Dujardin Imperial 1810 Weinbrand Vintage Bottle 4 German Brandy 70 cl 38%

There's something different about a bottle like this one — it doesn't look like it came off a shelf, it looks like a piece of German-French history with a cork in it. The wax seal is chipped, the gold foil has faded, but the name still stands as proudly as it did in 1810.

Expert description

Dujardin Imperial is a German brandy — known in German as Weinbrand — aged in Limousin oak casks and bottled at 38%.

The story begins under Napoleon. The Melcher family had been distilling grain spirit in Uerdingen on the Rhine since 1780, but in 1810 they started importing wine from the winemaking Dujardin family at Château des Mérigots in Charente and distilling it into what was, at the time, called cognac. The partnership grew so close that Dujardin became the company name. After the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles banned German producers from using the term cognac, so Dujardin was sold instead as Deutscher Weinbrand — German brandy — with the recipe unchanged. Between the wars the company grew into Germany's largest brandy producer, with its own rail link and its own quay on the Rhine.

This particular bottle is an older release from the Imperial line, predating the brand's major 2004 redesign that gave the label its current, more streamlined look. It sits somewhere between an everyday bottle and a small piece of distilling history — solid craftsmanship rather than a rare one-off.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft and honeyed, with a hint of orange peel and dried fig, carried by a light spice from the oak.

Palate

Round and mellow, caramel and nuts at the centre, with a warm, wine-like base that still hints at the French grapes it started life as.

Finish

Short to medium, dry at the edges of its soft sweetness, with a last touch of oak and spice.

Specifications

Name: Dujardin Imperial
Distillery: Dujardin
Region/Country: Germany
Type: German Brandy (Weinbrand)
ABV: 38%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Limousin oak
EAN no.: 4044400002116
Serving suggestion: Serve at room temperature in a brandy glass, ideally as a digestif after dinner

Flavour Profile

Honeyed · Oak-aged · Mellow · Fruity · Spiced

Did you know?

Dujardin was once such a major player in Uerdingen that it had its own customs office and its own seagoing ship, the M.S. Imperial, named after this very line.

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Frequently asked questions about Dujardin Imperial

Is Dujardin Imperial a cognac?

Not officially, no. The recipe and the French grapes from Charente are the same as when it started, but after the First World War German producers were banned from using the term cognac, so Dujardin has been sold as German brandy ever since.

How old is this particular bottle?

It's an older release from the Imperial line, predating the brand's 2004 redesign. There's no exact bottling year printed on the label.

What does Dujardin Imperial taste like?

Soft and honeyed, with orange peel and a warm, wine-like character from the French grapes, rounded off by time in oak.

Can you still drink an old bottle of brandy, or is it just for display?

Brandy doesn't keep developing in the bottle any more than whisky does, so the contents are still drinkable as long as the cork has held. A worn label is rarely a sign the liquid has gone off — it's usually just the surface that's aged.

How should an old bottle like this be stored?

Upright, cool and dark, away from direct sunlight, as with most cork-sealed spirits.

What's the story behind Dujardin?

The Melcher family started out as grain distillers in Uerdingen in 1780. In 1810 they teamed up with the winemaking Dujardin family from Charente in France and distilled their wine into what was then called cognac — hence the name.

Is Dujardin Imperial only meant to be sipped neat?

It works well as an after-dinner digestif, but it's also used classically in coffee or baking, much like German brandy often is.