Laird's Old Apple Brandy 7 1/2 Year

Laird's Old Apple Brandy 7 1/2 Year is a storied American spirit with roots tracing back to 1698 when William Laird, a Scottish immigrant, began distilling apples in Monmouth County, New Jersey. His descendant, Robert Laird, supplied "cyder spirits" to George Washington's troops during the Revolutionary War and later received the first licensed distillery permit in the U.S. in 1780. While the distillation now occurs in Virginia using Virginia apples, Laird & Company, still family-run, continues its legacy from Scobeyville, New Jersey, where they blend and bottle. This particular expression, introduced in 1964 to mark New Jersey's 300th anniversary, is a 100% straight apple brandy aged for seven and a half years in charred oak barrels, resulting in baked apple and cedar aromas with apple, pear, and wood notes on the palate. It's a classic, made by America's oldest licensed distillery, known for producing the vast majority of American apple brandy and Applejack.

Laird's Old Apple Brandy 7 1/2 Year brings inviting baked apple and cedar aromas to the party, with a palate that leans into tart apple, pear, and a pleasant oakiness. This American apple brandy, aged for seven and a half years in charred oak, really shines in spirit-forward cocktails, offering a fantastic alternative to whiskey in an Old Fashioned or holding its own in a classic Jack Rose.

Laird's Old Apple Brandy 7 1/2 Year offers baked apple and cedar aromas. The palate features apple, pear, and wood, with some detecting mulling spices, vanilla, and caramel. It finishes smooth and clean, with lingering apple, a touch of barrel influence, and subtle mint.