no longer the dusty after dinner drink it was once considered, as our Global Brandy Masters attests

The word “brandy” hails from Dutch word brandewijn meaning burnt or distilled wine. Historically, the Dutch used distillation to preserve wine on ocean voyages, intending to add water shortly before consumption – but merchants soon discovered the resulting liquid was much more appealing to the palate, and so the category was born.

A poignant notion, as 2015 marks the first Global Spirits Masters in which brandy has dropped its metaphorical anchor and docked as a category in its own right.

Independent gin consultant David Smith chaired the panel, which saw Athila Roose, head sommelier at The Arts Club; Mike Best, business development manager at the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET); Summer Fruit Cup’s Sara Smith; Tobias Gorn, director of Chapman & Gorn; Nicola Thomson,

Armagnac Musketeer; Luca Cordiglieri, president of the United Kingdom Bartenders Guild (UKBG); and Kristiane Sherry, editor of The Spirits Business, meet at Canary Wharf’s One Canada Square with eager palates.

The day opened with a pocket-sized flight of Armagnac with one entry, Château de Castex 21 Year Old, that set the tone for the rest of the competition by securing a Master medal. “Warm, round and well-aged”, the variant was an instant hit with judges for its “excellent progression on the palate”.

David Smith said: “It’s interesting to note that what makes good Cognac does not necessarily make good Armagnac. There’s more regionality and artisan production, and greater nuance with grape variety – small distillers with personal flair.”

To round off the country, we moved on to the more generalised sub-category, France, which saw the “sweet, complex” Symbole National XO attract a Gold medal.

The next region to be put under the spotlight was South Africa – arguably the world leader in brandy as far as history goes, with five distinct flights that both explored and honoured the spectrum.

Tobias Gorn, director of Chapman & Gorn, examines one of the offerings of the day

Blended was first up, attracting three Silver medals for Distell – starting with Klipdrift Export, a “clean, fruity and well-balanced brandy that is perfect for mixing, particularly in something like a Highball.” Richelieu International was praised for its finish; Viceroy for a “smooth, rounded mouthfeel”.

The tiny Vintage flight of Gold medal-winning Richelieu 10 Year Old that followed delighted judges. Sherry observed: “This is an exceptional example of a vintage South African brandy.”

We pressed on to a set of age-classified pot still flights, starting with 3-9 Years.

Oude Meester Demant charmed judges, its notes of “rich cooked red fruits”, “baking spices” and a “deliciously long finish” securing a Master medal. Roose said: “This is why South African brandy has such a fantastic reputation. It’s only a shame these styles aren’t more widely available globally.”

Moving up the age ladder, judges met two pot still expressions aged between 10 and 12 years: Silver medalist Oude Meester Reserve, and Gold-winner Van Ryn’s 12 Year Old Distillers’s Reserve. Gorn said: “These are two delicious examples of aged brandies that have mellowed out the spicier character of the spirit over time. Van Ryn’s was exceptional for its indulgent chocolate palate with notes of winter spices.”

Judges from left to right: Kristiane Sherry, Sara Smith, David Smith, Tobias Gorn, Athila Roose, Mike Best, Luca Cordiglieri, and Nicola Thomson

Rounding off the pot still sub-category, and indeed, the South African offerings, were four entries aged 13 years and above. Oude Meester Sovereign was held in the highest esteem, attracting a Master medal for its “soft, sweet and honeyed palate”, which opens up into “baking spices, cloves and cooked fruit” – with each of the three remaining brandies scoring Gold medals.

Cordiglieri said: “There was mixed bag here. Two shone through, but a couple of the older brandies were just slightly off the mark in terms of consistency and clarity.”

The penultimate round took the panel around 5,000 miles north to Spain, a country with a long history in brandy production. The judges were impressed by the “accessible range of flavours” and awarded three Silver and two Gold medals.

Sara Smith said: “There were some intriguing cherry-esque flavours – rich and fruity dessert brandies which were, on occasion, a little heavy on caramel.”

The final selection to be tasted were entries from Other Regions – represented by two Australian offerings from VOK Beverages which attracted Silver medals.

Thomson said: “These brandies had bold flavours, with notes of grape and woody spice coming through very well. Having said that, there was good variety between the two entries, and both were accessible for everyday use.“

Summing up the round, Sherry praised the level of innovation demonstrated by brands.

She said: “It was great to see such regional variations between brandy styles, and it’s clear that brands are keen to differentiate and push the character of their individual products. It bodes well for the future of the category that so much flavour innovation is coming through.”

Click through to the following page for the complete list of medal winners from The Global Brandy Masters 2015.