Review: Germain-Robin California Alambic Brandy XO

Germain-Robin is unquestionably the most exciting and impactful brandy producer in the U.S., and its 7 year old Alambic Brandy is arguably the archetype against which all other American brandies are measured. Stepping up the price and quality tier you’ll find Germain-Robin XO, which is distilled exclusively in Pruhlo Charentais pot stills and aged in Limousin oak barrels. The distillate is designed to showcase the flavor of Pinot Noir, but also includes Colombard and Sémillon.

Compared to the fruit-forward exuberance of the 7 year old, Germain-Robin’s XO is something quite different. Notes of chocolate and tea leaf dominate on the nose, evoking aromas of well-sweetened black tea, laced with sesame oil and an oaky punch. Perhaps a little boisé in the mix? Dried florals present a perfumed quality, layered atop a classic combination of red fruits and raisins.

I was taken aback by the amount of spice on the palate, which works nicely with overtones of rich chocolate, caramel sauce, and a healthy layer of oak. The florals come roaring back here — lilacs and lavender — before the heavier punch of wood retakes the reins. There’s much less overt vanilla than in the 7 year old, while all that dried fruit arrives with an extracted, leathery quality. The finish is quite long, muscular, and punchy, a clearly American brandy that shrugs off any comparisons to Cognac.

80 proof.

A- / $100 / germain-robin.com [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]

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