STYLE: BRANDY
ABV: 50%
DISTILLER: COPPER & KINGS, BUTCHERTOWN, LOUISVILLE, KY.
MASH: APPLES
AGE: 4 YEARS
It’s a Sunday afternoon and I find myself embracing what feels to be the first true day of autumn I have felt in a long time. Errands have been ran, house tidied up and the smell of venison and sweet potato chili emanates from the kitchen. I step outside on my patio to enjoy the stillness that a day like this can bring. A light breeze sways through the trees, rustling together leaves that are finally turning to lighter shades of yellow and orange. Their colors popping against the backdrop of a bright, blue sky. I can feel the slight warmth of the sun offering reprieve from the crisp, dry air as it fills my lungs. In my hand, Copper & Kings Floodwall. The perfect accompaniment for a day such as this.
Named in honor of the floodwall that was built in 1957, Copper & Kings Floodwall is an American Apple Brandy. The Louisville based brandy distillery selects fresh, highly aromatic and acidic apples from Michigan where they are fermented around 64˚F with South African yeasts used primarily in white wine production.
The wine is shipped to Louisville where it goes through Copper and Kings’ traditional distillation process. Going through the first distillation in copper alembic (pot) stills without cuts before passing through its second run of distillation.
From there, the Eau de vie is placed in a combination of ex-bourbon and 250-liter sherry casks from Spain for a minimum of four years. During this time, the distillate goes through Copper & Kings signature sonic maturation process. For a minimum of four years, the apple brandy is pulsated with bass heavy music. The concussive force causes the Eau de vie to slosh against the inner staves of the barrel; allowing it to contact the wood that has less time with the distillate as it ages (think of getting more out of the angel’s share. Volume decreases over time through evaporation and the concussive force allows the Eau de vie to have more contact with parts of the barrel that it normally wouldn’t have with normal maturation).
After a minimum of four years, the brandy is bottled at 100 proof and is non-chilled filtered allowing maximum flavor to come through at an appreciable level for the average bourbon and cognac consumer.
Color: Red like autumn leaves.
Nose: Initially tight and Earthy with not much outside of dunnage coming through. A teaspoon of water reveals notes of apple cider doughnuts, tangerines, chili oil, and red hots before that dunnage sherry must comes through with hints of rubber.
Palate: Sherry is at the forefront, dominating the delicacy of the apple. After taking time to get to know the complexity of the spirit, the stewed fruit character of the sherry reveals an almond nuttiness and fried apple fritter sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Acidic and mouthwatering.
Finish: The brandy becomes unexpectedly herbal here. There are notes of chai tea that turns to flavors that remind me of tarragon and menthol. The tarragon/anise flavors play well with sherried apple flavors, accentuating the sweetness in the dominating Earthy flavors.
Overall: For the longest time I thought I did not like brandy or fruit distillate. That was until I tried this. Perhaps it was the sherry appeasing to my Scotch palate, but this was a real eye-opener to me and the world of fruit brandy. Now I cannot imagine an Autumn without a dram of this by my side. The flavors pulling all of the colors and flavors of the season together into one glass. Copper & Kings is doing really fantastic stuff that I would have never expected, and I cannot wait to further explore their impact on the world of spirits.
PAIRS WELL WITH: The song “Autumn Leaves” off the album “Somethin’ Else” by Cannonball Adderley. Cannonball recorded the song with Miles Davis in the late 50’s before “Kind of Blue”. The horns of Cannonball and Miles play off of the simplistic and minimalistic drums in the same way that the sherry plays off of the apple notes in the brandy and only further adds to the atmosphere on my patio. Miles’ trumpet hits you like the crisp autumn breeze as Cannonball’s alto sax distracts you with vibrant colors of the leaves as the fall beside you. All of this constant beauty surrounding you as Art Blakey’s drums keep the beat of constant everyday life around you.
COCKTAIL: COPPER & KINGS AUTUMN LEAVES
Keeping with the theme, I wanted to come up with a simple cocktail based around Floodwall. Keeping it minimalistic, I decided on a riff of the Old Fashioned. I wanted a drink that takes the warm, sweet flavors of autumn and highlights the complexity of the brandy.
- 2oz Copper & Kings Floodwall
- 1tsp Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
- 1 bar spoon Copper and Kings Brandied Cherry Syrups
- 2 Dashes Black Walnut Bitters.
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass over ice. Stir for 30 seconds and pour into chilled rocks glass over ice. Garnish with Copper & Kings Brandied Cherry and apple slice.
