Daniel Friedman

The best of SA brandy By Daniel Friedman “Klippies and coke! Klippies and coke!” – a popular South African refrain around the braaivleis or bar, but not exactly what you’d expect to grace the fibres of Wanted magazine. Unlike whiskies, wines or their snootier French cousin, the Cognac, local brandies aren’t usually associated with connoisseurs or tasting sessions. A perception that the South African Brandy Foundation’s Lelanda Koen is understandably eager to dispel, which is why she treated us to one. The ritual of drinking brandy in South African society goes all the way back to Jan van Riebeck and 1652. It’s claimed that Dutch East Indian ships would reward the seafarer who spotted land with a tot of brandy, a practice that may be the forerunner to the infamous dop system. The main factors that determine the personality and quality of a brandy are the grapes used, the method of distillation and the length and quality of maturation. In general, the shape and double distillation process of potstills provide a more complex spirit than column stills. We tasted six brandies, from some of South Africa’s biggest alcohol companies. There are also wine estates that produce their own brandies and a burgeoning number of small-scale independent distillers and bottlers. The most common way for brandy in South Africa to be consumed is with a mixer such as coke or a cocktail like a Brandy Alexander. This is generally how Klipdrift Export, South Africa’s largest brand by volume - and its most iconic - is enjoyed. This standard blend is relatively high in alcohol (43% alcohol by volume (ABV)) and has the least evocative aroma and palate of the brandies we tasted; with its light, neutral grape flavour explaining why it is positioned to complement mixers. At a recommended retail price of R80, it also has the best alcohol-to-value ratio. Klipdrift brandy was first distilled and bottled on the Klipdrift farm in 1938. Apparently, the original recipe was given to Kowie Marais as a gift of thanks by a man that he’d saved from drowning. Compared to the Export, Klipdrift Gold’s a significant step up in quality - a dark green bottle with a heavy base and gold lettering announcing its more serious intentions. Here the price climbs to about R175 and the ABV drops down to 38%. This potstill brandy is a blend of 9 different vintages between 3 and 21 years old. Its nose and palate are far more complex than standard Klippies. Top notes are of the fruit spectrum – pears, peaches and citrus. One level down are the spices – vanilla, cinnamon and cloves. At the base are the decadent aromas and flavours of chocolate and hazelnuts. This is a far cry from South Africa’s first brandy, distilled in 1672 on a Dutch ship stationed in False Bay. Legend is that it was so popular amongst locals that patrons of bars would barter the clothes on their backs to finance their brandy habit. Oude Molen Solera Grand Reserve was launched in May 2010. It has a similar broad-base shape to Klipdrift Gold. The aubergine label distinguishes it from the other brandies in Oude Molen’s range, which each have their own colour signifiers. Incidentally, this label recently won a Best in Show in the Neenah Labels of the World contest. This 100% potstill brandy is made up of vintages between 5 and 7 years of age. It is 40% ABV and retails for about R200. It is lighter in colour than the Klipdrift Gold and slightly rougher on the taste. It has a nose of coconut and toffee, with a hint of raisin and sherry. In South Africa, a buchu brandy tincture has been used to treat stomach ailments for centuries, originally by Khoisan people and later by Dutch and British settlers. As a treatment for gout, a 16th century German medical text recommends a combination of rubbing brandy on the throat and then, the next day, drinking it upon waking up. Brandy was also used as an embalming solution - to be poured on a corpse to prevent spoilage and rank smells. Like Oude Molen Solera, Van Ryn’s also uses a colour-coding system across its various aged brandies. The 10 Year Old Vintage Brandy sports a cream label while the 20-Year-Old Collectors Reserve is royal blue. The former has a 40% ABV, retails for about R200, smells of pears and almonds and the taste of peaches lingers on the palate. The latter is a potstill, also with 38% ABV but retails for around R1,300. It won worldwide best brandy at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) in 2008 and it’s obvious why. The most complex brandy we tasted, it has a nose rich in honey, dried fruit and sweet spices. On the palate is a lush mix of nuts and marmalade, with an aftertaste of candied fruit. Our favourite brandy was the KWV 15 Year Old; pronounced the IWSC worldwide best brandy in 2007 – the same year it was launched. Apparently this 15-year-old potstill was so good that it forced KWV to up the quality of its existing 20-year-old brandy. Although not as complex as the Van Ryn’s 20-year-old, it’s the epitome of smooth: well integrated dried fruit on the nose, wonderful easy sipping and an addictive, soft taste of peach; at around R400 it’s right on the money. Interestingly, the past two years’ IWSC worldwide best brandy winners are also South African – Joseph Barry 10 Year Cape Pot Still Brandy in 2009 and Laborie Alambic Brandy in 2010. Perhaps the most uncommon use of brandy can be gleaned from an Australian news clipping of the last decade. A man who commonly consumed large quantities of brandy was unfortunately incapacitated. His doting wife ensured that he received two bottles of his favourite tipple via the unconventional route of an enema. Although the man sadly passed away due to alcohol poisoning, one has to wonder whether it was, at very least, a superior potstill.