South Africa is home to the best brandies in the world
Stellenbosch-produced Van Ryn’s 15-year-old potstill brandy has been named the best wine brandy in the world.
The brandy was named the World’s Best Wine Brandy at the 2023 World Brandy Awards in London, beating competition from France, the United States, Australia, and South Africa’s other brandy producers.
Van Ryn’s won the award for the second year in a row and for the third time in four years.
In 2022, Van Ryn’s 20-year-old potstill brandy was named the best brandy in the world. In 2020, its 12-year-old potstill brandy received the same accolade.
The World Brandy Awards sees judges blindly taste each entry and score the brandies according to nose, palate and finish, balance, character, complexity, and overall quality.
The panel of judges said that Van Ryn’s 15-year-old potstill brandy was “a symphony of aromas unfold, very complex and also well balanced between the scents. Big and powerful but still elegant. Great.”
Marlene Bester, Van Ryn’s master blender, said that brandies are starting to appeal to a wider audience.
“Brandies are appealing to a new generation who embrace authenticity, gravitate towards products with a story to tell, and migrate to those that have the credentials,” Bester said.
The Van Ryn brandy is characterised by cigar box, orange peel, and balanced oak, with dark chocolate, warm spice, integrated oak, and fruit creating a creamy and complex finish.
South Africa dominance
South African products dominated the best wine brandy awards, taking the one gold and four available silver awards.
Van Ryn’s 20-year-old potstill brandy took the silver alongside KVW’s 10-year-old, 12-year-old and 15-year-old brandies.
Brandies from Australia, France and the US took the seven bronze awards available.
Despite the success in the wine brandy category, there were no awards for South African products in the World’s Best Apple Brandy, Flavoured Brandy and Pomace or Marc categories.
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