We are thrilled to announce we’ve partnered with the distillers at Germain-Robin (whose brandies are regularly reviewed to be among the best spirits in the world – pinch us) to create Germain-Robin Batch #2012E, Barrel #128, a brandy bottled exclusively for Mouth.
Our brandy is shockingly smooth and delicate with big flavors of California grapes. It's simply one of the best things we've ever tasted – and did we mention it’s ours?!
So what is brandy, anyway? Brandy, derived from the word brandywine (which is derived from the Dutch word brandewijn meaning “burned wine”) is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Back in the day, wine was distilled (distillation = removing water), as a means of preservation. Hence, because it’s distilled, not fermented, brandy is considered a “hard liquor,” not a wine.
Now, for a few more nerdy details: Our brandy is made from roughly 70% French Colombard (the sassy little sister of Chenin Blanc) from Ricetti Vineyards in Redwood Valley, CA, distilled in 1994, and two different years of Sémillon from McDowell Valley Vineyards in Hopland, CA, distilled in 1994 and 2004. The rest is a mix of small amounts of other brandies made from local grapes including other French Colombard and Sémillon along with Pinot Noir, Viognier, Zinfandel and Chardonnay. Fancy, huh?
Each grape was separately fermented, distilled and aged before being blended together for a final aging in the barrel. Also worth mentioning is that the aging is done in Limousin oak that has been painstakingly air dried (instead of the typical faster kiln drying which diminishes the flavor) and the final product is brought down to proof with filtered rain water (a.k.a tears of the gods… is that why our brandy tastes so miraculous?).
The best way to drink a great brandy is to sip it from a snifter while lounging in a comfy chair in front of a roaring fire. (Lean in, people.) You could also swap some into any of your favorite whiskey cocktails, like the Sidecar: Shake 1 1/2 oz Mouth Exclusive Single Barrel Brandy, 3/4 oz Fruitlab Organic Orange Liqueur and 3/4 oz freshly squeeze lemon juice with plenty of ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Oh, and did we mention that every label of our Single Barrel Brandy was hand-numbered by our CEO, Craig Kanarick? That’s what we call a hands-on manager. Cheers.