Full Review

Cardenal Mendoza

Cardenal Mendoza
Nebulis Unusually Smoky Cask-Finished Brandy

Category: Spanish Brandy

Date Tasted:
Country: Spain
Alcohol: 40%
93 Points
Gold Medal
Exceptional
$49

Cardenal Mendoza
Nebulis Unusually Smoky Cask-Finished Brandy

Category: Spanish Brandy

Date Tasted:
Country: Spain
Alcohol: 40%
Light bronze color. Aromas and flavors of bbq dry rub, leather, fig, and Cavendish tobacco with a round, bright, dry medium body and an interesting, breezy finish that exhibits shades of leather, walnut paste, fig essence cavendish tobacco, and mesquite smoked chocolate powder. For fans of old, earthy, and smooooth Brandies that want none of the fruity flavors or alcohol bite.

Tasting Info

Spirits Glass Style: Crisp & Lively
Aroma Aroma: bbq dry rub, leather, fig, and Cavendish tobacco
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with shades of leather, walnut paste, fig essence cavendish tobacco, and mesquite smoked chocolate powder
Smoothness Smoothness: Normal
Finish Finish: Breezy
Enjoy Enjoy: neat, on the rocks and with cigars
Bottom Line Bottom Line: For fans of old, earthy, and smooooth Brandies that want none of the fruity flavors or alcohol bite.

The Producer or Importer

Shaw-Ross International Importers

The Producer or  Importer
2900 SW 149th Ave, Suite 200
Miramar, FL 33027
USA
1 954-430-5020

Their Portfolio

93 Barcelo Gran Añejo Aged Rum 40% (Dominican Republic) $19.99.
90 Barcelo Imperial Rum 40% (Dominican Republic) $29.00.
92 Barcelo Imperial Rare Blends Maple Cask-Finished Aged Rum 40% (Dominican Republic) $49.00.
95 Barceló Imperial Rum 40% (Dominican Republic) $31.00.
94 Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva Brandy 40% (Spain) $44.00.
93 Cardenal Mendoza Nebulis Unusually Smoky Cask-Finished Brandy 40% (Spain) $49.00.
88 Cardenal Mendoza Angelus Flavored Brandy 40% (Spain) $36.00.
92 Liquore Strega Special Liqueur 40% (Italy) $39.00.
88 Løs Sundays Tropical Tequila Hard Seltzer 4.7% (USA) $.00.
88 Løs Sundays Watermelon Tequila Hard Seltzer 4.7% (USA) $.00.
BR Løs Sundays Grapefruit Tequila Hard Seltzer 4.7% (USA) $.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Løs Sundays Agave Lime Tequila Hard Seltzer 4.7% (USA) $.00. - Bronze Medal
87 Louis Royer VS Cognac Brandy 40% (France) $32.00.
88 Louis Royer VSOP Cognac Brandy 40% (France) $42.00.
92 Louis Royer XO Cognac Brandy 40% (France) $159.00.
88 Pisco Capel Reservado 40% (Chile) $19.00.
88 Pisco Capel Alto Del Carmen Pisco Reservado 40% (Chile) $23.00.
89 Ron Del Barrilito 2 Stars Rum 43% (Puerto Rico) $32.00.
94 Ron Del Barrilito 3 Stars Rum 43% (Puerto Rico) $44.00.
95 Ron Del Barrilito Hacienda Santa Ana Cask Strength Rum 69% (Puerto Rico) $29.00.

Spanish Brandy

Spirits Glass Snifter Brandy.jpg
Serve in a Snifter
Brandy de Jerez is made by the Sherry houses centered around the city of Jerez de la Frontera in the southwest corner of Spain. Virtually all Brandy de Jerez; however, is made from wines produced elsewhere in Spain -- primarily from the Airen grape in La Mancha and Extremadura -- as the local Sherry grapes are too valuable to divert into Brandy production. Nowadays most of the distilling is likewise done elsewhere in Spain using column stills. It is then shipped to Jerez for aging in used Sherry casks in a solera system similar to that used for Sherry wine. A solera is a series of large casks (called butts), each holding a slightly older spirit than the previous one beside it. When brandy is drawn off (racked) from the last butt (no more than a third of the volume is removed) it is replenished with brandy drawn from the next butt in line all the way down the solera line to the first butt, where newly distilled brandy is added. This system of racking the brandy through a series of casks blends together a variety of vintages (some soleras have over 30 stages) and results in a speeding up of the maturation process.

Basic Brandy de Jerez Solera must age for a minimum of six months, Reserva for one year and Gran Reserva for a minimum of three years. In practice, the best Reservas and Gran Reservas are frequently aged for 12 to 15 years. The lush, slightly sweet and fruity notes to be found in Brandy de Jerez come not only from aging in Sherry casks, but also from the judicious use of fruit-based flavor concentrates and oak essence (boise).

Penedès Brandy comes from the Penedès region of Catalonia in the northeast corner of Spain near Barcelona. Modeled after the Cognacs of France and made from a mix of regional grapes and locally-grown Ugni Blanc of Cognac, it is distilled in pot stills. One of the two local producers (Torres) ages in soleras consisting of butts made from French Limousin oak, whereas the other (Mascaro) ages in the standard non-solera manner, but also in Limousin oak. The resulting Brandy is heartier than Cognac, but leaner and drier than Brandy de Jerez.