Very often one can hear the statement that cognac and brandy are practically the same drink, differing only in name. And many are absolutely convinced that one drink is simply a kind of another. Whether this is so, we will analyze today in our article.
What is the difference between brandy and cognac?
In fact, the difference between cognac and brandy is palpable. A distinctive feature of cognac in its standard strength, which should be at forty degrees. The content of alcohol in brandy can range from forty to seventy-two degrees.
The taste qualities of these drinks are determined not only by the fortress. Cognac is a product of processing certain varieties of white grapes only, and for the production of brandy use a wide variety of fruits and berries. Cognac alcohol is produced by double distillation, after which it is continuously aged for a long time in oak barrels, which determines the final taste and quality of the alcoholic beverage. The longer the aging, the more valuable the product, but at least the drink should be infused for three years. Thanks to this method, cognac acquires a rich color and a subtle flavor and taste.
To get brandy, fermented fruit juice is distilled (distilled), unlike cognac once and to add special flavor qualities it is often added to the drink caramel, and for a better appearance, the dyes. Oak barrels for the production of this type of alcohol do not use and aging time compared with cognac is not so principled. It is enough that from the moment of production to the spill and the realization, not less than six months have passed.
For the production of brandy, unlike cognac, there is no clear regulation, so among this type of alcohol you can often meet low-quality beverages.
Which is better, brandy or cognac?
One can not unequivocally answer the question, what is still better, cognac or brandy. After all, in fact, everything depends on the quality of your chosen product or, of course, your taste preferences. Someone likes a noble aged cognac, and someone will be delighted with a slightly different fruit brandy note or from the greater fortress of this alcoholic beverage.
What is the difference between varieties of brandy and cognac?
Considering the above facts, you already have an idea about the difference between brandy and brandy. Cognac, a drink originating from France, made from white grapes, subject to strict production regulations, has a difference basically only in terms of aging. As we already mentioned, the longer it was stored before being sold in oak barrels, the better and tastier the drink as a result. The aging time of this product manufacturers indicate, as a rule, on the label the number of stars. Three stars say that the cognac was aged for the minimum required three years. If the label indicates five or seven asterisks, then this drink will be more saturated, since it was insisted in oak containers five or seven years respectively.
Depending on what is the basis for the preparation of brandy, the drink can have different names.
As you can see, cognac because of the features of the cooking technology has much less varieties, unlike brandy, which has a lot of additional names.