Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Brandy

Brandy

Analysing hundreds of thousands of recipes uncovers brandy's optimal flavour pairings.

Brandy is defined by the unmistakable flavours of caramel and raisin, but beneath its sweetness lies a complex symphony of subtle flavour notes, such as vanilla, oak, and apricot, that give it remarkable depth. The key to finding the perfect pairing for brandy is understanding how these notes harmonise.

To map these harmonies, we analysed thousands of ingredients, breaking each one down across 150 flavour dimensions, identifying which notes complement and contrast. Our analysis reveals, for example, how cacao nibs's cocoa tones ground brandy, and how juniper berry's resinous notes create a surprising synergy with its warm sweetness.

Flavour Profile Of Brandy Across 150 Dimensions Of Flavour

The flavour notes evoked by brandy

Hover over the bars in chart above to identify the flavour notes of brandy

An ingredient's flavour comes from its core characteristics, like woody, nectarous, and floral, combined with its unique aroma notes (outer bars). When pairing ingredients, aim to include a broad variety of core characteristics for a balanced dish. And choose aroma notes that complement each other for a harmonious combination.

Unlocking Flavour Combinations


To understand how flavour notes harmonise, we analysed more than 50,000 popular ingredient combinations. By exploring these pairings, we identified specific flavour notes that frequently occur together, indicating they share a harmonious relationship.


Our analysis shows that the flavour of caramel is strongly associated with the flavour of resin. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a resinous flavour, such as juniper berry, when pairing with the caramel aroma notes of brandy.

The recipes below provide inspiration for pairing brandy with juniper berry.

  • Pheasant Normandy with apples
    The Guardian

    This classic French dish marries two humble and often wasted ingredients in a harmonious stew. The rich, creamy sauce and umami-savoury meat are cut and complemented by the sweet, tart sauteed apples, which finish the dish. A Countryside Alliance poll found that 85% of consumers had never bought pheasant or partridge, but a high percentage were up ...
  • Grouse with glazed figs, heritage carrots and Chocolate Porter sauce
    Great British Chefs

    Shay Cooper's dazzling grouse with figs recipe is a feast of autumnal delights, pairing the rich game bird with sweet caramelised figs, beautifully glazed heritage carrots and a velvety Chocolate Porter sauce.

    • Harmonious Flavours Of Brandy


    Just as our analysis revealed that caramel and resinous flavours are often used together, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavour notes present in brandy. Similarly, the raisin flavours of brandy frequently pair with cinnamonic and astringent flavours.

    The aromas associated with the various notes of brandy can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

    Flavour Profile Of Brandy And Its Complementary Flavour Notes

    The flavour notes evoked by brandy

    Complementary flavours of brandy

    Hover over the bars in chart above to identify the flavour notes of brandy

    Matching Flavour Profiles


    The flavour profile of cacao nibs offers many of the notes complementary to brandy, including cocoa and coffee accents. Because the flavour profile of cacao nibs has many of the of the features that are complementary to brandy, they are likely to pair very well together.

    Prominent Flavour Notes Of Cacao Nibs Are Represented By Longer Bars

    The flavour notes evoked by cacao nibs

    Hover over the bars in chart above to identify the flavour notes of cacao nibs

    The chart above shows the unique profile of cacao nibs across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with brandy.


    Recipes That Pair Brandy With Cacao Nibs


  • Dark chocolate mousse, cocoa nibs, passion fruit and chamomile
    Great British Chefs

    This rich vegan chocolate mousse recipe is served with fragrant chamomile jelly and caramelised cocoa nibs for a stunning dinner party dessert. Fresh passion fruit adds a sweet yet tangy counterpoint to the rich flavours in the dish. This recipe is taken from Planted by Chantelle Nicholson, published by Kyle Books. Images by Nassima Rothacker.

    • Linked Flavour Notes


    Looking at the accents that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of brandy, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.

    The Flavour Notes That Harmonise With Brandy And The Ingredients That Share Some Of These Notes

    Brandy's Strongest Flavours

    Complementary Flavours


    Ingredients with Complementary Flavours





    Flavour groups:


    Nectarous

    Acidic

    Floral

    Herbal

    Vegetal

    Maillard

    Earthy

    Woody

    Carnal

    The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of brandy, along with the complementary aromas associated with each note. While the right side shows some of the ingredients that share many of the notes complementary to brandy.


    What To Drink With Brandy


    The coffee notes in black americano coffee make it a perfect pairing with brandy. Likewise, the coffee flavours in espresso create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of brandy below.




    The content on our analysis blog is semi-automated. All of the words were manually written by a human, but the content is updated dynamically based on the data.