Fundador Supremo 18 was recently named the Best Brandy in the World 2019 by the esteemed panelists of the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC).

Founded in 1969 by German-British wine expert Anton Massel, the annual competition receives entries from around the world, and is considered a high honor in the industry. The judging process is done over six months, consisting of blind taste tests and analysis, and the panel is composed of 250 specialists from all over the globe.

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The 2019 panel’s tasting notes hint at an interesting mix of aromatics: “Bitter cherry with some dark chocolate notes and tobacco. Fresh coffee grounds (espresso) with a good balanced of smooth sweetness and some cereal notes and spices. The oak is in balanced with the spirit and gives some creamy vanilla and soft red apples.”

Aged in very special oloroso sherry casks, Fundador Supremo Oloroso 18—under the Emperador-owned Fundador brand—displays warm, aromatic, round notes of dried fruit and roasted nuts. This is combined with smooth, strong, intensive hints of vanilla, walnuts, and dried fruit. Notes of wood stand out as well and provide a very elegant and lingering finish.

But it is in its casks, found and used only in Southern Spain, where a lot of culture reside. Sherry is the English name of the Andalusian town of Jerez. This is why Brandy de Jerez, produced exclusively in the town, can claim exclusivity over the unique taste of its brandy.

With 95 percent of brandy in Spain categorized under Brandy de Jerez, which is subscribed under the Denomination of Origin, the love for the drink has grown beyond its borders to reach the other parts of Europe and Asia.

Royal taste

In Spain’s oldest and largest brandy cellar Bodegas Fundador, His Majesty King Fernando VII uttered the words that would forever mark the Fundador brand: “a golden crown for a golden liquid.”

Tucked in the picturesque “sherry triangle” in Spain composed of the districts of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria, and Sanlúcar de Barrameda, the cellar today has grown to become a landmark of the country. Rich in history and carrying a tale that seamlessly weaves itself to the emblem of Spanish ancestry, the House of Fundador has kept and distilled one of Spain’s best-kept treasures for generations.

Visited by Spain’s royal family since the time of His Majesty King Felipe V, the House of Fundador showcases distinguished recognitions, including the privilege to use the Royal Coat of Arms on its barrels. This same brandy, which grew to be the drink of choice by English and Spanish royalty, is the same fine liquid that characterizes the Fundador Supremo Sherry Cask Collection.

The collection, which is comprised of three unique expressions of Fundador Solera Gran Reserva brandy aged in 12-, 15-, and 18-year-old sherry casks, now presents more people the opportunity to experience Spain’s “golden liquid.”

When one thinks of Spain, it’s hard not to imagine its timeless architecture, colorful history and vast, sprawling vineyards that have become the emblems of the Iberian country. With the rich, colorful legacy of brandy’s growth intricately woven into its history, Spain has redefined standards further by being the home of the world’s best brandy.