Two Cheers for Three Barrels XO Brandy
Written by Martin Pilkington
Promotion of more refined versions of various spirits seems to be the order of the day in the drinks world, and that’s something to be applauded – in these increasingly health conscious times we should surely be seeking quality not quantity. Allied to that trend there is another where fine spirits and wines are being demystified, again to be welcomed. Enter Three Barrels XO, a 15-year-old French brandy that is distinctly smooth without being stuffy.
Text continues below image
The Three Barrels brand is well-known, and therein lies the problem for the producers, as most of us probably identify their cheaper brandy as the stuff we often see among the pub optics, so paying the RRP of £25 for its older brother may require some persuasion. The PR release for the product even dubs it ‘no nonsense’.
Text continues below advert
But it would be a pity to dismiss the 15-year-old because of prejudice about its sibling. It is a nicely rounded brandy with loads of caramel and a few subtler flavours behind it, a slight grassiness for example, that make it more interesting than entry-level rivals. Those looking for a really complex connoisseur experience will not in truth find it here, but buyers looking for something that won’t set uncle Bob’s teeth on edge over Christmas can be confident with the XO. The lingering thought though is that the toffee-taste and nice round mouth-feel is not very far removed from rather cheaper Spanish brandies. Nothing wrong with being seen in that company, but when you compare the price tags...
So two cheers for Three Barrels, one of them definitely for their unfussy attitude to using their drink in cocktails and mulled drinks, outlined on http://www.three-barrels.com - why not use something decent in them, they’ll benefit and so may the head next morning.
|
