I’m an Armagnac sort of chap, although the odd Calvados goes down well too. I’m partial to the Waitrose VSOP.
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I prefer Rum in particular Woods it’s extremely smooth …
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Is that Woods Old Navy, 100 proof that I remember from when I worked in a music pub in early 1970s? I did enjoy it then, but haven’t tasted since (57% in today’s money).
I tend to go for a desert wine if I have a drink to finish off a meal - too many different ones to remember, though one favourite is Canadian Ice Wine. But I do also like a good brandy (Cognac), my being Baron Otard 1795, though kept for special meals. Hennessy Paradis excellent, but too expensive other than very special occasions and I’ve never bought by the bottle, and best I’ve tasted was Louis VIII (once, and I wasn’t paying!). Basic Cognacs like your average pub Courvoisier 5-star are too rough, but work well when mixed with cheap port! Never tried Armagnac.
30-40 years ago I drank a lot more Cognac than I do now, going for Hennessy XO, but then came to realise that good malt whisky (=most as long as not too young) cost less than the cheapest drinkable Cognac, and so much more variety… So. Have one bottle of Baron Otard at home, part drunk, and will last several years, but a cupboard full of malt whiskies that regularly need replenishing.
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I echo the benefits of Canadian Ice Wine; my good lady’s cousin brought a good example over last summer. Delicious.
I’m a fan of two great sweeties from: Tokaj and Rust.
It’s nearly December and I think it’s time to indulge.
Yes that’s the one…
Due to working for myself and often on call…I only tend to indulge on a Saturday evening…hence it takes me sometime to get through a bottle 
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Alternatives:
Fruit brandies, like mirabelle plum brandy - from Alsace or other areas (Germany for instance, or Vieille Prune from the Dordogne).
Gewurztraminer brandy (from Alsace, obviously).
Otherwise Armagnac rather than Cognac.
Genuine non-industrial rum is fine too - made from sugar cane juice, not sugar cane molasses.
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Fernet Branca as digestif for me
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I recall skiing in Austria where the local tipple was home produced spirit from the wild service tree.
Many years back, to much acclaim, introduced some clients from Japan to ice wine martinis, subbing ice wine for vermouth and a some frozen grapes in place of olives.
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Am a Cognac man myself. Had a wonderful tour of the Martell Distilliary a few years back when I was touring the Bordeaux wine region. The smell in the cellars was heaven - like Caramel, as opposed to the more vinegary smell in the wine vineyard cellars.
Am also partial to Whiskey and Bourbon. But I treat them all with great respect and consume sparingly.
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I also prefer Fernet Branca because it’s not sweet though sometimes I find it a little strong on the liquorice. Others I like are Amaro del Capo, Iannamico and Averna.
Digestifs aside, a single malt like Lagavullin never goes amiss…
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Agreed - and that’s my overall favourite.
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Agreed I’m very partial to it, but I’m cautious with spirits in general due to a bout of Giardia lamblia infestation in St Petersburg. An incorrect prescription knackered my liver; it has regenerated but best to be careful.
Now that the festive season is approaching fast I must add a few things to my drinks basket. Where do others store / display their drinks?
Behind the CDs and the vinyls… that’s why I refuse to go 100% digital.
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Back on topic, I’ve always been an Armagnac man. I find Cognac is just a bit too “grapey” for me, Armagnac has a subtler fruit balance (I’m struggling to find words which describe what I mean, the cognac description is cruder than I want it to be). If Armagnac isn’t available, I’d have a Calvados, Cognac isn’t on my list,
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I do enjoy a good Cognac VSOP from the likes of Hennessy or Remy Martin…
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For Christmas Day it may end up with a glass of Somerset Cider Brandy 
Very nice and an alternative to Calvados
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I heard an amusing story from Charles Martel, who makes the Stinking Bishop cheese, which is washed in his apple juice / cider. He wanted to make a calvados like spirit, did the research, bought the kit, made the spirit, but forgot the obvious. His name precluded it being sold in Europe; then he hit upon selling it to the Japanese as premium prices. I never did get to taste it …
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We were having lunch in Grinzing on the outskirts of Vienna yesterday and saw a little metal barrel on the side with a handwritten sign saying ‘Tresterbrand’ made from local wine. How could we ignore it? It’s a schnapps/grappa type digestif and was really lovely and very smooth. Some of these can be a little rough, shall we say. It’s really nice to discover something so local.
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