Korbel Brandy XS

So I didn’t know that Korbel made Brandy as well as sparkling white wine. And yes, I will be an ass about the distinction between Champagne and Sparkling White Wine because I can. Anyways, it’s a bit of a step outside of my comfort zone, but I tried it.

Review :

I am not a huge fan of Brandy, the drink, not the singer. I hate the singer. I was mainly drawn to this stuff because of the brand. I’m sure damn near everyone has tried Korbel Sparkling White Wine is some celebratory facet or another. If not, I’m not going to bother reviewing it. As for the Brandy, I have to say that I was utterly surprised. Being subjected to Hennessey and E&J for years now, I have not developed a taste for Brandy. This was a whole new monster for me. There are subtle hints of vanilla, but it’s not too sweet. Has a great mouth feel, and is extremely smooth, with no real after taste. I could easily see myself sipping this stuff, but in all fairness, it was so good that I just knocked back shots. No chaser needed, in fact I was eating some M&Ms at the time and the two paired amazingly. This stuff rings in at 40% alcohol by volume, or 80 proof. I have only seen it so far at BevMo, but I’m sure with a little research, you can find it elsewhere. My bottle only cost around $11, which for the quality, was well worth it.


Breakdown :

The Bottle : The bottle is pretty lackluster. Aside from the label itself, I did like that this stuff had a cork instead of being a screw on cap. The major plus about the bottle being clear though is that it showcases the color of the Brandy very well, and that in itself was fairly appealing.

Score : 15

The Taste : The flavor is amazing. Easily one of, if not my only favorite Brandy. Sweet, smooth, and pairs well with candy? What more do you need?

Score : 25

The Buzz : I actually did not finish off my bottle in one sitting. It’s alcohol content paired with it’s taste made it easy to polish off a lot fairly quick, which wound up hitting me like a bus, and I knocked out. The buzz I got was mellow, but I was only awake for about an hour before crashing.

Score : 20

The Cost : $11 per bottle for a product of this quality is a steal. I even managed to get it on sale the other day for only $9. I haven’t paid so little for a product I like so much since I thought Smirnoff Ice was the greatest thing ever.

Score : 25

Total Score : 85

I kind of lucked out and managed to get a Brandy I thoroughly enjoyed my first step out my comfort zone, but I don’t expect everything to knock my socks off. So we’ll see what the future holds in this area of the liquor store.

Cheers.