Updated July 2026.
Brandy taste is not a TTB class. Brandy is a class of spirits distilled from fruit and, unless a stated exception applies, bottled at 40% or more. Cognac is a type inside that class. Drinkers often cite dried fruit or oak — bar talk. Typical US bottles print 40%. A 1.5-ounce pour at 40% is one NIAAA drink.
Related: cognac taste, brandy vs whiskey, Hennessy line.
Class vs pour
| Language | 1.5 oz drinks |
|---|---|
| US brandy | 1.00 at 40% |
| Cognac | 1.00 at 40% |
| “Dried fruit / oak” | — |
| Typical US bottle | 1.00 |
A 750 mL 40% bottle is about 17 drinks. Four pours are four drinks. Pour math: brandy drinks.
Sources
- 27 CFR 5.145. BNIC for the cognac type. Typical US 40%.
- NIAAA December 2025. Taste adjectives are not a legal type.
- 27 CFR 5.145; usually ≥40%
- (27 CFR 5.145)