Bentwing Brandy 750ML

Bentwing Brandy 750ML is a 40% ABV American brandy that blends French Chenin Blanc-style brandy with California floral brandy, finished in charred American whiskey barrels. Good Spirits News awarded it an A rating and called it "one of the best American brandies to come out this century" — a bold endorsement that reflects the spirit's genuinely distinctive approach to the category.

Quick Facts: ABV: 40% (80 Proof)  |  Origin: Alameda, California, USA  |  Whiskey Barrel-Finished Blend  |  Distillery: Hangar One

Production & Heritage

Bentwing is produced at Hangar One Distillery in Alameda, California, a facility known for its meticulous distilling programs. The liquid begins as two separate components: a French brandy made in the Chenin Blanc tradition and a floral brandy distilled from a blend of California-grown grape varietals. After blending, the combined spirit is finished in charred American whiskey barrels — a step the producers describe as marrying "new American know-how with Old World eau de vie blending techniques." That whiskey-barrel finishing is the key differentiator, lending a warm, toasted character rarely found in traditional grape brandies.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Light and inviting, opening with white flowers and orange blossom before settling into darker dried-fruit notes of currants and dates. A subtle honeyed sweetness ties the aromatics together.

Taste: The entry is gently sweet, with vanilla and caramel arriving early from the whiskey-barrel influence. At mid-palate, deeper layers develop — currant, prune, dark brown sugar, and milk chocolate. The mouthfeel is well-rounded, carrying notes of deep caramelized sugar, tobacco leaf, and seasoned oak through to the peak.

Finish: Medium in length with a fruity, refreshing quality that belies the richness of the palate. Toasted oak and a faint rum-raisin sweetness linger as the finish fades cleanly.

How to Drink Bentwing

Neat or with a single large ice cube is the most rewarding way to explore Bentwing's layered profile; the whiskey-barrel character opens up beautifully with a small drop of water. Its hybrid personality — part Old World grape brandy, part American barrel-aged spirit — also makes it exceptionally versatile in cocktails.

• Sidecar: The caramel and vanilla backbone stands up to Cointreau and lemon without losing its fruit complexity.
• Brandy Old Fashioned: The charred-barrel notes mirror bourbon's role in this classic, while the grape-brandy base adds a dried-fruit dimension that brown sugar and bitters amplify.
• Vieux Carré: Bentwing's tobacco-leaf undertones and toasted oak integrate naturally alongside sweet vermouth and Bénédictine in this spirit-forward New Orleans staple.

Best For

• Bourbon drinkers curious about brandy who want familiar barrel-aged warmth with something new
• Gifting a spirits enthusiast who already owns the usual suspects
• Building a modern American brandy shelf alongside domestic craft releases
• Upgrading a home cocktail bar with a versatile, barrel-influenced base spirit

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bentwing taste like? Bentwing delivers a lightly sweet palate of vanilla, caramel, and dark brown sugar layered over dried currant, prune, and toasted oak. The charred whiskey-barrel finish adds a warm, tobacco-tinged depth that sets it apart from traditional grape brandies.

How does Bentwing compare to Bertoux Brandy? Both are 80-proof California brandies positioned to appeal to whiskey drinkers, but they take different paths: Bertoux is made entirely from California wine grapes and tends toward a bigger, bolder profile, while Bentwing blends French Chenin Blanc-style brandy with California varietals and finishes the blend in charred whiskey barrels for added complexity. Tasters generally find Bentwing smoother and more layered thanks to its dual-origin blend and barrel finishing.

Is Bentwing good for sipping neat? Yes — at 40% ABV it is approachable enough to drink neat, and the whiskey-barrel finishing gives it a warmth and structure that reward slow, contemplative sipping.

Where is Bentwing made? Bentwing is produced at Hangar One Distillery in Alameda, California, located on the San Francisco Bay. The spirit incorporates both French brandy and California-distilled brandy, blended and barrel-finished on site.

What foods pair well with Bentwing? Dark chocolate truffles complement the milk-chocolate and caramel notes. Aged hard cheeses like Comté or Manchego mirror the toasted-oak character. Dried fruit and nut boards echo the currant and date aromas. Crème brûlée's caramelized sugar top resonates with the brandy's brown-sugar sweetness. Smoked duck or charcuterie pairs well with the tobacco-leaf undertones from barrel aging.

What sizes does Bentwing come in? Bentwing Brandy is available in the standard 750ML bottle.

Is Bentwing worth the price? Bentwing positions itself as a premium American brandy, and the dual-origin blend plus whiskey-barrel finishing give it a production profile that punches above typical spirits in its price tier. An A rating from Good Spirits News reinforces that it delivers strong value relative to both domestic craft brandies and imported Cognacs at similar price points.

Why Bentwing?

What makes Bentwing genuinely unusual is the convergence of two brandy traditions in a single bottle — French Chenin Blanc-style distillation meets California varietal distillation, and both are unified by finishing in charred American whiskey barrels. That production pathway has no direct analog in the brandy category. Good Spirits News' A rating and its description as one of the best American brandies of the century speak to the quality of execution. For drinkers who find traditional Cognac too restrained and bourbon too grain-forward, Bentwing occupies a compelling middle ground that rewards both neat sipping and cocktail experimentation.