Armagnac!! To be honest with you I prefer Cognac, but I must admit Armagnac is a wonderful brandy as well and, of course, it is pretty easy to find some here in France. To be confident with you jc, I did not know Brandy did not change after they have been bottled. I think this to be strange and I tend to believe the aging in bottle may affect it. After all bottled wine continues its aging, so why should it not be the same for brandies?

1. Is the maximum age for brandy (armagnac and cognac) about 60 years, after which they become bitter and rough? Why and how do they change this way? Is it referring to being kept in oak casks?

2. Why does the length of time a brandy being stored in a bottle does not affect it (like other wines)? Is this applicable to only bottled brandies?

3. Does this mean that the taste of brandy doesn't change once it is bottled for sale?

I must admit I am totally ignorant about Armagnac. I mean, I heard of it but I have never had the chance to try it. The only French brandies I have ever had were Cognac and Calvados. What is the difference between Cognac and Armagnac? Aren't they both wine brandies?

By the way, I have never tried Calvados but I think it has nothing to do with grapes. I believe Calvados is a kind of brandy distilled from apple cider. Does it taste anything like cognac?

Antonello - Many thanks for your clarification on armagnac and cognac and brandies in general. We learn something new everyday!!

Calvados is a wonderful brandy distilled from apple cider and it does not taste like Cognac at all! They simply are two different product, different in anything. I suggest you reading our article about Calvados at www.diwinetaste.com/dwt/en2004037.php

Thanks Antonello. Now I know about Calvados!

Cheers!
jc

This is about brandies - cognac to be specific. My uncle recently told me that he had a collection of expensive cognacs which he kept for a long time (I think about 10 years). When he decided to open them (they were sealed and never opened), some of the cork stoppers have broken off from the top and some broken into small pieces. These bottles were stored upright, in humid conditions (between 50-70 percent) and temperature of around 20-30 C.

I thought the correct way to store cognacs is placing the bottles upright. So what is wrong and what should be done to prevent cork breakages in cognacs?

Anyone with similar experience? All feedback welcomed! Thanks.

jc

You are right about the correct position of bottles for keeping brandies although the temperature should be lower, about 14-16° C.
The problem with brandies is that - with time - alcohol deteriorates natural cork and, as a consequence, its consistence gets weaker and breaks in pieces, not to mention the fact oxygen gets in! To prevent this, many brandy producers, notably Grappa producers, are using synthetic corks to seal their bottles and, of course, this has no detrimental effect on brandy while ensuring a longer keeping time.
You should replace corks every five years (about 15 years for wine bottles) or to drink them before the cork breaks. If you need help in the latter case, I can bring glasses with me....

I recall having Armagnac just once. I do not exactly remember every thought of that moment, anyway I can recall it gave me the idea of being a little more ruvid and harsh than Cognac. Is this normal or was that because I had a bad quality Armagnac?
Talking about Calvados, I heard it can also be made with pear cider. Now I read in this thread it is made by apple cider only. Can you all be more specific about this?

As far as I am concerned, Calvados is made with apple cider and I do not think it can be made with pear cider as well. Maybe antonello or jc can be of help about this.
I have never had this Armagnac and the only wine brandy I had was Cognac. If I am not wrong, they both are made with the very same grapes and the only difference is the production area.