E&J VSOP Grand Blue

Barely better than E&J VS. This one at least hints at cognac, making its style recognizable. It's still excessively harsh with a strong ethanol bite and overly medicinal fruit notes. I could drink this if nothing else were available, and it works as a decent brandy Alexander, but for me, the additional cost is justified to upgrade to Courvoisier VS (my usual choice).

An outstanding brandy, comparable to the XO but with less maple flavor.

The taste is a little sharp, not terrible, but not fantastic either.

My first experience with brandy.