They could not also tell you why different brandies have different flavors and ages or even how they are made.
It will come as a surprise to a lot of people to learn that the drink they are having at the end of the meal could quite possibly have been made from the same product as they had with the meal - wine. Many a Chateau in France has turned an inferior year's wine into a more profitable brandy.
The first brandies are believed to have been made in the 12th century although they really became popular in the 14th century as it became a popular way of preserving things and because of the reduced volumes cheaper for the merchants to transport. The original idea was to add the water that had been lost during the distillation process but it was soon discovered that the brandy improved considerably in terms of taste after it had been stored in wooden barrels, even for a short time. What really changed the concept of brandy was when it was discovered that this process continued indefinitely as long as the brandy stayed in the barrels.
It then came down to simple economics - how long could a vineyard or brandy maker afford to keep the brandy for increased profits whilst balancing this against cash flow.
Most brandies are made by distillation of wine that is between 8% and 12% and acidic (hence the use of cheap wine in the past) with the first distillate being 30% of alcohol by volume and sometimes known as "low wine". The process is repeated until there is an average of 70% of volume when it is put into wooden barrels and allowed to mature. Cheap brandies add caramel at this point to give an impression of greater age bit can easily be spotted by experienced brandy drinkers.
You can tell the age of a brandy as there is a recognized terminology used around the world to describe it:
A.C. has been aged in wood for 2 years
V.S. (Very Special or 3 star) has been aged in wood for 3 years
V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale of 5 star) has been aged in wood for 3 years
X.O. Extra Old or Napoleon aged for at least 6 years
Vintage - aged in barrels to the date or number of years on the bottle
What is known by very few is that many good brandies are a blend of years with the age of the youngest brandy being the age shown on the bottle. It is quite common for good brandies to have 20, 30 or even 50 year old brandy within the blend although obviously at very small quantities.
Once you get to taste brandies that are older than 20 years of age you will appreciate the massive difference that being kept in barrels for extended time makes
Some confusion arises when it comes to Cognac and Armagnac who some believe are a superior type of brandy but are in fact just regional variants with Cognac coming from the Cognac region of France and Armagnac from Gascony
Another brandy that is well known is Calvados which is brandy made from apples, cider to exact, and is one of a number of fruit brandies that are very popular
Well known in Europe and liked by Gastronaughts around the world is Grappa which is distilled from the skins and left overs from the grapes after they have been pressed.
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