I was over at a friends house, the other night, and they poured up some brandy. This is a liquer that I am not real familiar with, but it went so nicely with the Hdm DC I was smoking, that I was wondering what brands of brandy went well with cigars?????

The brand he had was E&J VSOP???

What are your favorites???? I usually drink scotch, but this brandy cigar pairing has me entranced.

Suggestions for the Brandy newbie???

Dave (A.K.A. Homebrew)

I like Courvosier (cognac), but I really can't afford it.

Paul Masson VSOP is OK.

E & J VSOP is a good one ... my "go to" choice . . .

Brandy....what a fine girl. What a good wife she would be.....

I used to grab a pint on the way home from work in the winter, if I had been out in the 34 degree rain all night long ... I used to always get E&J ... then, I discovered their VSOP ... which, is much better . . .

dammit, adroomi ... now I've got that song in my head . . .

Oh yeah.....

Brandy used to watch his eyes when he told his sailor's stories...she could feel the ocean fall and rise, she felt it's raging glory....

As Moesha

>Brandy used to watch his eyes when he told his sailor's stories...

At long last, Adroomi reveals his cruel and mean streak...

Now ***I*** can't get the damn song outta my head.

I could use a bottle of brandy...

LOL j/k

"Korbel" and "Christian Brothers"

both are superior to E&J at similar prices

It ain't Brandy, but Gran Marnier is some good stuff with a cigar.

Kinda sweet for my liking, but good with a cigar, nonetheless.

i love Gran Marnier !

and it don't take much to leave a good taste in your mouth

E&J also know as Easy Jesus

Every once in a while I get a small bottle of Remy Martin

I use Raynal VSOP for making sidecars.

David

Dave - this stuff is SO up your alley!

lot's to read up on - heck they have College courses on the subject.

enjoy!

btw. Raynal is very good at that price point - it's a Cognac ("Brandy" made from champagne grapes grown in the Cognac region of France) most of our specialty distillers out here prefer to use many varieties of grape in their Brandy.

Christian Brothers VSOP is about as good as I have found (but everyone's taste can be different), for the price. Problem is, it can be a little difficult to find. I keep hinting in the hopes that the Class VI store on Redstone Arsenal (Huntsville, AL) will carry it, but so far, no dice (although they carry the regular Christian Brothers).

BTW, I, too, like a really good cognac with a cigar even though it's more expensive, but right now I'm pi*sed at the French so I won't buy it.

IMHO the best brandy is Viejo Virgil and Don Pedro. both are Mexican brandy and very good.

The Viejo is a medium bodied brandy and the Don Pedro is very full body almost heavy flavor. Drink straight with a wedge of lime or mix with grapefruit juice and club soda on ice. yummy

Korbel is by far and away the best brandy on the market. Grand Marnier is a cognac based liquer made with oranges. For a brandy based version you would drink Cointreau. Both can be used in place of triple sec for top shelf margs. or in a snifter on their own.

Here in Wisconsin(where 90% of all brandy is consumed)E&J is considered the PBR of brandies. Here is a recipe for a nice holiday drink:

BRANDY OLD FASHIONED SWEET

2 pitted cherries

1 orange wedge

1 cube or tsp of sugar

3 dashes of bitters

1/2 oz of club soda

2 oz of Korbel

2 oz of ginger ale

Place the cherries,orange wedge,sugar,and bitters in a large tub with the club soda. Muddle the ingredients until cherries are pretty much mush being sure to include the orange peel to release some of the oil.Next add ice cubes then brandy and top with the ginger ale. Stir well enough that the sugar doesn't resettle.

Enjoy,

Jerry

oh man...saw the header and thought of the song!

but about brandy......haven't had any for a long time.

last i had was dekypers......inexpensive and tasty.

i do believe it was blackberry brandy

i'm a sucker for blackberry! mmmmmmm

The E & J VSOP is what I usually buy? Other brands I have

tried that are not too bad are El Presidente, Don Pedro, etc. I think for the money E & J VSOP is the best.

If money is not a factor, you may want to try Cognac.

Cognac is basically brandy made in the French Cognac

region.

Cheers