CHAPTER III. 



VARIO US SORTS OF BRAND Y. 



In every district where the wine is valuable and the press is not 

 forced, the grape-murk is distilled, as in the Marne vineyards, under 

 the name of Aixne brandy^ and elsewhere by the name of murk or 

 pumice brandy. 



The murk is taken from the wine-press, and after being stirred with 

 wooden forks or shovels, is thrown into vats and slightly moistened 

 with water. The vats are well covered down with a woollen cloth ; 

 and fermentation soon commences. So that the murk may be kept 

 moist, though not soaking, a small quantity of soft water at the tem- 

 perature of 12° or 15o of Reaumur is added daily; of the quantity habit 

 must be the judge ; as soon as the vinous character is perceptible the 

 murk is ready for the still, and should be treated with a very slow fire. 



This brandy is inferior, and it is very difficult to preserve it from 

 the burnt taste. This latter evil may be prevented either by submit- 

 ting the murk to a very heavy press, and distilling only the liquor ; 

 or by using the sand-bath, or by raising the pumice from the bottom of 

 the boiler by a wicker frame. By these two latter methods pumice 

 brandy is in no wise different from the spirit of wine; but the 

 quantity is not as great as when distilled in actual contact with 

 the fire. 



Some vine-growers put the lees of wine to the still ; this makes 

 a still inferior sort ; with a marked acid taste ; and is more difficult 

 to rectify than any other kind. 



Almost all the spirits known in commerce by the name of Andaye 

 brandies, are counterfeits. The real kind is direct from Andaye, 

 (Lower Pyrennees) is renowned for its mildness and fennel odour, 

 a flavour peculiar to the wine of those parts. It is imitated with 

 old Cognac brandy, to every gallon of which one sixth of syrup is 

 added, and one tenth distilled aniseed-water. 



The fenouilleite of the isle of Re is only common brandy distil- 

 led over fennel. A handful of bruised fennel is thrown into a boiler 

 that holds 60 gallons, or in place of that a large bunch of the fen- 

 nel itself gathered in flower, 



