But the greatest nugget in my collection is a Mallorquin brandy, '1851', it's 'solera' - that's the destillate base it is made from - is more than a hundred years old.

Always taste and try before you buy....

Think I owe you an answer: which brandy....

Well, you're right, the Spanish brandy in general tastes a bit sweeter than cognac or other ones.

Perhaps that comes from history - the Spaniards learnt to distillate brandy in the 13 century, way before the French did - when Spain was ruled by the Moors, and the Arab taste in general is famous for its combination of hot and sweet.

Anyway, the Spaniards have been the first who distilled alcohol which - btw - is an Arab word. And today the Spaniards have the largest per capita comsumption of brandy of all countries of the world, something around 3 litres a year.

But today the Spanish brandy style isn't the same any more, they make extraordinary brandy and still very unique sometimes, and ordinary brandy that everyona can afford.

The one I prefer is Cardenal Mendoza, uncomparable to any other brandy on this globe. It's black like Spanish coffee, you know, what they call 'torrefacto', and indeed, these coffee beans are roasted with a touch of sugar so they are a bit caramelised. And to drink a Cardenal Mendoza accompanied with 'un cortado' is one of the greatest moments I can imagine - it comes very close to the combination of red wine and cheese, which, as everybody knows, is an invention of the olympic gods.

Other fine Spanish brandys in my collection are Lepanto and Gran Duque d'Alba. they are closer to the French cognac but still different.
The more average brandy which needs no special moment is Independencia or Carlos Primero, or, which I like most in this category, Bobadilla 103 Etiqueta Negra.

And then there are very fine regional brandys, from Catalunya or the Baleares, for instance, which can hold any comparison with the best French cognac. But you only can buy them in the region, however.

But the greatest nugget in my collection is a Mallorquin brandy, '1851', it's 'solera' - that's the destillate base it is made from - is more than a hundred years old.

Anyway, what I've learnt from this Scottish barkeeper and will never forget, is this:
Always taste and try before you buy....

   Didja hear my story about this song from last summer?

Use Me — Bill Withers

Did you use the patch?

...I just quit you...

Tractor Seat! Because you can't get VD from them! So it's OK!

 

I don't understand... why would anyone voluntarily drink with you? This story cannot be true. 

Some time ago, I had to work in Glasgow.
Before I have been in Luxembourg, but in the night I got an emergency call to go to Glasgow - there was an food plant with problems in their packing part of the production process.
So I took the next plane, and in Glasgow I met an US American colleague, Rick, who had been called for the same issue.
And we stayed in the same hotel.
The barkeeper was a real Scot - as most of the others I met (the client's manager I had to deal with told me, he was once in his lifetime in a foreign country - when he was in in London).
Rick only knew what he called whiskey - that was rye whiskey.
I didn't know whisky at all - only brandy.
So the hotel's barkeeper found himself challenged - to enlighten two blind guys - and he did it. Perfectly. And we both both passed the class.
Some time later - when I was working in another project - I met another Scot.
He was very amazed, however, about my very profound knowledge of Scottish whisky, so he made me a gift when we left the project: a book, the 'compendium of the water of life'.

Nice, tap dancing.