This is a f***ing fantastic brandy.

I could end the review right there, but let’s keep going. It’s a blend of 90% calvados and 10% armagnac. The stated ages are 27 years old and 7 years old, but according to founder Raj Bhakta, the ages could include up to 47 years old and 18 years old for each spirit, respectively. The kicker: it’s $79.99.

Seriously - try to think of a better value-to-price ratio in any spirits category. Even at the stated ages, $80 would be a hell of a bargain. At twice that age, $80 is practically larceny. Half the bourbons and ryes out there are hitting $100 at a fraction of that age.

Kicker #2: this is unique. There will only be one batch of it. The blend of calvados - an apple brandy that can only be called that when from Normandy - and armagnac, another appellation-controlled brandy category limited to, you guessed it, the Armagnac region, shows the best of both. The calvados is front-and-center, bright and fresh and acidic, while the armagnac provides a great undertone of darker fruit and age. Cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and allspice berries all dance around between the two spirits.

If this all sounds too good to be true, or obsequious, look…when I like something, I like it. As the disclosure below says, Bhakta Spirits did provide a sample of this strings-free, but here’s my internal rule: besides full editorial control remaining with me, by sending me samples/bottles, you’re asking for me to review something and share my thoughts on it. If I don’t like it, I might ask more about it and try to figure out what aspect I’m not jiving with, but ultimately it’s my decision to post or not. The scoring and notes are my own and done blind whenever possible.

TL;DR: If I say I like it, I mean it, and my notes are real.

Anyway…back to the spirit. Brandy is on the upswing, especially armagnacs. I don’t doubt calvados will follow within a few years. By blending these two unique spirits, this product showcases how well different fruit spirits play with each other. It also shows how well both take to long-term aging.

Seriously - at $80, if you can find a better value-to-quality proposition on the market, let me know and we’ll taste it together.

Thank you to Bhakta Spirits for providing a sample free of obligation. Full editorial control remains with me.

Bhakta Brandy 27-07: Specs

Classification: Brandy

Origin: Undisclosed

Mashbill: 10% Armagnac, 90% Calvados

Proof: 90 (45% ABV)

Age: 7 Years Old (Minimum - Maximum age 40+ Years Old)

Appellation: Normandy and Armagnac

Location: France

Bhakta Brandy 27-07 Price: $79.99

Official Website

Bhakta Brandy 27-07 Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Gold, thick rims and large drops.

Nose: Caramel apple syrup with cinnamon sticks. Creamy and caramelized. Hints of wood after some air, but just the smokiness. Baked apples on the verge of burning.

Palate: Initial tongue punch of oak, but not woody. Warming and peppery, whole cloves and allspice berries. Dark fruit in the corners of my mouth reveal a deep armagnac influence. Mouthfeel is silky, light side of medium, oily and coating.

Finish: Finish opens up with more woodsmoke influence, still fairly slight on a long, long finish. Apple comes to the fore in an applewood and meat bark hit towards the end.

Overall: Undoubtedly apple forward, but there’s enough armagnac and woodsmoke in here that tasted blind I wouldn’t 100% place this as a calvados (granted, this is a blend, but I thought it would be immediately identifiable as a calvados). There’s enough armagnac to add a dark fruit dimension to the flavor profile, and the deep smokiness completes the package. This is a fantastic brandy to start with - at $80, it might be the best value-for-price on the market today.

Final Rating: 8.2

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Old Label Batch 4 or 2, Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (Stagg Jr. Batch 10, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)