In the glass, brandy and whiskey can look almost the same: amber, 40% ABV, aged in oak. The difference starts long before the barrel, with what they are made from.
What they are made from
Brandy is distilled from wine, which means from grapes or other fruit. Armenian brandy and French cognac are made from white grapes.
Whiskey is distilled from grain: barley, corn, rye or wheat. The grain is mashed and fermented into a kind of rough beer, which is then distilled.
That is the whole answer to "is brandy a whiskey?": no. They belong to different families, fruit spirits and grain spirits.
How they are made
Both are distilled and then aged in oak barrels, and both usually come to the bottle at around 40%.
The details differ. Armenian brandy is distilled twice and aged in Caucasian oak. Scotch whisky is usually aged in used barrels, often ex-bourbon or ex-sherry. American bourbon must be made mostly from corn and aged in new charred oak barrels, which gives it its strong vanilla and caramel notes.
How they taste
Brandy keeps the memory of the fruit: dried apricot, fig, raisins, with vanilla, chocolate and spice from the oak. It usually feels rounder and softer.
Whiskey tastes of grain: bread, malt, honey, nuts. Some Scotch whiskies are smoky from peat, and bourbon is sweet with vanilla and caramel.
How to serve them
Both are best neat, at room temperature, in a tulip-shaped glass that gathers the aroma. Whiskey drinkers often add a few drops of water; with an aged brandy that is rarely needed. Both work in classic cocktails: the Old Fashioned was born with whiskey, and the Sidecar with brandy.
If you like whiskey, try Armenian brandy
If you enjoy a rich, aged whisky, an aged Armenian brandy is a natural next step: the same depth from long years in oak, with dried fruit in place of grain. TUFF XO is aged 20 years and TUFF Heritage 30 years in Caucasian oak, both at 40% ABV, and each bottle is closed with a hand-cut cap of volcanic tuff. The TUFF collection
Questions and answers
Is brandy a whiskey?
No. Brandy is distilled from wine (grapes or other fruit), while whiskey is distilled from grain such as barley, corn, rye or wheat.
Which is stronger, brandy or whiskey?
Usually neither: both are most often bottled at 40% ABV.
Does brandy taste like whiskey?
Not really. Both take vanilla and spice from oak, but brandy tastes of dried fruit, while whiskey tastes of grain, malt and sometimes smoke.
Brandy or cognac · Brandy cocktails · Armenian brandy: a guide
Read next: What brandy is made from and how: from grape to bottle · Armenian or Georgian brandy: what is the difference
