Tokara XO Potstill Brandy

Tokara XO Potstill Brandy is one of South Africa’s most acclaimed brandies, hand-crafted on the Tokara estate high in the hills of Stellenbosch. Honouring the time-honoured Cognac tradition, Tokara distils its own estate-grown Chenin Blanc in a copper Alambic Charentais potstill brought from Cognac, keeping only the finest heart of each distillation. The spirit is then patiently aged in individual French oak casks for well over a decade, slowly developing its depth and refinement. It has earned five stars in Platter’s South African Wine Guide, gold medals at the Brandy Masters in London and Double Gold at the Intercontinental Spirits Challenge.

In the glass it is a deep, glowing amber. The nose is rich and inviting, with caramel, dried apricot and peach, vanilla and warm oak spice. The palate is unctuous and complex, with great depth of character and layers of caramel, dried fruit and cocoa butter. It finishes warm, spicy and long. Presented in an elegant decanter, it makes a special gift, and it’s a perfect after-dinner sipping brandy to enjoy neat with dark chocolate or good company.

Tokara XO is made from Chenin Blanc grown on the Tokara estate high in Stellenbosch. The grapes are harvested at relatively low ripeness to give a fresh, high-acid base wine ideal for distillation. Following the traditional Cognac method, the wine is double distilled in a copper Alambic Charentais potstill sourced from Cognac, heated by an open flame. Only the “heart” of each distillation is kept, which retains the purest, most refined flavours. The spirit then matures for many years in individual French oak casks, gaining colour, depth and complexity, before careful blending to create a smooth, harmonious XO.