Expanding our repertoire of brandies we come to something that by the numbers is not a complete failure, yet it’s not something you would likely want to buy and drink. I couldn’t find an online presence to these guys, and I’m not sure if that’s because the ‘130 years of tradition’ means they’ve not found the internet, or if like many other backdoor low-tier spirits it’s been made for profit not to be a product.
The reason for this is quite simply that this isn’t a good sipping whiskey on or off ice. Nor is it a stand out in a cocktail. Sure the smell and initial taste are fine, but if you’re not good on the rocks, neat, or mixed – what are you for? Any (and many) spirits on this site can be forgiven if 1 or 2 of those 3 are neglected, but all 3?
What they Say: “In 1884 Lionello Stock founded in Trieste a brandy culture which has continued on for more than 130 years. Inspired by the traditional recipe and thanks to the use of a special brandy and selected ingredients, Stock Bewärte Tradition is an exceptional drink which is highly regarded by connoisseurs.”
Taste: 6.0 – It has a nice sweetness and toffee kinda flavor to it that I like.
Aftertaste: 3.5 – Then some of this I can likely place on burn, but it goes very bad quite quickly.
Burn/Smooth: 1.5 – Then the burn shows up and man is it bad.
Aroma: 6.0 – Overall that actually smells very delicious, with just a slight undercurrent of awful.
Honesty: 5.0 – Personally I take offense to the line ‘an exceptional drink which is highly regarded by connoisseurs’ but then I can also see people saying the same thing about the piss of a virgin so I can’t fight it too hard as a ‘lie’. However the bottle and name inspire no poems, and overall it’s doing little to make itself stand out.
Mixability: 3.75
W/ Rocks: 3.0 – That does not help anything at all. It does make it slightly more layered,
Sidecar: 4.5 – It’s an okay sidecar I guess, but for the most part not a huge fan.
Value: 4.0 – It’s cheap, I’ll give it that. It’s not what I would call good value though. For that it does not get a passing grade.
Google Shop Average: $12
Website: https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/22153/stock-84-brandy
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 2.5
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Metric Score: 29.75/70 |+| Metric Average: 4.25 |+| Reviewer Average: 2.5
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Final Thoughts: I truly considered giving this a lower personal score, and that while it doesn’t wound or offend greatly – it truly does lack a purpose. I’ve got a rest of a bottle of this, and to be honest my sincere hope is that maybe it works well in cooking, because I just don’t see myself pouring a glass and enjoying it with a good book or show.
It is a bit sweet, and the color, the bottle, the looks are very good. It gets on fast like rum since I tasted it after work, home, the best thing is the price, it is really value for money for a brandy, very nice and smooth.
My Aunt uses Stock 84 in her fruit cakes. I can only find it in a store in DC. I have a feeling that a lot of older women use it in recipes. I’ve been getting it for her for several years.
Now the store can’t get it so maybe it’s no longer being made.
Stock 84 is “out of stock”.
Hoping to find a good alternative.