Bourbon is usually hailed as America’s native spirit. That title gained official weight in 1964, when Congress declared bourbon a “distinctive product of america,” putting it on the identical footing as Scotch whisky and granting it formal safety in worldwide commerce. Solely whiskey crafted on American soil might bear the identify. But for all of bourbon’s present-day status, it was neither the nation’s first infatuation nor its second when it got here to robust drink.
Within the colonial interval, rum — each imported and regionally made — dominated American tables and taverns. New England’s economic system thrived on its rum commerce, with distilleries tied deeply into the motion of products and folks throughout the Atlantic. Alongside this industrial rum machine, one other spirit held a quieter however extra private place in every day life: home brandy. Data from early taverns constantly present that brandy fetched increased costs than rum or whiskey, pointing to robust demand and a status for high quality.
Though European brandies had been acquainted to many People, the true fascination centered on spirits born from native orchards, particularly these producing apples and peaches. Farmers usually distilled their very own fruit, creating small-batch brandies that stayed near residence. One of many earliest and most enduring names on this world is Laird & Co., established in 1780 and nonetheless producing apple brandy in New Jersey. Its operations started earlier than Nice Britain admitted defeat within the Revolutionary Battle, giving the distillery a declare because the oldest registered operation of its sort within the nation. Laird & Co. was the primary registered distillery within the U.S., receiving the U.S. Division of the Treasury’s first-ever business distillery license (License No. 1).
The recognition of home brandy in early America can be intertwined with the legend of Johnny Appleseed — Jonathan Chapman. Schoolbooks and animated movies painted him as a wandering planter scattering edible apples throughout the frontier. The reality is extra attention-grabbing. The apple bushes Chapman cultivated throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois weren’t meant for consuming. They produced small, sharp fruit — “spitters” — that had been undesirable uncooked however preferrred for arduous cider. That cider, in flip, usually discovered its manner into the nonetheless, changing into apple brandy. Chapman had admirers not as a result of he supplied lunchbox fruit, however as a result of he enriched communities with the uncooked materials for cider and brandy.
This homegrown spirit held its place nicely into the 20 th century. However because the nation lurched towards Prohibition, temperance advocates destroyed orchards throughout the nation, understanding full nicely that fruit grew to become brandy simply as grain grew to become whiskey. After Repeal in 1933, whiskey distillers restarted operations swiftly. Orchard-based spirits had been slower to get better: changing whole orchards takes years, and lots of producers shifted to grain distillation just because it was quicker and required fewer long-term agricultural commitments.
Though Prohibition weakened America’s home brandy custom, overseas brandy — particularly French — discovered an enormous viewers. The US finally grew to become the world’s largest client by quantity.
Then, in 2014, deep within the coronary heart of Louisville — barely a brief drive from town’s historic Whiskey Row — Copper & Kings American Brandy Distillery opened its doorways. There, throughout the capital of bourbon tradition, home brandy took a giant step into the highlight. In 2020, Constellation Manufacturers acquired the distillery, and in August 2025 it modified fingers once more, this time bought by Bourdon Spirits Firm.
Rob Bourdon, previously Gross sales Director at Tennessee Distilling Group, stepped in as Chief Government Officer. He inherited warehouses stocked with a sweeping array of barrels: sourced brandy, Copper & Kings personal distillates, and bourbon, a lot of it resting in brandy casks. A lot of the house-made brandy had been crafted below the hand of distiller Brandon O’Daniel, whose work helped outline Copper & Kings early profile. When Constellation offered the distillery, O’Daniel selected to stay with the father or mother firm, leaving Bourdon each a legacy to uphold and a clean slate on which to sketch a brand new identification.
With ample inventory available, Bourdon pushed for a refreshed route — up to date mixing decisions, revised bottling proofs, and costs extra aligned with on a regular basis entry than with luxurious positioning. By the autumn of 2025, Copper & Kings launched three core choices formed below the brand new management: a six-year VSOP grape brandy, a six-year Bottled-in-Bond apple brandy, and a Kentucky Straight Bourbon completed in apple brandy casks. Drinkhacker acquired bottles of every for analysis.
Copper & Kings earned respect below O’Daniel’s experience, however a brand new chapter has begun. How far can the distillery go together with its revitalized imaginative and prescient? What prospects matriculate when a spirit as soon as thought-about “America’s unique” regains momentum? And the place would possibly Copper & Kings steer this revived custom subsequent?
Let’s pour just a few glasses and go away the solutions ready for you.
Copper & Kings VSOP Brandy 6 Years Outdated Assessment
Copper & Kings has supplied well-matured American brandy for years, however this launch marks the primary time the distillery has positioned an age assertion immediately on the entrance label. As is commonplace with many American whiskies, the declaration states that the contents rested for no fewer than six years. For the primary time, the staff additionally adopted the “VSOP” designation — terminology much more widespread in Cognac. Whereas VSOP signifies a minimal of 4 years, Copper & Kings crosses that benchmark by a transparent margin.
Possession modified fingers in August 2025 when Bourdon Spirits acquired the distillery. Any changes to approach from this level ahead stay to be seen, however the brandy now being bottled was laid down in the course of the tenure of former distiller Brandon O’Daniel. One of many nice strengths of the home has lengthy been the variety of the inventory O’Daniel put down. Though he had most well-liked requirements, he additionally diversified key inputs to create a large catalog of potential profiles for mixing. Consequently, Bourdon Spirits inherited barrels formed by totally different yeasts, nonetheless proofs, entry proofs, fermentation temperatures, fruit decisions, and cooperage kinds.
Batch #1 of this VSOP expression comes from three grape varieties fermented collectively right into a single wine: French Colombard, Chenin Blanc, and Muscat. Colombard tends to supply light sweetness with agency acidity, often round 18–20 Brix. Chenin Blanc leans sweeter and much more acidic at roughly 20–24 Brix. Muscat contributes excessive sugar and relatively modest acidity, usually reaching 22–28 Brix. The proportions stay undisclosed. All grapes are sourced from California — primarily the Central Valley and the central coast, with some tons from farther north.
Traditionally, the distillery has relied on assorted white wine dry yeasts, significantly prises de mousse and infrequently VIN13. Whereas the particular pressure of prises de mousse used right here is just not specified, this group of Saccharomyces bayanus yeasts excels below the demanding situations typical of glowing wine secondary fermentation. Fermentation in Louisville proceeds slowly, generally between 62–64°F (generally dipping to 58°F), producing wine round 13% ABV. Closed-top fermentation typically spans 3–4 weeks in concrete tanks, with chrome steel used much less ceaselessly.
Distillation takes place on massive alembic copper pot stills fabricated half a mile away by Vendome Copper & Brass Works. Proof varies relying on the batch, however distillate often exits within the neighborhood of 128–135 proof and goes into barrels at that power with out dilution. For this VSOP, the spirit ages in 53-gallon barrels, roughly 90% of that are once-used bourbon casks from assorted Kentucky producers. The opposite 10% consists of recent charred American oak from Kelvin Cooperage, ready with a medium toast and #2 char. The staves for these new barrels had been air-dried for six months, then kiln-dried. All tons relaxation no less than six years in a mixture of palletized storage and a semi-subterranean rickhouse about three-quarters beneath floor, which permits for a naturally moderated atmosphere.
Copper & Kings has lengthy integrated “sonic growing old” as a further affect: throughout maturation, barrels are uncovered to bass-heavy music at excessive quantity (90-120 dB), inflicting the liquid to repeatedly shift contained in the casks reasonably than keep immobile. After the barrels are harvested, pure batch power tends to fall between 135–139 proof. A notable transfer below Bourdon’s management was bottling this flagship launch at 86 proof as an alternative of the earlier 90. Proofing down is dealt with slowly over 1-3 weeks. One other vital departure: pricing the flagship grape brandy at simply $20. Bourdon sought to create one thing bartenders would undertake readily and newcomers might discover with out hesitation, and the pricing clearly aligns with that goal.
On the nostril, the brandy opens with the aroma of a lit beeswax candle, full with the scent of melted wax pooling across the wick. Peach gummies, sultanas, and totally ripe cantaloupe contribute to a potent fruit-forward profile. That cantaloupe observe, specifically, primes the thoughts for a mouthfeel with appreciable heft. The palate continues the fruit pattern however shifts to totally different varieties: grapefruit pulp and pineapple take the lead, adopted by jasmine and tamarind on the mid-palate. The assortment of flavors is complicated, although the feel is considerably modest, touchdown a contact lighter than the fragrant cues counsel.
The end presents a taste remarkably near Lipton Citrus Iced Inexperienced Tea, then strikes into a touch of pear. Because it tapers off, a quiet mineral contact — just like limestone gravel mud — seems, ending with a hint of peach pit.
As a primary launch below new stewardship, that is an assured begin. A contact extra viscosity on the palate would have elevated the expertise, however contemplating the proof and the very modest asking value, the result’s simple to understand. The spirit works nicely by itself and serves as a extremely economical alternative for cocktails. Bourdon got down to create one thing interesting to a broader viewers, and the trouble delivers. 86 proof. B+ / $20
Copper & Kings Bottled in Bond Apple Brandy Assessment
Consistent with the traditions that formed early American distilling — and the apple-driven legacy tied to Johnny Appleseed — Copper & Kings presents a bottled-in-bond apple brandy distilled fully from Michigan fruit. The apples come from growers close to Grand Rapids and Paw Paw and embody 15-18 varietals of culinary and cider apples starting from sharp to semi-sharp. For many apple fermentations, the distillery makes use of chaptalization: including sugar to the contemporary juice in order that yeast can take it to a better alcohol content material with out altering sweetness. Though Copper & Kings has sometimes launched unchaptalized apple brandy, the majority of its apple-brandy inventory was fortified with brown sugar throughout fermentation. Whereas unfortified apple wine sometimes stops at round 10–11% ABV, chaptalization lets them attain roughly 13% ABV previous to distillation.
Just like the VSOP grape brandy, this bonded launch rests for no less than six years in a cooperage combine composed of about 90% ex-bourbon barrels and 10% new charred American oak. Batch #1 arrives on the federally required 100 proof and carries a six-year age assertion — all for $25.
The nostril opens with the scent of Honeycrisp juice and light-weight brown sugar. With a couple of minutes within the glass, vanilla bean ice cream, ripe peaches, and honeysuckle take part. The dominance of used cooperage is clear: wooden affect stays minimal, letting the fruit lead the present. Regardless of the proof, the aromatics really feel approachable and lean far-off from something sharp or edgy; bourbon drinkers would possibly simply guess one thing far milder in proof.
On the palate, the feel at first feels surprisingly ethereal for a 100 proof spirit, however viscosity will increase shortly as spice builds. Flavors counsel a not-too-sweet do-it-yourself apple-pie filling — nothing just like the sugary canned model — together with buttery pie crust. Halfway by means of, a short hit of flat Sprite seems earlier than yielding to black pepper and burnt caramel. The end carries the texture of baked crimson apple peel with a little bit of bitterness, adopted by a well-chewed stick of cinnamon gum. Because it fades, a closing imprint of black pepper meets a small quantity of oak tannin.
Taken collectively, it is a well-made apple brandy with trustworthy proof and a fair stronger value level. A lot of the class — Calvados included— lands between 80 and 86 proof, and lots of choices at comparable ages sit nicely beneath this bottling’s power. VSOP Calvados generally rests for about 5 years, whereas Copper & Kings barely exceeds that timeframe and does so at a much more favorable proof level. When age, alcohol content material, and price are weighed aspect by aspect, this launch stands out within the broader panorama. Even throughout the American market, it compares favorably with Laird’s Bonded, which generally prices a number of {dollars} extra.
Worth apart, the spirit itself is worthy of consideration: pleasurable neat and a very good candidate for cocktails similar to a Jack Rose. It’s simple to think about Johnny Appleseed elevating a glass to this one. 100 proof. B+ / $25 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Copper & Kings Kentucky Straight Bourbon Assessment (2025)
Though Copper & Kings resides in a metropolis and state that revolve round bourbon, the distillery has lengthy insisted that its mission is to not path behind Kentucky’s flagship spirit however to champion American brandy. Even so, it makes sound sense for the staff to supply bourbon completed in barrels from their very own brandy program — bourbon refined in casks seasoned by fruit distillate crafted within the very coronary heart of “bourbon nation.”
Beneath Rob Bourdon’s management, Batch #1 of Copper & Kings Kentucky Straight Bourbon brings collectively 4 age teams, every portion completed in Copper & Kings apple brandy barrels for so long as three years. The 2025 batch consists of 60% bourbon aged 5 years, 20% aged 10 years, 16% aged 12 years, and 4% aged 17 years. As Bourdon emphasizes, when an age assertion seems on a Copper & Kings label or advertising, it refers strictly to the age of the unique bourbon, not together with the time spent in ending casks. On this case, 40% of the mix consists of bourbon no less than 10 years outdated — adopted by prolonged time in apple brandy barrels.
The 5-year element comes from Bardstown Bourbon Firm. For the remaining parts, Copper & Kings doesn’t disclose distillery sources. Nonetheless, in the course of the Constellation Manufacturers period, a 2023 and 2024 launch featured a mix that included Bardstown Bourbon Firm alongside two undisclosed Kentucky bourbons: one with a mashbill of 74% corn, 18% rye, and eight% malted barley aged 10 years, and one other with a mashbill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley aged 15 years. Bourdon virtually definitely inherited overlapping shares. Given the elapsed time, it’s extremely possible that the 17-year aspect on this 2025 mix shares roots with the sooner 74/18/8 bourbon, whereas the 12-year element most certainly stems from the previous 78/10/12 inventory. That leaves the 10-year element the lone wildcard. Bourdon confirmed solely that every one spirits originate from main Kentucky distilleries.
After main maturation, the bourbon entered the apple brandy barrels at 130 proof. These ending casks beforehand held apple brandy for six years, making a promising atmosphere for secondary maturation. The sooner Constellation-era mix acquired huge reward, however Bourdon took his personal route by placing collectively a brand new profile, decreasing the bottling power to 86 proof to broaden its attraction, and pricing the bottle at an attention grabbing $30. Even earlier than the cork is pulled, that mixture — mature bourbon, prolonged ending, and a remarkably low value — is tough to miss.
The nostril begins with the scent of well-oxidized dried apple slices and barely leathery tones, adopted by cinnamon bark. Because the glass opens, toasted almond and anise seed contribute added character. It’s uncommon to come across aromatics this partaking at such a modest value.
The palate begins with tender leather-based and cardamom. The mid-palate shifts towards an herbal-tea mix of chamomile touched with mint. A return of the oxidized apple observe ties the expertise again to the aromatics. The mouthfeel carries a medium degree of viscosity, neither skinny nor heavy. Because the end units in, apricot pores and skin seems alongside pink peppercorn and a light-weight quantity of eucalyptus. The ultimate moments dry out with the flavour of unsweetened dehydrated apple chips.
Taken as a complete, it is a robust displaying — high quality mixing, prolonged ending, and a profile that helps relaxed sipping. Though the higher-proof 2023 & 2024 releases stays my choice, judging the 2025 batch by itself deserves reveals a well-constructed bottle with a lot to understand. Seasoned whiskey drinkers will discover loads of curiosity right here, and newcomers searching for well-aged Kentucky bourbon at an approachable value will wrestle to seek out comparable worth. At $30, it’s a remarkably sensible purchase. 93 proof. A- / $30
Copper & Kings VSOP Brandy 6 Years Outdated
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