Tag: Laird’s

Laird’s Single Cask, Comrade Brandy selection #2, Shelter in Place

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Maker: Laird’s, Scobeyville, New Jersey/North Garden, Virginia, USA.

Age: 7 y/o (84 mos)

Barrel: 13J24-30

Notes: Bottled Oct 29, 2020, bottle 81(80?)/144.

ABV: 65%

Purchased for $65 (Comrade Brandy selection).

Appearance: Medium copper.

Nose: Big dessert apple aroma. Apple sauce, cut crimson crisp. Water brings out vanilla.

Palate: Medium bodied and sweet. Cider, then burn. With water: White chocolate candy apple.

Finish: Long. Hot apple pie. With water: cleaner with a little heat.

Parting words: Comrade Brandy is one of two private barrel selection groups I’m a part of. I joined for the inaugural selection (reviewed here) back in 2019. Coming right at the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic, this second selection took a while to come out, but it finally arrived in members’ hands early this spring. It’s not quite as good as the first edition, but it’s close and still a very strong selection that I have no complaints about. It’s made in a classic American apple brandy style, but it does start to take on some Calvados characteristics when watered down.

$65 is a fair price for a cask strength private selection, so no complaints there either! Want to get in on the next selection? Hop onto Facebook and join the club! Laird’s Single Cask, Comrade Brandy selection #2, Shelter in Place is recommended.

Head to head: Laird’s Single Cask vs Laird’s Single Cask (Comrade Brandy)

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GB= Generic bottle

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The Comrade Brandy sticker wasn’t my idea, I swear.

CB= Comrade Brandy bottling

Maker: Laird’s, Scobeyville, New Jersey/North Garden, Viginia, USA

Age

GB: 4.5 y/o

CB: 5.33 y/o

Bottled

GB: 12/11/18

CB: 5/20/19

Bottle

GB: 118/192

CB: 157/168

ABV: 65.8%

Purchased for

GB: $45

CB: $50

Appearance

GB: Pale copper.

CB: Darker. New penny.

Nose

GB: Alcohol, old oak, cider, young Calvados.

CB: Leather, crushed apples, middle-aged Calvados.

Palate

GB:  Caramel apple, burn.

CB: More middle-aged Calvados. Chocolate-covered candy apple, vanilla, honey.

Finish

GB: Sweet apples, alcohol, a bit of oak.

CB: Richer and leatherier. Dark chocolate, cider, burn.

Thanks to John Creek and Bhavik Patel for getting Comrade Brandy together.

Parting words: Laird’s is the bourbon-lovers’ apple brandy and I, a bourbon lover, love Laird’s. I was excited when it was announced that Laird’s was going to be releasing a high-proof single barrel edition, so as soon as it hit the stores and went out and bought a barrel. A few weeks later, I found myself in a Facebook group for a private barrel pick of that very same product. So I took the opportunity to write up another one of my beloved head to head tasting reviews.

I enjoyed both of these but Comrade Brandy had more Calvados-like depth and complexity than the off-the-shelf model. I’m very glad I decided to buy two bottles but I kind of wish I had purchased more. I was sent two I didn’t order accidentally, but I can’t just keep them, right? Right? Laird’s Single Cask selection is recommended.

 

 

Laird’s Rare Apple Brandy

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Maker: Laird’s, Scobeyville, New Jersey, USA2016-02-11-16.53.20.jpg.jpeg

Style: Straight apple brandy

Age: 12 y/o

ABV: 44%

Other information: Batch 17, bottled March, 2013

Price: $70 (Binny’s)

Appearance: Dark copper with thin, even legs.

Nose: Mild. Alcohol, applesauce, cardamom, sweet cinnamon, leather

Palate: Medium bodied. Medium dry. Heavily spiced apple pie, dry cider.

Finish: Baked apple, brown sugar, ginger, oak, fades with a little burn carrying through.

Parting words: Founded in 1780 by a Scottish immigrant, Laird’s is one of the US’s oldest commercial distillers, if not the oldest. They are the big dogs of American apple brandy, producing 90% of it, according to their website. Their bottled-in-bond apple brandy was a favorite of mine for a long time. I’ve been actively hoarding it since it was changed to a 3 y/o.

Laird’s Rare is probably the oldest American apple brandy available. If there’s one older, I haven’t had it. It’s good, but the age seems to have stripped it of most of its apple character. Oak is there, but just in the background. I wanted to love this grand old brandy, but it’s too mild on the palate and lacks the complexity of 8-10 y/o apple brandies I’ve had. At $70, I need more. Laird’s Rare Old Apple Brandy is mildly recommended.