Torres Jaime I Brandy 700ml

Torres Jaime I Brandy 700ml

Cognac may dominate the brandy world today, but it’s not the only player.
Over the last century, savvy marketing has propelled Cognac to the top of the brandy hierarchy, with some houses becoming cultural icons. While other regions with deep distilling traditions remain under the radar, that only underscores Cognac's global influence.

Still, exceptional grape-based spirits are being made elsewhere—often at a fraction of the attention. Australia and South Africa, for example, continue to produce world-class brandies. Notably, a single-estate South African brandy from KWV was crowned “Best Brandy in the World” at the 2010 London International Spirits Competition. Australia, too, offers some stunning XO expressions.

Spain: The quiet giant of brandy
Second only to France in production, Spain has a long distilling heritage dating back to the 8th century, when Arab influence introduced the art of distillation. For years, Spain’s raw spirit was sold to the Dutch, but when phylloxera devastated French vineyards in the 1880s, Spanish brandy briefly took center stage as a Cognac alternative.

Today, two regions—Jerez in Andalucía and Penedès in Catalonia—have Denominación de Origen (DO) protection for brandy. In Jerez, most grapes (Airén and Palomino) are grown in La Mancha, then transported for ageing in Sherry casks, a practice that deeply influences flavour. Fino barrels lend light, nutty notes; Oloroso offers richer, darker tones; and PX casks bring intense dried fruit sweetness. Ageing typically occurs in 500L American oak using the traditional solera system.

Penedès: Cognac’s spiritual cousin
Catalonia's Penedès region offers a different style—closer to Cognac in both grape variety (including Ugni Blanc) and technique (pot still distillation, French Limousin oak). However, local producers like Torres balance this French influence with Spanish tradition, using solera systems to craft nuanced, mature spirits.

The solera system, familiar to sherry lovers, blends multiple vintages to ensure consistency and complexity. Over time, younger brandy adopts the character of the older—a process the Spanish poetically describe as the older spirit "teaching" the younger.

Torres: A refined standout
Though Torres is a large producer, it retains a clear artisan spirit. Its brandies aren’t trying to be Cognac—they’re richer, with notes of stewed fruits, spice cake, and a hint of aged Rutherglen Muscat, but with sweetness kept in check. It’s a style that appeals to those who appreciate depth and balance, especially if modern Cognacs feel overly sweet or commercial.

And for those who’ve strolled through Barcelona, the Gaudí-inspired bottle—designed by architect Tanaka—adds a final, elegant touch.

ABV 

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