A taste of Fiesta...a fine brandy
Written: Dec 07 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good brandy, somewhat sweet in character, easy to drink, fair price.
Cons: Maybe hard to find....
The Bottom Line: Good, traditional Spanish brandy. Try it! Especially apealing to dark rum or bourbon drinkers.
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| joseph06's Full Review: Pedro Domecq Brandy Fundador 80 1 liter |
My introduction to Fundador came by way of Ernest Hemingway. In The Sun Also Rises, the American expatriates drink Fundador brandy at the San Fermines festival in Pamplona. As a Hemingway fan and drink enthusiast, this was too much for me, and I spent a long time looking for a bottle to try. At the time, I was living on the west coast and it was not be seen, and few people had even heard of it. I moved down to Texas not too long ago, and as luck would have it, Fundador Brandy de Jerez is quite easy to find in the lone star state.
In the glass, Fundador is a perhaps a hint darker than many cognacs, most likely due to the sherry cask aging, but otherwise not out of the ordinary. It is relatively heavy in appearance, and coats the glass well. Visually, it is quite similar to standard American bourbon.
In the nose, this one is lovely. Notes of butter, sherry, toffee, and fruit are present, with an overall sense of sweetness. Again, sherry casks at work. Despite the sweetness, it is well balanced and overall very pleasant. None of the harshness of cheap brandy here, and when I first nosed it I was very pleased. Overall, the nose gives you a sense of a warm summer breeze, and is just the thing to take the edge off the cold winter wind.
In tasting, sweetness is again noticable. The flavor is very even, with less fruit than you might expect in a brandy, but maintaining more of a wine quality than an aged cognac. I initially detect the sweetness on the tip of my toungue, with hints of wood and butter further back. The finish is warm, with lingering sweetness mid palette. Hand warmed in a snifter, Fundador has a pleasant mouth feel, and it is an easy brandy to savor. Of course, remembering the "enthusiasm" with which Hemingway's characters took to their drinks, I would be remiss if I didn't also point out that this a brandy that you can also drink without a lot of fanfare. It tastes quite good, simply, and if you like it mixed in a Metropolitan, or even a brandy and soda, there's no shame in doing so. I prefer it neat, at least in the winter, but I wouldn't feel bad about using it to mix a short drink in the summer.
Overall, this is a very favorably priced brandy that tastes a lot better than any of the other brandies in it's price range, and it is exotic enough many people may not of have heard of it. While it's obviously not an XO cognac, it's a very fine brandy that I think most drinkers can appreciate.
Oh, while I'm on the subject, I'll include one of my favorite brandy based cocktails:
Brandy Ginger-Sour
I serve this in a rocks glass....
Ice to the rim
2 oz brandy
Dash or two of Angostura
Fill with ginger lemonade (I like the Trader Joe's Organic variety)
Roll in a shaker tin
Garnesh with a lemon twist
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
joseph06
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Reviews written: 24
Trusted by: 0 members
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