Torres 10 Grand Reserva Brandy

The aroma of brandy is intense and bright, with warm tones of spices, cinnamon and vanilla. The rounded and rich taste of brandy turns into a long, harmonious and aromatic aftertaste. Brandy can be consumed as an independent drink as a digestif in its pure form, and in the form of cocktails. It is perfectly combined with fine meat dishes and strong custard coffee. (From official sources). Aging of alcohols for 10 years. It tastes a little harsh. I expected it to be softer. The fortress is felt.

Not bad, but not great. There’s enough there to remind you that it’s not bottom shelf. Lots of dried fruit and some oak but only a modicum of complexity.

Rating: 13/23 N: Sweet and rich with fruit (cherry and raisin), caramel, and a bit of sharpness. It smells quite full, but not terribly complex with a few rough edges that keep it from really being balanced. I might get a whiff of confectioner's sugar. P: Just a tad harsh. There's spice and sugar with a slightly artificial caramel. I get the raisin and cherry from the nose, but despite being sugary, this tastes thinner and younger than I'd expected. I get a little bit of a confectioner's sugar flavor, but it doesn't come with that chalky, mouth-coating texture. Pierre Ferrand Double Cask tastes more complex, but the youthful notes are similar in both. This is actually richer and fuller because of it's mild syrupiness, but there's less wood to provide maturity. F: The caramel lingers for a while, alongside a hint of burnt sugar and some vague raisin notes. - Conclusion - Between this and Pierre Ferrand Double Cask, I'd say that the Pierre Ferrand is definitely the winner by somewhere in the range of 2 to 4 points (a vague range, unfortunately, because I haven't rated the Pierre Ferrand yet either). A De Fussigny XO is substantially better than either this or the Pierre Ferrand. I have it up around a 20. Working backward, I can't see this being better than a 15. The Pierre Ferrand is solid as a sipper, whereas this is more tolerable as one (but probably quite good as a mixer). I think a low estimate for this one is a 12. I think it's going to come down to a 13 or 14. I just don't think it's enjoyable enough to sip. Going cross-category briefly here, I have Wild Turkey 101 down as my quintessential 14. I don't find this quite as sippable as the Wild Turkey. It's pretty close though. As a mixer, this seems to be priced pretty well and packs the flavor needed to stand out. For sipping neat, it's about as good as it gets for the price, but I'd pay up for something better. I don't think I'd go very far out of my way to find a bottle of this for mixing over something else in the price range. Continuing to contemplate this, I think I need to go with a 13, unfortunately.

Nothing special was expected for this price

Nose: Sweet aged raisins, Spanish paprika, old caramel, Christmas cake/fruit cake/panettone, mixed ground peppercorns (white, red, black), wine soaked herbs (sage, thyme), sherry soaked oak, anise and fresh celery, grape concentrate syrup, sweet sherry, steak spice (salt, garlic, dried herbs), medium dark chocolate, a hint of dark cocoa powder, dried fruits (dried figs, prunes, dates), coffee liqueur, Coca Cola, a note reminiscent of a fruity drink at a pool beside the beach Palate: Raisins in a fig reduction, slightly spicy oak, slightly bitter dark chocolate, sour red grape skins, old caramel, green paprika, candy covered chocolate (smarties), a hint of espresso, ripe plums Finish: Figs, some old slightly bitter caramel, oak tannins, ripe pear and plum, coffee liqueur, red liquorice, raisins