Lunch at Bizerca with Van Ryn and Oude Meester premium brandies

Brink Liebenberg, Group GM: Spirits Production at Distell, and his team welcomed the small party of writers (Graham Howe, Christian Eedes, Melvin Minnaar, Lynne and John) to Bizerca

Four glasses for you, four for me

The menu. It varied a bit, but was very well planned and was a clever match for the brandy

Our waitress for the lunch presents the Oude Meester Souverein 18 year old for us to enjoy with the starter

Amber liquid

The presentation tin. This brandy costs R950 a bottle

In an elegant bottle

Perfectly cooked cuisse of confit duck, topped with rare slices of the separately roasted breast, served with roasted pear, broadbeans, porcini muchrooms and a honey spice glaze

The Van Ryn’s Distillers Reserve 12 year old costs R500 a bottle. A good match

Going down well

The delicious dessert was served with Van Ryn’s Collectors Reserve 20 year old, which sells for R1300 a bottle

Then we were given a huge treat, a small sample of the Au.Ra  a superb blend of 30 to 40 year old cask brandies

It sells for R14 000 from Van Ryn and R30 000 at the duty free shop. Only 107 bottles produced, only 20 left

Chef Laurent Deslandes

tells us how he came up with the pairings

Discussing the brandies after a really exceptional meal, no one really wanted the day or the brandy to end

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013