Monday 13 February 2017

Brandy Carlos III Solera Reserva 36%, Osborne

Appearance
Mahogany fading to amber with copper tints.
Nose
Forthcoming with notes of Oloroso and wood from the butts, vanilla and  traces of toasted nuts and pastry. Quite dry at the start but develops a hint of sweetness, clean and balanced with its production process clearly written on its sleeve.
Palate
A little sweetness gets it off to a friendly start then the distilled wine flavours come through followed by Sherry, a trace of dried fruits and vanilla. It is clean, fresh and moderately crisp while displaying a decent depth of flavour and good length. Tasty but not too intense, an excellent everyday brandy.
Comments
This is one of the old Domecq brands sold along with Carlos I to Osborne by Pernod Ricard after their take-over of Domecq and is one of the leading brands in Spain. The blend contains at least 75% holandas, the best quality spirit from pot stills as a Solera Reserva must. It is aged for about two years in a solera established in 1904 and consisting of butts which have previously held Oloroso. Two years sounds a rather short time, but the use of soleras gives more complexity than one might expect. Charles III ruled from 1759-1788 and was one of Spain’s better kings. He introduced the Spanish flag as we know it and the national anthem among many other things.
Price

10.75 euros widely available


No comments:

Post a Comment