My week of brandy reviews began with a very old Armagnac (this 50 yo from Darroze). It continued with a 15 yo Calvados bottled for Astor Wines in New York City (this Domaine Montreuil). It concludes today with a review of another apple brandy. But this one is not a Calvados but a so-called cider brandy from the Somerset Cider Brandy Company, located in, yes, Somerset, England. They’ve apparently been in the brandy production business since 1989. I don’t believe their product is available in the US. At any rate, I’d not heard of them till Sku sent me a sample several years ago (alongside the Montreuil 15). Let’s see what I’ve been missing.

Somerset 20, Cider Brandy (42%; from a sample from a friend)

Nose: Rich notes of apple and caramel mixed in with lemon and orange peel; quite reminiscent in some ways of a heavily sherried Speyside whisky (apart from the apple, of course). As it sits the apples get baked and get a sprinkle of brown sugar over the top; the oak becomes more apparent as well.

Palate: Comes in a little sour and with less apple but otherwise generally as indicated by the nose. Decent bite at 42% but the texture is a bit thin. Yes, there’s definitely less apple character here than on the nose.

Finish: Medium. Led by the light caramel and orange peel. Not much apple here either; also not much oak

Comments: Well, this is very pleasant, and very drinkable, but also rather devoid of character/personality. Not sure why so little apple registers on the palate given the nature of the nose. Could it have actually been matured/finished in a sherry cask?

Rating: 84 points.