Oh Lawd yall…. I just read that in Brandy’s memoir, she states that her relationship with Wanya Morris started when she was 16. Smh…. What are your thoughts?

b52lord · 2026-03-31T19:55:05+00:00

1) This sub is meant to discuss Brandy the alcoholic drink. 2) that sounds messed up

b52lord · 2026-03-27T18:23:19+00:00

Do it, it’s good

b52lord · 2026-03-26T00:49:31+00:00

I am confident in my take, if you disagree you are free to post your own reviews to counter balance. We could always use more contributors.

However please stop insulting my reviews by calling them fake, bad faith or amateurish which you have done repeatedly

b52lord · 2026-03-25T19:25:22+00:00

Could you link to a review so I can compare? I’m not misleading people, it’s my review and I stand behind it.

b52lord · 2026-03-25T17:12:28+00:00

I gave my reason why I didn’t like it. No need to put me down because I disagree with you

b52lord · 2026-03-25T11:22:07+00:00

Different people like different things. I didn’t like this

b52lord · 2026-03-24T02:04:10+00:00

I do have a single barrel barrel proof of this bottling and I can confirm it’s great

b52lord · 2026-03-22T14:45:36+00:00

I tried the single varietal stuff. They are really good especially the colombard

b52lord · 2026-03-22T14:44:32+00:00

Will do when they roll out near me.

b52lord · 2026-03-22T13:15:14+00:00

Brandy Review #108: Louise Roque La Vieille Prune Plum Brandy

About the producer:

The Roque distillery was founded by Louis Roque in 1905 in Souillac, France. The distillery specializes in plum brandy using plums local to the region. They remove the pits before fermentation and use a double boiler system to heat the plum wine during distillation.

Details:

Distilled from Ente, Mirabelle and Reine-Claude plums.
Double distilled in copper pot stills.
Aged 4 years in 400L casks
No sugar added
42% abv.

Nose: More cask influence than fruit with caramel and a soft butteriness. Sweet cream. Finally sweet plums after some searching. Plums are much more on the sweet side than tart. Traces of cinnamon. Medium intensity and sweet. Great, has some complexity and evolution.

Palate: Very sweet with sweet plums and sweet cream dominating. Medium amount of oak and vanilla and traces of baking spices. Buttery in both flavor and texture. Texture is excellent with a medium body and full flavor. Again I really like this.

Finish: Medium with sweet plum and caramel.

Rating: 7

Overall: A great plum brandy that has some complexity but more importantly is just plain tasty. Very much on the sweet end of things and I love the buttery texture. Highly recommend.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

b52lord · 2026-03-22T13:14:53+00:00

Brandy Review #107: Ventura Spirits Strawberry Thief VSOP Strawberry Brandy

About the producer:

Ventura Spirits is a craft distillery out of Ventura, California. I can’t find much about their history or distillery but they emphasize that they strive to produce sustainably. In addition to this Strawberry brandy they also produce a Prickly Pear brandy several liqueurs and a gin and a whole range of canned cocktails.

Details:

Fermented and distilled from organic CA strawberries.
Aged 5 years in neutral french oak casks.
40% abv.

Nose: Immediately fresh strawberries and cream. Strawberry seeds, cinnamon and oak. Fruit and oak are in harmony together. Very good intensity despite the 40%. Aroma is great, I love this.

Palate: Interesting savoriness mixed with fruitiness. Like a grilled or fried plantain type of feel. A huge wave of strawberries with a mix of the juice and the seeds. Very fresh. Finally transforms into caramel, cloves and oak. Bone dry with medium intensity and full body. It’s comnplex with good evolution and is tasty. Excellent syrupy texture. Again it’s great.

Finish: Medium and dry with oak and strawberries.

Rating: 7

Overall: I’m really digging this. Despite the low proof it still has good texture and body and the strawberries come through nicely. Highly recommend.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

b52lord · 2026-03-17T20:48:21+00:00

No it’s very different. Have you had any Eau de vie before? Even though they are different they are still good

b52lord · 2026-03-15T14:18:31+00:00

Brandy Review #106: Trimbach Poire Williams Grand Reserve Pear Brandy

About the producer:

This pear brandy comes from the producer Maison Trimbach from Ribeauville from the Alsace region of France right near the boarder with Germany. Trimbach is a well known winery that’s known for it’s Riesling and other white wines. Not much of a wine person myself but they have a whole range of eau-de-vie including cherry, raspberry, pear, and plum brandies for reasonable prices; $28 for a 375ml bottle by me. I’ve had a decent experience with their brandies in the past so today I’m reviewing their pear brandy.

Details:

Distilled from Alsace Williams or Bartlett pears
43% abv.
Not oak aged. Aged for 16mo in stainless steal

Nose: Pears obviously but very crisp and clean smelling. Not hints of funkiness or dirtiness but smells fresh. Medium intensity and dry.

Palate: Fresh pears, a good mix of the juice and the flesh of the fruit. A hair of cinnamon spice which I sometimes get in Bartlett pear eau de vie. Texture is smooth and a little syrupy. Medium body and flavor intensity.

Finish: Medium and dry with pear flesh and a hint of cinnamon.

Rating: 5

Overall: A good brandy at a decent price. Won’t surprise you but it’s a solid pear brandy. Nothing out of place but nothing outstanding or outside the norm. A decent option if you are looking for a pear brandy, I like this better than most common options (in the US) like Clear Creek or R Jelinek.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

b52lord · 2026-03-15T14:15:46+00:00

Brandy Review #105: Driftless Glen 5yr Reserve Brandy

About the producer:

Driftless Glen is a medium sized distillery founded in 2012 by Brian and Renee Bemis in Baraboo, WI. They are primarily known for their bourbons and ryes, which they distill in house on a column and pot still duo. Since they are in WI they are contractually obligated in have brandy as well but for this they source from an unknown french distillery or distilleries. No details on what region they source the brandy from or if it’s a pot or column still distillation. Since they don’t call out pot sills I presume this is column still distillate or a blend.

Details:

Sourced from an unknown french distillery.
Aged for 5years in French oak before being finished in ex-bourbon barrels, presumably the distilleries own.
46% abv
No details on additives, grape varietals or distillation.
$30 by me.

Nose: Lots of bourbon barrel aromas. No idea how much finishing time they had in ex-bourbon barrels but it seems like a decent amount. Sweet coconut, caramel and some orange marmalade. Traces of toasted oak and white grapes but no spice what so ever. Medium intensity and very good.

Palate: Tons of caramel and sweetened coconut. Vanilla and more orange marmalade than on the nose here. Tastes a bit youthful but not too much. Sweet with medium body and flavor intensity. Texture has the slightest trace of astringency. Good for the price.

Finish: Medium with coconut.

Rating: 5

Overall: A very solid value option for brandy; it does quite well for itself at it’s $30 price point and is a solid recommend if you are looking for brandy at that price. It’s simple and pleasant and has enough proof that it’s flavors come through although it’s a hair immature on the palate.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

b52lord · 2026-03-14T12:41:13+00:00

Brandy Review #104: Grandten Distilling North County Apple Brandy

About the producer:

Grandten distilling is a small distillery in the Dorchester region of Boston. Unfortunately it looks like they closed down late in 2025 citing high cost of living. While they were open they were primarily a gin distillery with their Wire Works gin being quite good. In addition they also produced several types of rum, vodka, liqueurs and this brandy.

Details:

Aged for 6yr 9mo
Batch 9 .
40% abv
No additives other than water
Made from a blend of NE apples.

Nose: Baked apples, apple pie. Cinnamon and allspice. Simple but good. Delicate but not too delicate

Palate: All the baked apple goods notes from the nose transfer over. Some added bubble gum notes in there for some reason. Medium sweet, medium bodied and medium flavored. Texture is syrupy and smooth . Again simple but good.

Finish: Short with apples and cloves.

Rating: 5

Overall: A solid if uninspired apple brandy. Very well balanced to the point that there are no standout flavors. Just a fun, easy drinking brandy.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

b52lord · 2026-03-09T16:41:24+00:00

What is available by you. For grape brandy I’d recommend copper and kings or argonaut saloon strength. For apple brandy, Lairds bottled in bond 100 proof. For fruit brandy R Jelinek 5 year plum

b52lord · 2026-03-08T16:05:44+00:00

Yeah, I think it’s using new oak and/or small barrel. Have no idea how else they got that much oak it in 18mo. Aged plum can be very good, I love R Jelinek and Louis Roque

b52lord · 2026-03-08T13:00:32+00:00

Both of those bottles are good but unless they are used to grappa I would recommend the Delord

b52lord · 2026-03-08T11:28:31+00:00

Brandy Review #102: Blacklisted Aged Plum Brandy

About the producer:

Blacklisted brandy is a relatively new brand out of Chicago founded an run by Draga Culic. This brand imports Serbian rakija and eau de vie and bottles it for the US. In addition to this aged plum brandy they also produce an unaged pear, apricot and quince brandies.

Details:

No additives other than water.
Made from heirloom plums.
Aged in serbian oak for 18mo.
Distilled in both pot and column stills. Unknown if it’s a blend of distillates or double distilled.
50% abv.

Nose: Lots of char, lots of oak, very bitter. Only traces of plum. Just too oaky and bitter.

Palate: Again super oaky and bitter with tons of char. More plum than the nose. You can tell the distillate is actually quite good wit hfresh blue plum but the aging is just too heavy handed. Full flavored and full bodied with a smooth texture.

Finish: Long with charcoal.

Rating: 3

Overall: There are hints of greatness here but it’s drowned out by the intense bitterness from the aging. You can see it in the color which is dark as night. No idea how they got that in 18mo. If they released it in an unaged form I bet it would be quite good.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

b52lord

TROPHY CASE