The World’s Best Brandies According To The Beverage Testing Institute

Seven brandies, two Cognacs, four Armagnacs, and one Calvados, won Platinum Medals at the recently completed, Beverage Testing Institute (Bev Test) 2024 American brandy judging. An additional 19 brandies took Gold Medals.

The top-ranked brandies, scoring 98/100 points, were Bhakta Spirits 1965 Single Vintage Armagnac, 47.1% ABV, and Bhakta Spirits 1989 Single Vintage Calvados, 45.8% ABV.

Bhakta Spirits describes itself as “the world’s preeminent House of Vintages, offering a luxury craft spirits portfolio of limited-release whiskeys, brandies, rums, and more.” In recent years, the company has become a powerhouse providing ultra-aged vintage expressions of Armagnac brandies.

The Bev Test Judging Panel described the 1965 Armagnac as exhibiting:

Aromas of Victorian leather furniture, molasses roasted nuts, and Maduro tobacco. The palate features the same aromas with notes of dried orange in dark honey, leather, and cigar. It is a rich, old, and luxurious dram you want to take your time with to let the stories of this masterpiece unfold.

The Calvados, an apple brandy from Normandy, was described by the Bev Test Judging Panel as featuring:

Aromas of warm caramel apple pie, spiced, and poached pears. The palate features the same aromas with suggestions of baked red apple, bosc pear, and vanilla cream. A benchmark well-aged Calvados: for lovers of aged spirits, try this and find out if it also fills you with happiness and nostalgic autumnal memories.

The runner-up for Best Brandy, scoring 97/100 points, is another Bhakta expression, Bhakta Spirits 1979 Single Vintage Armagnac, 54.9% ABV

The Bev Test Judging Panel described the 1979 Vintage Armagnac as expressing:

Aromas of five spice, leather, and black walnut on ginger molasses cookies. The palate features similar aromas along with elements of cocoa, allspice, and bananas foster. This is absolutely stunning on the nose, with a balance of age, fruit, spice, oak, and earth, making up the intense aromatics followed by sheer luxuriousness on the palate; if you enjoy rare old spirits, you must try this.

The two top-ranked Cognacs, each scoring 96/100 points, are A.E. Dor Fine Champagne X.O. Cognac, 40% ABV, and Francois Voyer Extra Grande Champagne Luxury Cognac, 42% ABV.

Based in Jarnac, the Cognac Maison of A.E. Dor Fine Champagne X.O. Cognac was created in 1858 by Jean-Baptiste Dor. The Fine Champagne X.O. Cognac was aged for 25 years before finally being bottled.

The Bev Test Judging Panel described the A.E. Dor X.O. Cognac as showing:

Aromas of dried cherries, dark chocolate covered blood orange, and barrel-aged Maduro tobacco on the nose. The palate featured similar aromas and black cherry, fig, and dried plum elements. Dark red fruit, spiced nuts, and lush vanilla barrel tones are a beautiful benchmark of an X.O. Cognac.

Francois Voyer is a family company founded by its namesake in 1875. It is a premium brand of cognac produced in the heart of the Cognac region and is known for its exceptional quality and attention to detail. The X.O. Cognac is a blend of spirits aged between 10 and 45 years.

The Bev Test Judging Panel described the Voyer XO as featuring:

Aromas of orange blossom honey, honey-roasted cashews, and vanilla abound. The palate features similar aromas and notes of spiced orange zest, wildflower honey, and roasted cashews. There are layers of flavor and complexity, with a very long, dry, and luxurious finish. It could pair with a light to medium-bodied cigar, but this is a contemplative sipper.

The two remaining Platinum Medal winners, both Armagnacs, each scoring 96/100 points, are Bhakta Spirits 1982 Single Vintage Armagnac, 53.9% ABV, and Castaréde Warehouse Liquors Selection Single Barrel Cask Strength Armagnac, 56.3% ABV.

The Bev Test Judging Panel described the Bhakta 1982 Armagnac as expressing:

Aromas and flavors of plum sauce, caramel on orange zest and dried cherries, rancio, Maduro tobacco, and caramelized brownie and fudge. On the palate, it’s a lively, dry, medium-to-full body with a warming, engaging, very long finish revealing notes of figs and plum, tobacco and toffee, fudge, cherry, baking spices, rancio, chicory, and Nutella. It’s a bold and decadent treat dripping with spices, dried red fruits, and billowing expressive flavors of smoke and oak.

The Castaréde Armagnac is a custom bottling for Warehouse Liquors. This Chicago-based beverage retailer stocks one of the largest selections of spirits in the United States, including many custom bottlings curated by the store’s staff.

The Bev Test Judging Panel described the Castaréde Armagnac as featuring:

Aromas and flavors of burnt caramel, dark chocolate, cinnamon, orange zest, old English leather, tack room with baking spices, and Ligero Maduro tobacco. The palate features a round, lively, dry, and medium-full body with a peppery, cinnamon-dusted hazelnut, burnt sugars and creme brûlée, tobacco, baking spices, dark chocolate, and black tea. Bold and very woody, but as you adjust to the ABV, tons of black fruit, baking spices, and dark baker’s chocolate begin to unfurl; may your night never end as this finish lingers on forever.

Beverage Testing Institute (Bev Test) reviews and scores, on a hundred-point scale, thousands of beverages each year. This activity makes it more like a conventional wine and spirits competition. The Chicago-based organization, however, plays a dual role in the beverage industry. It also functions as a consultancy that, in its own words, utilizes:

Exceptional methodology, proprietary tools, and decades of experience offer research, development, and marketing services that protest significant investments, elevate brand reputations, optimize market reception, and engage consumers.

This dual role is unprecedented in the beverage industry. Bev Test’s evaluations and advice are closely followed by global wine and spirit companies, recently established craft spirit producers, and consumers worldwide.