I'm not much of a Brandy drinker, but for some reason I have a craving for a nice snifter full. What are some nice brands that you guys enjoy ?

Maybe it's the whole brandy/eggnog thing, but I'll skip the eggnog :-)
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I am going to assume you mean cognac and not something like a Christian Brothers Brandy @ $8/bottle. I would go with something basic like a Remy Martin or Hennessey VSOP for around $30/bottle. Try one of those and if you dont like it you havent blown $100 on something you wont drink. :-)
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One of the best bang-for-the-buck bottles I have run across is Tbilisi Reserve XO. It's a Georgian (think Soviet, not Atlanta) brandy that is as smooth as silk. It retails somewhere in the $38-42 range.

Thanks for reminding me about this. I had to dig through my pantry to find my bottle. Now it's at the front of the shelf waiting to be enjoyed. :-)
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I always was a fan of Brandi Brandt

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Nick, Bob is wise, listen to him.


Cheap brandy is really only good for spiking homemade Sangria, various styles hot mulled wines and adding flavor to cooking/baked dishes.

..oh, and degreasing engine parts.
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Well I have a bottle of Courvoisier, not sure which, but I can't say I care for it. Perhaps I will try one that Bob recommends and go from there.
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Take a look at the Courvoisier bottle, it should have some notation on the label denoting quaility. VS, VSOP and XO are the most common, in order of quality.
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The best bottle of Pierre Ferrand you can afford.
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VS

I assume the other types may be better ? Because after tasting the VS, I don't know that I'd want to spend money on another bottle of similar alcohol.
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VSOP is the next grade up. I think you will notice the difference. Should run $35-40. XO is one up from VSOP and will run $60-90. So it just depends on what you want to spend. I like the cheap stuff for EggNog and VSOP for sipping. If had Moses' bankroll I would go for the Fernand as well starting at about $65. But alas I am poor. :-):-)
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I've always felt that VS cognac was pretty rough.

Yes, VS is the low end, the VSOP is a higher grade and the XO is a higher grade above that. There are also some sub-grades between them and even some grade extensions or grades above XO. XO is rather spendy, go above it and the price just skyrockets.
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If you're going to dump something in eggnog, just get a bottle of Sailor Jerry spiced rum...
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No eggnog for me. I like to taste what I'm drinking. I'm still leaning away from Courvoisier though.....
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Nope, it's actually much better just the way you did it, Scottie.
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Nice PM scottie. Thanks for the warm welcome! LOL
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