St. George California Reserve Apple Brandy (2019 Release)

N: A bit lighter than anticipated. It's spicy with a sort of fresh apple character still remaining. P: Spicy for sure. I get cinnamon, ginger, and clove. Maybe a dash of black pepper too. There's a slightly light caramel flavor underneath something sort of like an envy apple mixed with a golden delicious. I get a bit of fresh tartness livening this up, but there's also a mellower, slightly bitter sweetness like biting into just the flesh of a rich apple. There's this interesting layer of subtle complexity that I can't quite place either, but that reminds me of Eastern Highland scotch a bit. It took me a minute to place, but there's a bit of that slightly molding cardboard that is so common in old scotch here. Fortunately, it lands on the palatable side. Perhaps the apples combined with the French Oak is creating a bit of a sherry cask character? F: The punchiness of the apple flavor is significantly dulled, but there's still a fullness and sweetness of apple underlying the experience that lingers a while. - Conclusion - This reminds me to a surprising degree of a nice Eastern Highland scotch. It doesn't have all of the core scotch flavors, but it does have that fruit and must to it. This is much less rich than a specific apple brandy, but it has sort of a lighter, less aggressive profile. Between the two, I think I prefer the other one, but they're both very good brandies. This one tastes fresher and less bold, but they do share that mustiness and fruity sweetness. I could be convinced to agree with the assertion that a specific gin tastes more mature, but less rich and full. My personal preference in this case is for the other one, but I can certainly understand anyone going the other way. I went with an 18 for the other one and I think this is about a 17. Thanks, a friend, for the sample!

The crisp autumn air and changing leaves in the northeastern US feel like the ideal backdrop for apple brandy. The cool breeze and vibrant foliage call for autumnal fruits such as apple. With this in mind, I decided to open my bottle of St George. St George is a California producer recognized for their excellent gin and whiskey. They also offer a few fruit brandies, including pear, apple, and raspberry. Their apple brandy is crafted from local apples and then matured in French oak. It is typically produced in small quantities but is reasonably priced (I paid $50). As for brandy, my experience is limited. However, this is likely among the finest I recall. It's akin to inhaling honey-drizzled apples. The flavor mirrors this, with more apple, honey, and cinnamon. It evokes the sensation of slicing a green apple, adding honey, and a dash of nutmeg or cinnamon. Outstanding. Highly advised.

Smells of lime and green apple. The palate is drier than the nose suggests, with green apple notes. A slightly tannic finish.