Unlike the wine, which can be considered a living organism until the moment it is already consumed, the distillate lives only in a barrel. Therefore, the quality of wood and the indoor humidity are essential for the final product. Has a fine and pleasant aroma, with notes of chocolate and vanilla, with floral notes and lighter shades of aging. Bardar 3, 5 and 7 year old cognac from Silver Collection is an authentic brandy. The Irish Whiskey contingent took the standard up a notch, delivering a Master medallist in the form of The Donn by The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Rodriguez-Curtis was full of praise for this expression: “A rich nose with a rye-like dusty character, a beautiful deep amber colour, Port-like red fruit notes on the nose. The palate is very rich – pure luxury; it makes you stop, it demands your attention and delivers indulgence, complexity, a full-bodied texture, and wonderful, complex flavours. This is a divine whiskey that should be sipped slowly and savoured with good company. Superb.” Dark spirits brought in plenty of medals

Gilby showed 13 wines during her Masterclass, all of which were frankly pretty good including a serviceable Pinot Grigio aimed at the easy drinking market. All demonstrated that Purcari is equally adept working with international varieties like Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot as it is with native varieties and ‘local’ varieties such as Romania’s Feteasca Neagra and Georgia’s Saparavi. With the right approach and a healthy marketing budget, a brandy producer could pitch their products into the minds of a new generation of drinkers. As our latest taste test discovered, the liquid on the market is full of promise – and taste. Last month, we hosted our Brandy Masters blind-tasting competition to evaluate the quality of some of the bottles on the market. As a flourishing category with huge potential, it was a welcome result for brandy producers. Innovation has attracted new drinkers to the category, and this year’s Brandy Masters blind tasting aimed to assess some of the best bottlings on the market.The brandy category’s reliance on tradition has led to some outstanding products, turning the heads of a new generation of consumers. We share 10 of the most impressive bottlings from our recent blind tasting. Expressions from Distell and the Yerevan Brandy Company made our list of top brandies In the spirits world, it presents a time for brands to showcase their finest products, knowing the festive season is just around the corner. The annual DB & SB Autumn Blind Tasting was established to give spirits producers an opportunity to highlight the tipples they think consumers should be drinking during the cooler months – and the medals attained by this year’s entrants showed there is much to enjoy.

Starting from the idea of creating a more intense version of the famous Bardar cognac, we selected the best oak barrels in which distillates have undergone a long process of aging.Bardar cognac Platinum 15 years and 20 years old is a precious gift, appreciated by true connoisseurs. Our brandy samples were decanted and shipped to us completely blind thanks to the expertise of Wine Sorted. David T Smith, spirits writer and consultant, and co-founder of the Craft Distilling Expo, chaired the third panel. He was accompanied by Anne Jones, drinks experience at Waitrose and John Lewis, and Claire Filer, spirits judge, writer and consultant.