Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva Brandy de Jerez

Dispatch from the front lines of life with a toddler: The wife and I are currently planning an off-season trip to Spain and Portugal. As exciting as the prospect of taking a two year old on an transatlantic adventure sounds, we decided that perhaps my in-laws can watch the kiddo while we go and see amazing sights, eat amazing food, and drink loads of great wine without a little person in tow. I don't think she's big on drinking garnacha, after all. So, to building a little excitement for the trip, I picked up a spread of Spanish wines in Madison today...and this, because you need something for after dinner and late into the Iberian evening ,amiright? This is a pretty phenomenal dram, right from the moment it pours into a glass. The mahogany color on this - so deep, so rich. It's beautiful. The beauty doesn't stop there; the nose is tremendous and complex. Butterscotch, toffee, plums, raisins, dried figs, dates, dark chocolate, coffee, a touch of vanilla. The palate is equally deep and rich, with loads of dried fruit, toffee, coffee, chocolate, and banana flavors. And what a mouthfeel - dense, rich, and coating. The Pedro Ximenez influence shows and undoubtedly imparts plenty of the sweet-dark richness, but the smoothness here - not a hint of burn, and at 40% I'd hope not, but damn...this is some quality distillate that's been well aged in good casks. At a little under $60 for the bottle, this is very nicely priced. I usually don't find terms like decadent and hedonistic helpful in describing spirits, but if there were ever a time to bust that out, it's now. This is really something, a real feast for the senses. Give me this, a candlelit corner in a tasca in Sevilla, a little guitar music, and time with my wife sin la chiquilla...I can hardly wait.

Great stuff. Has a burnt toffee, fruity, and spicy profile typical of PX cask aged brandies, whiskies, rums, etc. Goes down well and also has hints of plantains.