1 | Spirits | American Brandy, $20 to $50, 750 ml

"A Jack Rose cocktail wouldn’t be the same without this historic “blended brandy” spirit, blended from 35% apple brandy and 65% neutral spirits. Smooth, warm and bright, with a rich, juicy apple flavor and caramel finish. Mouth-coating and very soft in texture."

Unbelievable quality for the price. Outscored Delamain Pale and Dry, Martell Cordon Bleu, and four other noted cognacs in expert blind tastings (1989). Based on our first (1987) release,Lot 27 is no longer the same animal. We have learned a lot about when to harvest, how to vinify, how to distill, how to blend. Plus, we have an older cellar. We still like the youthful fruit of 5-year-old brandies (apple and pear), but we also like the deeper flavors that come from more age, trending towards plum/apricot. The blend is very rich, with 10-year-old Colombard, some Riesling, and a touch of Zinfandel. There is also a solera enrichment: Joe Corley rolls over earlier lots into the ongoing blends.

Pure apple brandy, fermented, distilled and aged in single American oak casks, all done on site in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.