#WineRoutingWithLloyd loves discovering not only new & cool wine, so we headed out to Van Ryn's for a brandy treat. First things first. I'm not the biggest brandy drinker, but then again, thinking back my exposure to brandy in my past was pretty much brandy & coke. So, I was intrigued to see how this #VisitStellenbosch experience would go down.
Upon arrival, you are shown to a rather impressive tasting room, which sort of reminded me of a medieval/middle ages lounge area. The sort that you'd expect to find in a castle where royalty would spend their days in front of the fireplace. It's absolutely beautiful & the smell in there is something that I wish we could have put into a diffuser to take home.
Did you know that Van Ryn's is the only brandy producer in the Stellenbosch region?
Off we go on a special tour of the distillery to see what happens & where it happens. A very impressive setup of large stills & copper piping. Even some of the very old stills are still in use & going strong to produce brandy. Even watch skilled craftsmen in action with some cooperage, as they assemble a barrel.
We opted for a tasting & pairing of Van Ryn's with handmade Belgian chocolate.
So what really caught me by surprise was that upon taking that 1st sip of brandy, I was expecting a strong mouthful of alcohol & yet, it was not that bad. So if you're worried about this tasting taking your breathe away & burning your throat, you can be reassured that it's not something to stress about.
Three glass of brandy, paired with 3 Belgian chocolates.
A very interesting mix of brandy & chocolate. Follow the same steps as when doing a wine pairing: sip, bite, sip again. But with brandy. You must not swirl your glass!The 10, 12 & 15 year Van Ryn brandy each has it's own characteristics that are complimented by the different chocolates. Bringing out not only flavours, but a variety of textures too. Think smooth, warm & glowing. It really is an experience that I enjoyed.
Check out Van Ryn's on your next trip to Stellenbosch!
#WineRoutingWithLloyd - Driven by the #KiaSportage
No comments:
Post a Comment