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FOR MANY BRANDY DRINKERS, Spanish brandy is something you drink on holiday in its country of origin. Apart from overwhelming domestic consumption, it remains on the costas, rarely taken home for further exploration.

Having said that, 70% of total Brandy de Jerez is exported outside Spain (source: CRDO Jerez/Brandy de Jerez).

The Osborne brand’s PR director for wines and spirits, Rocío Osborne, points out: “French products such as wine, cognac, etc have this aspirational aura that Spanish brandy doesn’t yet, but I think we are going the right way.

“I don’t think cognac is better than Spanish brandy, I just think they are different products with very different characters.

“Spanish brandies have, in general, a better value-for-money ratio – what can be seen as a strength but is also a weakness. You can find amazing Spanish brandy at the price of a (French) VSOP, but with higher quality,” says Osborne

Gonzalez Byass global marketing director Eugeni Brotons boasts: “The quality of Spanish brandy can be just as good as any brandy in the world. Its point of distinction is that it is made from a different grape variety whose origins are tied to the place where it is produced. Spanish brandy can, of course, be as good as any other brandy but it depends on the brand and the quality/price sector that you, as a brand owner, are aiming at.”

Juan Torres Master Distillers global spirits director Michael La Terrière says: “Yes it is true. For many years it seemed that brandy had to come from two small regions of France to be taken seriously. Yet there are really many great brandies produced around the world, and particularly here in Spain. What we have been seeing in the past years is a resurgence of interest in the brandy category linked to the mixology boom. People often forget that brandy was actually one of the original cocktail spirits, and many of the great cocktails, such as Sidecars and Crustas, are brandy cocktails.”

QUALITY AND CRAFT

Osborne says: “We are focusing on creating premium or ultra-premium brandies that can compete not only with cognac but with premium dark spirits in general. And with Carlos I, despite being premium, we are encouraging mixing it and therefore appealing to younger consumers and creative mixologists.”

Brotons responds: “Looking specifically at origin at González Byass we believe that Brandy de Jerez will be one of the first to reassert that protagonism in the category. It is a product with a long history, tied to an area of Spain and very specific conditioning factors in the way it is made and aged, all of which ultimately guarantee quality.

“Consumer trends are moving toward products that are legitimate, relevant, have a history and added value – and with strong connections to the place where they are made. Brands such as Lepanto, the only gran reserva Brandy de Jerez which is 100% from Jerez, has all of the factors which appeal to these consumer trends,” adds Brotons.

Bodegas Williams & Humbert’s international sales manager, Alfonso Roldán, says: “Spanish brandy is well positioned regarding quality-price ratio in all three categories of brandy solera, solera reserva and gran reserva. These two latter categories are experiencing growth, despite the fact that brandy is not to be found among the so-called ‘hot’ categories, though we can state that Californian brandy and Spanish brandy are among the strongest.”

La Terrière says: “In general, the world of craft spirits, the growth in brown spirits and the mixology boom offer a great opportunity to Spanish brandy.

“Spanish brandy has a great story to tell and there is now a new energy in the category that helps to introduce Spanish brandy to new consumer segments, particularly through the world’s leading cocktail bars, which have brought a new buzz and a sense of experimentation and discovery.

“Especially from these top bartenders we have had very positive feedback about our brandies such as Torres 15, which stands out for its extreme finesse and great versatility for use in cocktails.”

CHALLENGES

Brotons says Spanish brandies need to differentiate themselves to stand out or elevate themselves. “Being a traditional drink does not have to limit creativity. I believe that Spanish brandy first has to add value to the category, concentrate on activities to promote its image and then innovate. For ex-ample, the cocktail world should be an obviously avenue but you could also consider the world of mixology and flavoured brandies.”

Roldán says: “There is a clear response to this question of challenges and it is that there are scarce generic resources for the category. In the case of Williams & Humbert we are strengthening our presence in the Spanish, German and US markets with the brand Gran Duque de Alba and in the Philippines and Arab Emirates with the brand Alfonso, also available on the domestic market and duty free channel. To do this is we are working with on-pack promotions, trade press media and travel equipment,” he says.

Torres’ La Terrière adds: “For travellers we just launched an exclusive duty free edition of Torres 15 as a private reserve brandy – Skyline Edition Barcelona, which is a tribute to the exciting and modernistic city of Barcelona. Barcelona is a top destination for many tourists from all over the world, and is near our distillery.

“For collectors we presented a few months ago our most exclusive brandy called Reserva del Mamut 1985, with a production limited to just 999 bottles, crafted and numbered by hand. The reactions have been absolutely phenomenal.”

OPPORTUNITIES

Osborne says: “I believe Spanish brandy has an opportunity in the coming years in Spain. Younger consumers don’t have a preconceived idea of brandy, and these new consumers value authenticity and artisanal elaborations, which Spanish brandy definitely is. They are also more interested in drinking well, a good drink, in a good glass, the experience is important and we are working in this direction.”

Brotons says: “Consumer trends are cyclical. Obviously these cycles can be long but eventually they come back, especially in Spanish markets. We have seen this with gin, which has gone from being ignored to now becoming Spain’s most popular spirit and this has caught on in other markets too. Brands with a quality guarantee can make the most of these cyclical tendencies. The consumer will always appreciate a good product with provenance. Spanish brandy needs to concentrate its efforts on making the most of the image and added value of Brand Spain.”

SUMMARY

“In my opinion we should be more flexible on how brandy is consumed and let [bartenders] mix, use ice or make cocktails,” says Osborne, “and even promote this so brandy has a chance to be top of their mind in the future.

“Trying to get younger consumers is clearly a priority, working the gastronomy channel as well. Finding great pairings that elevate brandy and give a new experience to consumers is also a good challenge, but I wouldn’t ignore the trend on drinking low abv. This is something we are definitely working on.”

Roldán says: “In the case of brandy in general, and that of Brandy de Jerez in particular, it must strive to achieve its own personality and learn how to communicate all that makes it unique, singular and inimitable: the quality of the region from which it originates, the selection of wine spirits, the criaderas and solera ageing system, the characteristics of the casks in which they are aged. In short, everything that makes it different and gives it its organoleptic characteristics,” says Roldán.

“What cannot be overlooked is that everything related to the category is experiencing a notable improvement, such as winery facilities or the selection of wine spirit in the case of Brandy de Jerez, which have never been in such optimum condition,” says Roldán.

La Terrière adds: “I see a very exciting future for our brandies, but of course also for Spanish brandy in general. It feels like there is a new positivity and buzz in the category, more than we have seen at any time in the past 20 years or so or longer.”

Brotons concludes: “Spanish brandy has the numbers to be able to recoup lost ground. You have to bear in mind that in Spain brandy is a mature category and while it has suffered a decline since 2010 in favour of whisky and dark rum, it is still the fifth largest category ahead of vodka and anise with 10% of total market share, representing around 1,700,00 9-litre cases (IWSR – including brandies with under 36% abv). It is also important to note that 70% of total Brandy de Jerez is exported outside Spain (source: CRDO Jerez/Brandy de Jerez).”

ISC BRANDY CHAIRMAN

Neil Mathieson, chairman of the International Spirits Challenge brandy judges, tells DI: “The Spanish brandy character is unique and represents a broader, sweeter flavour profile than the traditional French and South African styles.

“Although there are some stylistic differences between the Brandy de Jerez houses and the other Spanish producers, they both offer a mellower, softer brandy that is well suited to drinking on ice or with straightforward mixers at the younger end of the ageing cycle. With age they develop more obvious cask and oxidative flavours if aged in sherry casks and solera and this gives a pronounced point of difference to brandies from other countries. In comparative tastings the (ISC) panel looks more at the depth and typicity of flavour from the solera than the oaky structure and finesse new ‘non-wine’ oak casks give to other brandies.

“The sometimes blowsier flavours of Spanish brandies do not lead to the same type of flavour development as other global grape brandies. Therefore it is very difficult to quantify these differing styles of brandy in terms of quality. Certainly we see that, at a younger age, the Spanish brandies are extremely suitable for long drinks and maintaining their flavour with mixers such as ginger ale and cola. With great age they have some quite concentrated flavours not normally found outside of Spain which add a distinct rancio to the spirit and which allow for a more traditional cognac-style contemplative drink.”