E&J XO Brandy

This is super sweet, filled with caramel, toffee notes that are backed by bananas and raspberries. Wood and some spices, including common, ginger, and nutmeg, are definitely present, but they hang out closer to the back. There is some depth here as the flavor develops, but the taste is also sickly sweet. The balance is good though. It has more depth and less confectioner's sugar than George Ocean Spiced Rum, but it is still way too sweet. It's actually decent as a choice as a rum mixer, but it's not a brandy that is worth drinking straight. Honestly though, if you told me it was a rum, I'd likely praise it. Weirdly, drinking it after something sweet makes it taste like Baiju. The flavor is young, but there is also a fair bit going on. The sweetness is a bit much for many, I imagine, and it tastes rummy. There are flowers that give it a bit of a mineral presence, caramel, banana, a hint of apple, some mild chocolate richness from wood, vanilla, and maybe a little red fruit. If the flavor were a bit more robust and less sweet this could be terrific, but it tastes sort of like kids stuff. As it is. It's a bit weak with some non-traditional flavors that may not be pleasing to someone looking for a brandy. This is surprisingly drinkable brandy though it tastes more like rum. The nose is vanilla, banana, and caramel. The palate is sweet with vanilla, caramel, banana, anise, and a bit of an unpleasant alcohol element that brings a bit of burn in. The flavor changes a bit over time, making this a moderately complex drink. It would be a great mixer with eggnog. The nose has a sweet cherry scent with a little bit of anise that gives it a sense of baiju. It smells kind of interesting and balanced, albeit on the sweet side. Some vanilla and tartness flit into the nose. The palate is a fairly viscous with all of the sweetness. Cherry syrup is present, but it's more subdued like in brandied cherries and some of the anise comes in too. The syrup is a bit much, but it isn't bad. A note of milk chocolate shows up, but a burst of alcohol jumps out briefly too and some icing sugar does hint at itself. That cherry syrup does ultimately come across as a bit unnatural though, a little bit like an Irish whiskey. It's way sweeter than Bushmill's Black and lacks the balance and grassiness (though there is some complexity here in the midst of the sugar kingdom). Green Spot also has more balance and complexity, exceeding both this and Bushmill's Black, though it isn't an overwhelmingly victory. There way too much sugar in this, but as a liqueur it could work. It would be on the bitter side of sweet liqueurs, but its flavor would work well. It's less hedonistic in a nectar sense than Licor 43, but it also has a nice immediate complexity that I appreciate. This may not be at the level of Grand Marnier, but it's doing well for its price point in terms of complexity and tastiness. The alcohol may be a tad strong, but what is to be expected from a high strength liqueur?

I like this brandy. I have only had two other brandies in my life before and one was ok and the other was just terrible. The two were Asbach and the other was E & J VS. This brandy is so much better than either of those. The flavor and smoothness were amazing and the price is very nice as well. The nose is sweet fruits like grapes or raisins(I know made from wine) and the color is a nice rich amber and as a nice plus it coats the Glencairn glass nicely. The body is where this humble liquid comes to life. It is lush and smooth with vanilla and dark brown sugar but not caramel or toffee but more like sugar cookies with a lot of really dark brown sugar. The finish was sweet but not syrupy and was really pleasant. Overall this is a very good drink at a great price. It is $13 in my area and it was on sale for $10. I have not made any mixed drinks with this yet but I will shortly. If you need brandy to fill out your bar this is a good contender. Enjoy.

Nose - maple syrup, cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla, melted butter, butter pecan ice cream, raisin, high ethanol burn. Taste - butter pecan ice cream, french toast, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, hot crossed bun, brown sugar, caramel syrup, boozy raisin, moderate alcohol bite, finishing longer than expected with all the dessert flavors above mixed together. Another reviewer wrote that this tastes like all of your childhood’s worst nutritional decisions, and I completely agree. This is so dosed with chemically, artificial flavorings that it is almost pleasant. At the very least, this would make for a tasty, sweet mixer. It’s arguably a small step up from the VS and VSOP offerings, but that isn’t saying much.

A great big step in the right direction. Additional aging has tamed the burn (still modestly present after a sip) and added potent amounts of aroma (maple, warm brown sugar, some dried fruit and vanilla) and flavor (I get caramel upfront and fig/honey on the backside). It's a pleasant sipper, though not at all the most complex. Has become a perennial winter favorite. Well packaged and CHEAP, just $8.20 here for 375 mL. I would love to see E&J offer a 10-12 year "ultrapremium" brandy to round out their offerings, just like Korbel is missing an XO (but has a 12 year aged brandy). But this E&J XO deserves major credit for bringing some substance to the rest of the brandy line.

Nose: Toasty dry vanilla. Some caramel and toffee. Slightly astringent. A little bit of grilled banana and grape taffy. Palate: Medium viscosity. Mouth coating, but a little sticky. Very vanilla and toffee forward. There's a small amount of warm tingly barrel spice that pairs well with the sweetness. Hints of grape taffy are also present. Finish: Medium length. Slightly sweet, but a hit astringent with present ethanol. Summary: This is my first real Brandy review coming over from whiskey. The Palate is nice, but the nose and finish fall short. Not sure to expect much more from a sub $20 bottle. Would probably be a great mixer.

A lot of people look down at E&J. Maybe they had a bad experience, maybe they don't like the taste, but glad I'm not them. XO color delivers a medium golden brown color with light rim. Overly sweet scents of caramel reminiscent of a caramel apple store in the mall. After you get past the caramel, notes of banana, allspice, and nutmeg arrive with a peppery finish. Sweet mouthful of vanilla, anise and light heat. The aftertaste lingers. It's a solid budget friendly Brandy.