Copper & Kings Hazmat Grape Brandy

Copper & Kings is back in the hands of ownership that understands why people fall in love with spirits in the first place. This new chapter brings the brand closer to its original ethos, prioritizing authenticity, creativity, and the drinker’s experience over scale. For enthusiasts, it is a clear signal they are building for the long haul.
 
In December, we featured a 9-year hazmat apple brandy. Today we return with something just as commanding. This limited 10-year, 145.4 proof American grape brandy showcases what careful distillation and patient maturation can really do. Exclusively pot-distilled, it delivers a rich, oil-textured spirit loaded with flavor congeners built for long aging in some of Kentucky’s finest barrels.
 
The nose bursts with sweet grape, rich caramel, and candy corn. It’s rich and viscous, as one may expect given the proof, but that brown sugar and Biscoff cookie denseness doesn’t yet give away that this isn’t a high-proof bourbon.
 
The palate begins very similar to our past Walleye Malted Rye pick or 7-year River Roots American Whiskey picks: huge blasts of ripe tropical fruit, deep oak, and crisp, Pop Rock-like grape notes with tannins tingling along the sides of the mouth. Honeysuckle, torched orange peel, and apple pie transition into the finish.
 
The finish continues with buttery caramel, softer oak tones, and clean but present acidity lingering long after each sip.

 
Their American brandies are built from Muscat, Chenin Blanc, and Colombard grapes, typically harvested and fermented together to create a balanced, layered blend.
 
The distilling team also began isolating each varietal during fermentation and distillation to better understand how each grape shapes aroma, texture, and finish. The experiment paid off. Not only did it refine their blending program, it resulted in three standalone expressions. We’re excited to offer each component alongside the blend, giving you the chance to explore the full spectrum of the profiles from element to composition. A limited amount of bundled Trio sets are also available, saving $5 per bottle while they last.
 
The single varietal American brandy made from Colombard grapes from California is their nod to brandy’s historic roots in the Cognac and Armagnac producing regions of France. Known as a high acid grape, it provides the backbone for their American brandies but also shines as a solo tour de force.
 
This is the bourbon drinker’s varietal. Closest to the hazmat expression, yet more singular in character.
 
The nose resonates with soft butterscotch and vanilla, finishing in crisp white grape skins. The palate is a harmonious blend of guava, green pineapple, and unripe banana, finishing with an exhale of honeysuckle blossoms. The bold body is layered with custard and dense cream notes that temper the proof.

Chenin blanc is an extremely versatile grape used worldwide for both wine and brandy production. This single varietal American brandy made with chenin blanc grapes is subtle and reminiscent of the first warm day of spring. This is a rich and buttery brandy with excellent fruit and sweetness. 
 
This is the wine drinker’s varietal, or for those who enjoy wine-finished whiskeys. 
 
The nose leads with ripe pear, moving into fresh lemongrass and ending with dried fig and red raspberry. The palate opens with apricot and wildflower honey, rich and buttery, before transitioning into newly kilned barley and finishing with dense caramel sweetness, crisp fruit, and the clean acidity Chenin Blanc is known for.

Muscat grapes have been grown for centuries around the world for fresh eating, drying into raisins, fermenting and distilling. This single varietal American brandy made with muscat grapes is bold yet balanced by the sweet and fruity aspects that give this varietal its renowned reputation, and just may be the most unique profile of three offered.
 
This may be the most unique varietal of the lineup, an absolute wildcard.
 
The nose opens with jasmine tea and orange blossom before moving into lychee and nectarine and finishing with wisteria flowers.  On the palate, it opens with candied violets and fruitcake, supported by a consistent backbone of sweet sorghum and honeycomb. Boiled down, it tastes like Trix cereal milk.