My simple 10 minutes of web research turned into an eye-watering 5-hour journey down the web research rabbit hole. I’m officially adding brandy to the list of drinks to which I’m more or less addicted.

Ansley Coale, who has been kind enough to read and comment on my previous cognac blog post, founded Craft Distillers to help distribute artisanal spirits ranging from cognac to mezcal, whiskey to rose liqueurs. He’s also involved in a distillery in Ukiah that carries the name of his partner, Hubert Germain-Robin, the latest in a long line of brandy producers, albeit the first on this side of the Atlantic.

Having now sampled that California brandy, two cognacs, a mezcal, and a rose-infused liqueur, I feel confident saying the items with which Mr. Coale associates himself are superb examples of their various styles and among the better spirits I’ve had recently.

His products – save Hangar One vodka, which he sells to subsidize his other endeavors – are not available in Michigan (of course), but they are worth saving up for and hunting down.  I posted about my first bottle of Maison Surrenne Borderies, but there are some additional notes below.

Finally, I’ve also learned a thing or two about appropriate glassware. While I don’t subscribe to the theory that 20 different wines or beers require 20 unique glasses, I certainly hold it to be true that glassware has an effect on what we taste. In this case, the claims that a tulip glass are superior to a snifter are unquestionably true. Snifters create a more volatile, hot drink, whereas the tulip glass seems to emphasize the fruit and barrel flavors.

So armed with a tulip glass, I went about sampling some new drinks (Photos are courtesy of Chance Landrews, staff photographer at the Sugar House Bar):

Maison Surrenne, Petit Champagne Cognac, Lot 1991
There’s the same buoyant, delicate quality as the Borderies (as noted in my previous post on cognac, Bordieres and Petit Champagne are specific regions within Cognac) I’d had previously. But it isn’t so rich and silky, nor is it as clearly violet scented or flavored. More so, it has subtly sweet, fleshy fruit qualities. The finish is a bit hotter and spicier, though that’s not to say it’s inelegant. Quite the opposite. It’s a very well-balanced drink. Compared to this region, Borderies is supposed to have richer soil due to river deposits, and that’s unsurprising — this has a stonier, sharper edge.

Germain-Robin XO Select Barrel
This couldn’t be more opposite than the Surrenne above. The wood shows more of its role here in the form of a much richer, denser body. Aromas of caramel and grilled/baked fruits. Oaky vanilla flavors, though the caramel isn’t noticeable on the palate. And then there’s the fruit. I don’t know enough about brandy to understand if this relates to the distillation process or to the heavy amount of American pinot noir, but there’s a strawberry and apricot nose to this and very subtle red fruit flavors. I didn’t sense them in my first taste, but the more I got accustomed to this drink, the more I became fixated on some of these fruitier flavors rather than the barrel flavors. Regardless, this is a deep spirit, equally potent and nuanced.

Los Danzantes Los Nahuales Reposado
I’ve had much smokier mezcals, though I always get the feeling that they’re smoky to cover something else up. Not so here. Instead, this has true depth from the first whiff through the lingering finish.  There’s a certain orange-ish flavor reminiscent of some Irish whiskies, but it’s dominated by a sweet, pleasant smokiness. It’s not salty in the way scotch can be, but it has a mineral quality about it that lends a similar edge. I’m hardly a mezcal expert, but some friends who were tasting with me – Dave from Sugar House and James from Great Lakes Coffee – and I have had Del Maguey, Arette Gran Classe Anejo Tequila, and/or other, similar drinks, and this absolutely belongs in that class. A real treat.

The quality prompted me to do some reading, and it turns out that this is aged in French oak, rather than American, and that the brothers who produce the product use very sweet, mature agave in the distillation and aging. Also, take a peek at the label: This is essentially a varietal mezcal, using the one type of agave, espadin. There are numerous others. Further research is required.

Crispin’s Rose Liqueur
This is the purest expression of a macerated fruit, herb, or flower I’ve ever had. The distiller, Crispin Cain, distills a mead with apple (if I recall correctly, a mead-cider hybrid is called a cyser) to form the base for this spirit, into which goes heirloom rose petals. It’s drier than it smells, though it’s certainly still kissed by sweetness. To smell this, though, is to smell a rose. Great flowers have a depth to their aromas, and this liqueur expresses that sensation. It’s plump. And on the tongue, there’s more of the same, though again, accented by that honey-ish sweetness. It’s a bit too pricey for me to turn this indulgence into a regular habit, but I’m genuinely pleased to have tried it.

It’s a shame these aren’t available here. But like I said, they’re worth seeking out.

Generally, I’m not a fan of California wines. Oak, blackberry flavors, designer yeast, viscous textures, high alcohol, and things of that sort are not my preferred drink characteristics. And while there are certainly some wines that break that mold, they still manage to fall short, often for too high a price. Of course, Joseph Swan gave me hope. I rather enjoy those wines.

But nothing could prepare me for the shock I felt when drinking Bonny Doon’s new biodynamic wines. Friend Putnam Weekley handles the beverage duties at El Barzon in Detroit, and with the restaurant’s chef, he put together a 7-course dinner with these new offerings from Randall Graham. The retail prices on these wines ranged from $17 for a sangiovese to a CdP-style blend in the $30 range.

The fantastically good news? They’re really damn good. I’d honestly drink some of these wines with or in lieu of similarly priced European counterparts. With low alcohol, decent acidity, and unmanipulated ripeness, these are food friendly, drinkable wines.

Something is happening. A U.S. state is making delicious natural wine. I’m stunned.

So lift your glass to California. Or at least to Bonny Doon.

We started with 2006 Bourgogne “Le Chapitre” from Rene Bouvier, which was a colorful, pleasant surprise of sweet cherry, exceeding what one might expect from a bourgogne rouge.