Korbel California Brandy is an American brandy produced in Sonoma County. The brandy has been distilled from California-grown grapes and aged in oak barrels for over 100 years. It's enjoyed throughout the world, particularly in the state of Wisconsin. Korbel is a good budget-friendly brandy that is excellent for co*cktails and mixed drinks, and the brand's older expressions are great sipping brandies.
Fast Facts
- Ingredients: grapes
- Proof:80
- ABV:40%
- Calories in a 1 1/2-ounce shot:100
- Origin:California
- Taste:Semi-sweet, oaky
- Aged:2—25 years
- Serve: straight, on the rocks, co*cktails
What Is Korbel Brandy Made From?
Like all brandy, Korbel is distilled from grapes. The company was founded in the late 1800s by Francis Korbel and his brothers, who were initially drawn to the area by the California gold rush. It began as a winery that produced sparkling wines because the Russian River Valley's environment was similar to that in the Champagne region of France. In 1889, the Korbels made their first brandy, which is known today as Korbel California Brandy, and in 1965, Korbel became part of the Brown-Forman portfolio.
Korbel is not a cognac because that designation can only be applied to brandy produced in France's Cognac region. Instead, this is classified as an American brandy. Grown in California, the distillery uses French Colombard and Chenin Blanc grape varieties, which are ideal for making brandy. Once picked, the fruit is crushed and fermented to convert the sugars into alcohol.
A trip through copper-lined continuous column stills transforms the California wine into brandy. It is then aged in charred oak barrels until it picks up its golden color and oaky character. The mature brandy is then blended using the solera system at Korbel Champagne Cellars, where new and old brandies are combined to produce a consistent flavor before it's cut to bottling strength with water. All of Korbel's brandies are 40 percent alcohol by volume (ABV, 80 proof).
What Does Korbel Brandy Taste Like?
Korbel's brandies have a beautiful golden hue, a rich butterscotch aroma, and a very smooth palate and finish. While the original California brandy has a sweet caramel profile and medium finish, the V.S.O.P. is warm with more oak nuances that marry wonderfully with the sweetened grapes and butterscotch. As you move through the portfolio, you'll find that the extra time spent aging develops these oak flavors further and results in a smoother sipping brandy.
Types
Overall, Korbel produces a nice array of American brandies. The product line includes young brandies that sell for less than $20 and older premium brandies that are smoother and more expensive.
- California Brandy: The flagship of the brand, and the original 1889 expression that's also simply called "Classic," this brandy is aged for at least two years, though it carries no official age statement.
- X.S.: This brandy is blended with ingredients like Madagascar vanilla, orange essence, spices, and sugar after aging to give the flavor more dimension and sweetness.
- Gold Reserve V.S.O.P.: Using the standard brandy rating that means "very superior old pale", the brandies that go into this blend are aged for over two years to produce a richer flavor.
- Korbel 12: Released 2015, this was the first limited edition brandy Korbel made for the premium market. It is a blend of brandies aged between 12 and 17 years in charred Appalachian oak barrels.
- Korbel 18: A blend of brandies at least 18 years old, this expression combines Alambic-distilled brandy aged in French oak and column-distilled brandy aged in former whiskey barrels.
- Korbel 25: The oldest Korbel expression, this brandy is aged for at least 25 years in older American oak whiskey barrels.
How to Drink Korbel Brandy
The Korbel Brandy portfolio offers something for every drinker and occasion. The older expressions are excellent sippers when served straight, especially when in a brandy snifter that enhances the brandy's subtle aromas and flavors. The younger and more readily available brandies are most enjoyable on the rocks and are affordable choices for brandy co*cktails, mixing well with everything from fruit to vermouth. If there is only room for one mixing brandy in your bar, Korbel is an excellent choice.
co*cktail Recipes
Korbel's core range of brandies is perfect for a variety of mixed drinks, and it's the brand of choice for Wisconsin's favorite co*cktail, the brandy old-fashioned. Try it in simple recipes, both classic and modern, and have fun exploring it in less conventional drinks.
- Brandy Old-Fashioned
- Champagne co*cktail
- Coffee co*cktail
- The Lei Maker
- Metropolitan
FAQs
The younger and more readily available brandies are most enjoyable on the rocks and are affordable choices for brandy co*cktails, mixing well with everything from fruit to vermouth. If there is only room for one mixing brandy in your bar, Korbel is an excellent choice.
Why do Wisconsinites love brandy? ›
Brandy's popularity in Wisconsin started when a large number of German immigrants moved here in the 19th century and couldn't find their favorite drink, brandewijn. This prompted Korbel to start distilling for the public in 1889. Small-batch local distilleries produce – or have produced – brandy, too.
Who consumes the most Korbel brandy? ›
It may surprise some to learn that the Badger State consumes more brandy than anywhere else in the United States. In 2019, Wisconsinites accounted for more than half of the worldwide sales of Korbel brandy.
What is American brandy? ›
According to most accounts, brandy was America's first distilled spirit, made from the abundant apples, peaches and pears that grew among the colonies; wheat-based whiskeys came much later.
How do you drink Korbel brandy? ›
OLD FASHIONED
Muddle the sugar with the bitters and orange slice in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass. Add Korbel California Brandy and some ice cubes. Stir and garnish with orange slice and cherry.
Do you drink brandy straight up? ›
For those looking for an intense experience, drinking brandy neat is definitely the way to go. All you need is a tulip-shaped glass, pour the brandy in and savour the flavour. If you prefer your brandy with a bit of dilution, try serving it on the rocks – simply pour over small cubes of ice or an ice ball and sip away.
Why do people drink brandy when they have a cold? ›
It's usually consumed as an after-dinner drink. Brandy helps is cold and flu because of its strong anti-inflammatory properties which reduce pain in sore throat and also helps in clearing mucus. It's strong alcohol content is antibacterial.
What state is top brandy drinking? ›
Wisconsin drinks more brandy than any other state, and most of our brandy consumption goes into the Wisconsin old fashioned – a muddle of sugar, bitters, orange and maraschino cherries topped with brandy and then sweet or sour soda and a bevy of garnishes.
What is the official drink of Wisconsin? ›
Wisconsin's Twist on a Classic — The Brandy Old Fashioned
Did you know Wisconsin consumes the most brandy per capita in the country? Part of the reason is due to our official state co*cktail, the Brandy Old Fashioned. It's the Old Fashioned co*cktail you know and love, with brandy in place of whiskey.
Who is the owner of Korbel brandy? ›
Owned and managed by the Heck family since 1954, Korbel currently makes eleven California champagnes and a limited amount of still wine. In a separate facility, Korbel also produces one of the country's most respected brandies.
For much of the colonial era, brandy — not whiskey, beer, or wine — was the epitome of classy, American drinking.
Are brandy healthy? ›
Brandy Can Be Good for the Heart
When had in moderation, heart health can improve thanks to all of the antioxidants in brandy. The antioxidants can lower the levels of the accumulated bad cholesterol in the body and can balance out the overall cholesterol levels.
Is brandy a hard drink? ›
Brandy is a hard liquor made from distilled, barrel-aged fruit wine. Brandy is typically made from fermented grapes but other fruits, like peaches, apples, blackberries, and pears can be used to create unique flavor profiles.
What are the 4 types of brandy? ›
Seven types of Brandy
- Cognac. The most famous brandy in the world. ...
- Armagnac. France's other great brandy. ...
- Calvados. Calvados is made from apples and pears, not grapes, grown in the Calvados region in Normandy in the north east corner of France.
- Brandy de Jerez. ...
- Metaxa. ...
- Pisco. ...
- Grappa.
The company is a division of F. Korbel Brothers, and also makes brandy and still wine, and imports Prosecco from Italy. Korbel winery in Sonoma County.
How can you tell a good brandy? ›
The smell of a blend is another way to pick out a nice brandy. Sometimes your spirit might smell like heavy-proof alcohol. These spirits are either not aged for a long time or have been aged in stainless steel. Brandies that are highly rated tend to be ones with the smell of alcohol disappearing behind other notes.
What is the highest grade of brandy? ›
Hors d'âge ('beyond age') is a designation formally equal to XO for Cognac, but for Armagnac it designates brandy that is at least ten years old. In practice, the term is used by producers to market a high-quality product beyond the official age scale.
What is best for brandy? ›
Brandy usually mixes with well with orange liqueurs (look up the co*cktail Sidecar) and sweet vermouth (the Metropolitan). If you have these at home, experiment with these, and maybe some bitters (to counter the sweetness of the brandy if you desire).
