The tasting started with a round of Other French Brandies, exploring those products that sit outside of any French brandies with appellations (such as Cognac, Armagnac, and Calvados). Five Gold medals left the judges happy, four of which came from La Martiniquaise-Bardinet. French brandy Beehive XO bagged a Gold award for its aroma of “dates and fresh, loose tobacco”, leading to flavours of “dried fruits, a touch of spice and apricot” on the palate. Brandy is unencumbered by strict rules of production, meaning brands are able to let their imaginations run riot – and some are proving to be medal-worthy endeavours. Brandy producers scooped a mix of Gold and Silver medals After ageing, Bardinet’s master blender Bénédicte Bertet, who has spent 30 years at the brand, leads a team of blenders to combine the eaux-de-vie to create Bardinet’s signature taste. This had a lovely coffee aroma with hints of dark chocolate,” noted Kiely. “The palate is sweet, with sugary coffee, a hint of brandy – a touch more would have enhanced this even further.”

At the turn of the 20th century, Bardinet was being run by Paul Bardinet’s son, Edouard Bardinet, and was based in Bordeaux, France. The final flight of the day was Flavoured Spirit Drink, which awarded a Gold medal to Bardinet Coffee. Bardinet brandy has refreshed its bottle design and launched an all-new marketing drive to highlight its craft credentials. Today, Bardinet is crafted with passion at its Domaine de Fleurenne estate. Bardinet is is one of the world’s top 10 best-selling brandies and is among the the top three best-selling brandies in duty free and global travel retail.

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From there, the judges shifted to brandies from South Africa, where two Silver medallists were discovered. Distell collected the awards for its Van Ryn’s 12 Years Old Single Pot Still Brandy, and Van Ryn’s 10 Years Old Single Pot Still Brandy.

The fifth Gold was awarded to Seven Tails Brandy XO. Tasting notes included aromas of “fruit, raisins and a hint of orange peel”, with the palate delivering “more orange peel, vanilla, oak, a little clove and warming spice”. Five Silver medals completed the opening round, with medallists including Seven Tails Spiced, which had flavours of “warm spice, vanilla and cinnamon”, and St-Rémy XO, which had a “bold and expressive nose” and “silky, sweet” palate. While the medallists were celebrated by both panels, the judges noted they would have enjoyed better integration of flavours from some products in this category, and a more “judicious, careful use of sugar” at times. The judges noticed an increase in innovation across the brandy category Bertet and her team skillfully maintain the brandy’s aromatic balance and consistent quality as they bring to life the mellow delicacy of Bardinet VSOP and the unique smoothness of Bardinet XO. French-style brandy maker Bardinet has revealed a new look and advertising campaign that aims to showcase the craft and passion behind its products.The 2023 edition of the tasting took place at The Carriage in the Great Northern Hotel, in King’s Cross, London. Judges were split into two panels, the first of which was chaired by Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business, and chair of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions (The GSMC). She was joined by: Ruchira Neotia, partner – Collectivino; and Ed Bates, founder of Distilled London.

California is well-known for its seemingly countless wineries. So it only makes sense that there would be a great many brandies produced there as well. German Robin is one of the best. Its flagship expression, simply called Germain Robin Brandy, is distilled using Pruhlo Charentais Pot Stills and aged in Limousin oak barrels known for its notes of dried fruits, oak, and vanilla. It’s one of the hardest brandies to find in Australia, but those in America should have no trouble finding it in their local bottle shop. The judges agreed they could see producers from different regions endeavouring to put their own stamp on the brandy category. As this continues, they forecast that scrutiny of the category would be increasingly rigorous, to ensure consumers can access the best of the brandy category – examples of which can be found in this year’s deserving medal winners. The House of Bardinet was founded in 1857 when Paul Bardinet, a 20-year-old Frenchman from Limoges, realised his vision of creating quality spirits for all to enjoy. Driven by his passion, Bardinet began to thrive and soon its craft was recognised with awards at international exhibitions.

Following traditional French processes, Bardinet distils its eaux-de-vie from grapes. The spirit is then matured in oak barrels in four ageing cellars at Bardinet’s home on the Domaine de Fleurenne estate in France. Maturation in oak casks develops the complexity and roundness of the eaux-de-vie. Named for its location on Twenty Third Street in Renmark in South Australia’s Riverland. 23 rd St Distillery is known for paying tribute to traditions while being firmly entrenched in the modern world. The distillery makes many notable vodka, gin, and whiskey expressions, but we’re here to talk about its range of brandies. The most noteworthy is called Not Your Nanna’s Brandy, a rich, fruity, oaky, slightly spicy brandy. At the annual Brandy Masters blind tasting, the aim is to separate the brands bottling inadequate liquid and those creating intriguing points of difference through delicious, medal-worthy spirits.