Speaking of brandy....

[Jenise]

Last weekend in L.A., a friend and I needed some brandy for a sauce so we picked up a bottle at Trader Joe's. $9.99, a French brand, and one of two choices available to us (the other was the same price). Having nada else to go on, we ended up choosing the classiest looking bottle--frosted dark green glass, gold cap and gold/black (or maybe dark green) label. Couldn't tell you the name of it for the life of me but something like J. Lechene wouldn't be too far off.

I'm not a brandy drinker, but that's in large part because I find most young brandies rather harsh. Armagnacs generally are less so and more to my liking. Well this tasted like an armagnac--a GOOD one, it had that apple barrel sweet smokiness. Not harsh at all, but not stupid or dilute or flavorless or industrial or too rounded. And at this price, it competes with the Gallo brand which is a perfectly decent brandy for cooking, but at this price why not buy one good enough for the wet bar? Highly reccomended....

Last weekend in L.A., a friend and I needed some brandy for a sauce so we picked up a bottle at Trader Joe's. $9.99, a French brand, and one of two choices available to us (the other was the same price). Having nada else to go on, we ended up choosing the classiest looking bottle--frosted dark green glass, gold cap and gold/black (or maybe dark green) label. Couldn't tell you the name of it for the life of me but something like J. Lechene wouldn't be too far off.

I'm not a brandy drinker, but that's in large part because I find most young brandies rather harsh. Armagnacs generally are less so and more to my liking. Well this tasted like an armagnac--a GOOD one, it had that apple barrel sweet smokiness. Not harsh at all, but not stupid or dilute or flavorless or too rounded. And at this price, it competes with the Gallo brand which is a perfectly decent brandy for cooking, but at this price why not buy one good enough for the wet bar? Highly reccomended....

Interesting! I've looked at the TJ brandy selection a couple of times but have never pulled the trigger. We always have a bottle of Christian Brothers around for Sidecars and Brandy Manhattans but it's nothing I'd drink straight. Next time I'm at TJ's I'll get a bottle.

I'm in WA now (visiting my new granddaughter) and went shopping at the TJs around the corner from my son's. Cool store! Pretty nice beer and wine selection. Being from NY, wine in a grocery store is rare experience for me.

[Jenise]

Interesting! I've looked at the TJ brandy selection a couple of times but have never pulled the trigger. We always have a bottle of Christian Brothers around for Sidecars and Brandy Manhattans but it's nothing I'd drink straight. Next time I'm at TJ's I'll get a bottle.

Do--you won't regret it. I've meant to go to TJ's myself since getting back for a bottle of my own, but Howie just reminded me why I probably won't succeed. Since brandy's a distilled spirit, it's probably not a grocery store item in Washington state where only wine and beer can be sold.

Since brandy's a distilled spirit, it's probably not a grocery store item in Washington state where only wine and beer can be sold.

Same here. One can only get brandy at ABC stores. We use E & J VSOP ($11.95 for .75L according to the ABC online pricebook) for cooking.

I *hated* it when people discovered Armagnac - and the producers discovered they could raise their prices.

[Jenise]

Since brandy's a distilled spirit, it's probably not a grocery store item in Washington state where only wine and beer can be sold.

Same here. One can only get brandy at ABC stores. We use E & J VSOP ($11.95 for .75L according to the ABC online pricebook) for cooking.

Yeah, that's the Gallo I mentioned before. Fine for cooking, but nowhere close to what this TJ brandy is--for less than you pay at the ABC store!