Brandy is a complex drink with a rich history. Like many great inventions, it was made by accident without it being the goal of the process.
The thing that gave life to brandy was the need to transport wine at long distances and for a more extended period of time.
Since this went on a very long time ago, and I mean centuries, the wine transportation methods weren’t as safe, so many times, the wine got spoiled before reaching its destination.
To make the wine last longer, they decided to distill it and transport it safely to the desired location where the distillate would be reversed back to wine.
However, the distillate seemed to have started a life of its own, and many found it even more delicious than wine, which is how brandy came to be an autonomous drink in its own right.
A lot of time has passed since then, and today brandy is not only a drink, but an entire industry, and a very lucrative one at that. It is considered a fancy drink, and it does seem to require a certain level of elegance to be able to enjoy it.
With that said, you can assume that brandy doesn’t come cheap. Therefore, if you want to treat yourself to brandy, you will need to pay well.
Nevertheless, brandy is a spectrum varying from the best to the worst representatives of its category, so you may just find something palatable and affordable.
Even though brandy, as an idea, is a pricy and fancy drink, you can still find budget-friendly bottles that will not disappoint you at all. Of course, we are not talking about the big names in the brandy industry, but luckily, we aren’t talking about the lowlifes either.
You can find decent, if not excellent, brandies for affordable prices. However, the thing is, when it comes to brandy, you aren’t paying for the label but for the quality.
Also check: 28 Best Brandy Brands Ranked
Yes, the bigger the name, the higher the price, but there is a big difference in terms of quality. Therefore, even the cheapest brandy isn’t below $10-11, so if you find a brand that is cheaper than that, I wouldn’t advise you to buy it.
15 Most Affordable Brandy Brands
In this article, I will give you a list of the 15 best cheap brandy bottles so you can enjoy your economy pack but still get that luxurious feeling only brandy can provide.
1. Presidente Brandy
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This is a Mexican-style brandy, and it is a lot of fun and flavor for the price of $16. This is a very special brandy, vibrant and lively, depicting perfectly the cheerful Mexican culture.
Tasting like marzipan; if you like marzipan desserts, don’t think twice before getting a bottle. An excellent dessert brandy, it will tease and stimulate your taste buds.
In addition to the leading marzipan flavor, it also combines notes of vanilla and oak with a smooth peppery finish rounding out the sip perfectly. It is a great brandy to drink neat but also an excellent addition to sweet and fruity cocktails.
2. St. Remy XO
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This 20$ is an exceptionally delicious brandy abundant in flavors with an expressive summer vibe. Very fruity, probably the fruitiest one on this list, you will feel as if you are having a fruit bowl in each sip of this brandy.
Rich with very intense yet not overwhelmingly expressive notes of figs and grapes, you will be seriously impressed at how well it combines tones of gingerbread and butterscotch without eschewing from its initially set floral and fruity tones.
With its rich and warm aromas, it seduces the nose before it even touches the palate. It explodes with flavor in the middle and retracts gradually toward the creamy, rich, and velvety finish.
3. St. Remy VSOP
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Another great brandy for a very reasonable price. For a modest price of $15, you will be getting French brandy made with the good stuff.
It is very flavorful and expressively fruity with intense grape notes. It is a classic French brandy with a classic French romantic string transpiring through its body.
This is a traditional-flavored brandy with expressive floral fragrances seducing the nose and sweet fruity notes impressing the palate. It also has a subtle, but noticeable vanilla tone interlaced with a slight spiciness near the finish.
4. Metaxa 5 Stars
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This Greek brandy is one of the national drinks in Greece and a very famous and beloved drink throughout the Balkans. It is stronger and sharper than what you may have expected, so prepare to cringe a little.
If you aren’t an experienced brandy drinker, I don’t recommend starting with this brandy. Priced at $28, it is a vibrant and sharp drink, that doesn’t mix well, as it has been intended to be drunk neat. Many opt to do shots with Metaxa but enjoy it slowly too.
With an expressive grape flavor intertwined with spices and a slight vanilla note, it is definitely a brandy for those who know to appreciate it. The finish is smooth but sharp; however, the burn is delightfully warm and pleasant.
5. Paul Mason Grande Amber Brandy
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With a price tag of about $12, this American brandy is a very decent drink with a satisfactory taste. Although it may not be the best thing you have ever tasted, it will certainly not be the worst.
This brandy is made with California grapes and ages for about three years before bottling. It is sharper and more aggressive than what you might expect, which is why this brandy is an excellent mixing option.
This is a bourbon-colored brandy with subtle notes of grapes and slight citrus tones, intertwined with vanilla and caramel flavors. It is overall sweet and spicy, whereby the spiciness is most visible at the finish.
It may not be the perfect option to drink neat, but it is definitely more than perfect when it comes to cocktail-making.
6. E&J VSOP Premium Brandy
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E&J VSOP is probably the best brandy you can get for $14. Aged for two years before bottling, this is a very versatile and vibrant brandy.
You can drink it in a cocktail, or neat as it works great both ways. It is especially known as an excellent dessert brandy but also as a nice aperitif.
This is an expressively sweet brandy and will work great for you if you like sweet-flavored spirits. It has very noticeable notes of brown sugar and baking spices interlaced with grape juice notes.
The palate is soft and creamy, hinting at vanilla and bourbon. The finish is smooth but assertive, as well as surprisingly flavorful.
7. De Luze VS Cognac
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This $27 brandy is a typical Cognac and is, therefore, very refined and very rich. It is smooth and buttery with the recognizable Cognac vibrancy and versatility. An excellent drink to have neat, as well as a perfect mixing ingredient for almost any cocktail.
Smooth and gentle, it exhibits notes of prunes and dates combined with citrus notes such as orange peel and lemon zest. It also has a certain oaky smokiness and spicy notes, all stuck to the grape base flavor.
Although the burn isn’t as warm as you might expect, it is just right for what precedes it.
8. Korbel Brandy XS
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This brandy stands out as extra smooth, and for $15, it is probably the smoothest you will find. However, being affordable isn’t its only quality as it is also incredibly flavorful and very delicious. It has soft floral and fruity notes with a creamy, almost buttery body.
It is an excellent brandy to have neat but also a great mixing spirit. Many like drinking it accompanied by a creamy dessert and also a pre-meal drink. It isn’t that good to combine with main courses, though it goes great with cold plates.
Overall, it is a delicious and refined spirit and absolutely worth a chance.
9. E&J Brandy XO
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Aged for two years and filtered through charcoal, this brandy is the purest drink you will get for $15. Smooth and palatable, you will love how refreshing and zingy it is.
Nevertheless, its purity gives it a slight sharpness and a bit of an edge, so if you are looking for a gentler drink, you might want to look elsewhere.
It is rich with notes of toffee and vanilla as the leading tones, accompanied with brown sugar and slight grape juice tones. It is an overall sweet drink, but sharp nonetheless.
10. Courvoisier VS Cognac
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This $29 Cognac comes from one of the big four Cognac houses, so it definitely retains the quality and essence of Courvoisier. This budget edition of this high-end luxury Cognac house is a great beginners’ guide to Cognac.
Milder than most on this list, it is very flavorful, delicious, and expressively fruity. It combines the fruity tones with chocolate notes and a slight vanilla essence by exhibiting notes of apples, ripe pears, and grapes.
The finish is impeccably smooth, creating a very pleasant burn and leaving you with a delightful aftertaste.
11. Korbel Brandy
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Priced at $13, this brandy definitely has taste and quality to offer. Known to mix excellently with coke and a great alternative for Old Fashioned, you can also opt to have this brandy neat.
Aging for two years, this brandy definitely has a certain depth and substance about its flavor. With notes of caramel and butterscotch, it isn’t as fruity as you might expect, but it is delightfully spicy, especially toward the end.
The grape flavor isn’t absent, though, but it has more of a supportive role in giving the drink an overall mineral dimension.
It is, naturally, smooth, and palatable, capturing the taste buds with its playfulness and cheerful and lively character.
12. Raynal VSOP
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Best described as velvety and fruity, this affordable French brandy will capture you with its essence of wine and flowers. For $16 you will be getting elegance and flavor, so if you want to relax over a glass of warm and satisfying brandy, this is the way to go.
With hints of almonds and ginger combined with notes of candied fruits and fragrances of fresh flowers, this brandy seduces the nose and the palate at the same time. The finish is buttery and smooth, with slightly spicy notes as well as expressive ginger tones.
Astoundingly versatile, it is an excellent drink to have neat but also an enriching ingredient for any cocktail.
13. Paul Mason Grande Amber VSOP Brandy
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If you are on a budget, this brandy will give you a lot of love for $15. A very vibrant expression and definitely an excellent solution for mixers as well as slow sipping.
It is far gentler than what you might think, and it is one of the rare brandies defying the price-quality ratio.
Flavor-wise it offers rich hazelnut notes combined with grape tones and spices. It is also slightly smoky with a tad of coffee flavor. The finish is smooth but dry, so expect a slightly unpleasant burn.
14. Laird’s Straight Applejack 86
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This $25 apple brandy is an American-style brandy that tastes a little like bourbon. However, what gives it up is the mellow, fruity side. With its expressive oaky and vanilla notes, you may as well mix it up for bourbon if you taste it blindfolded.
With notes of apples, cinnamon, vanilla, and caramel, the apple tones are the crucial feature that gives this brandy its brandyness.
The finish is creamy and very similar to that of bourbon but considerably softer and mellower. It is excellently balanced, exhibiting all notes at the same time without overwhelming the palate.
Known to mix well in cocktails, this brandy is also an excellent slow sipper.
15. Lustau Brandy Solera Gran Reserva
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Aged for three years under the open sky exposed to a lot of sun, this $27 brandy is very smooth and extremely warm-hearted. It is creamier and more intense than most on this list which stems from the fact that it ages in ex-sherry casks.
Its flavor profile is, expectedly, rich and somewhat tropical. It includes coconut notes and hints of almond, oak, and vanilla. These tasting notes are so well balanced that you can taste them individually, even though they are all present at the same time.
The finish is rich and very flavorful, creating a smooth and creamy sensation with a pleasant burn and a very colorful aftertaste.
