METAXA 7 STAR GREEK BRANDY REVIEW NO. 43

[@fotispagonis6071]

in Greece it is still considered a brandy our grandmas use when making cakes. I didnät realise how big it was until i moved out of Greece

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Hey Fotis, thanks for checking out the review. It is a really accessible affordable brandy. It is definitely sweeter than most... I can see how it would go well with cakes. Cheers

[@georgekas.]

Άσε μας ρε φίλε που βάζει η γιαγιά σου εφταρι Μεταξά στα γλυκά... Πες ότι είσαι άσχετος από αλκοόλ και άσε τις μαλακίες. Πίθηκε

[@asicdathens]

@@georgekas. Η γιαγιά μου έβαζε παντως (Οχι 7αρι , τριάστερο νομίζω)

[@projectarmageddon5619]

@@asicdathens is that an ecuation?

[@Nick-GR]

As a Greek, i have to say that Metaxa is regarded pretty high in Greece. It is overlooked internationally mainly because of its origin (Greek brandy) but it is unique in flavor (it is not exactly a typical brandy) and stand on its own. Try the Metaxa Grande Fine next, if you haven't.

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Nick thank you! I truly enjoyed this brandy, and I agree, it is incredibly under appreciated and over looked due to its origin. I am looking forward to trying the 12 year next and I will certainly look out for the Grand Fine! I appreciate the recommendation. Cheers

[@alperakyuz9702]

Weirdly enough its one of the most common amd loved brandies in turkey. It being not a pure brandy but a mix of brandy and muscat may make it less appealing for cognac snobs bit it gives metaxa a smooth and refined taste that rivals some of the best cognacs.

[@bulentermis1179]

Bende bir Türk olarak metaxa alıp icebilmek için market market dolanıyorum.şanslisin dostum.Afiyet olsun

[@chrisfallon77]

Awesome review as always Max. I love Metaxa. Its a beautiful brandy. As ive mentioned before with Spanish brandies- they all have their uniqueness. Metaxa being a Greek brandy is much different than cognac, Spanish brandy, Armenian brandy etc. Too many reviewers try to compare. Im glad that you see the differences and we appreciate your reviews! This Metaxa is one of the truly great bargains at this price. Max, enjoy the week with my compliments on an excellent review. Chris- Miami Beach

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Thank you Chris! I truly appreciate the support! This one is certainly a great value for the money. I am looking forward to trying the 12 star. Do not hesitate to let me know if you have any recommendations! Cheers

[@Mark723]

Thank you for taking price point into account when providing your rating. Is Metaxa easily found?

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Mark723 Hey Mark, thanks for checking out the review! I have been sleeping on this one for a while despite the fact that It is readily available at most liquor stores. I think it is really undervalued at its price point! I definitely recommend giving it a try! Cheers 🥂

[@chrismiller755]

Hey Max would buy a de Fussigny select or chabanneau if u had to choose 1? I've had chabanneau before but I'm scared to buy the a de Fussigny cuz u said it's a vsop?

[@MaxsCognacReview]

That’s a tough choice... the Fussigny select is an incredible value at its price point. It is reminiscent of a Hennessy Privilege but a little smoother in my opinion... a lot of spiced cinnamon notes. If you are looking for a little more aged wood notes/character I would go with the Chabanneau XO. That being said, I have not it for some time and I am overdue for a re-review. Cheers 🥂

[@MaxsCognacReview]

If you have the money I’d strongly recommend giving the A De Fussigny XO a try. At a $100 it’s a steal for an XO

[@chrismiller755]

@@MaxsCognacReview ok thanks that's what I was thinking too

[@ThePartySourceReviews]

This was a great review. Metaxa is one that I feel is overlooked and passed up. It was nice to see an indepth review of it. Cheers, -J.O.

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Thanks, Party Source! I appreciate the kind words. Metaxa was definitely a pleasant surprise. Cheers

[@hasankural7141]

Var isteyen

[@maccybear8093]

I'm having the 12 year old now, absolutely beautiful.

[@irmabarrera7313]

I have been meaning to give this a try. Thank you

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Irma Barrera 🥂

[@sagar0058]

Hii...I m Having one Seal Pack Bottle of Metaxa 7 star....i want to know... how much years i can store it in my Brandy Collection....Please Reply

[@bertolo6524]

Hello Max, as usual a perfectly and personably presented Brandy review! It's a longer time ago when I enjoyed my last Metaxa, but you have really aroused my desire to drink a glass of Metaxa. Cheers and dear regards from Vienna, Austria.

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Thanks Bertolo! It does not get the attention it deserves! I hope you are able to enjoy one soon! Cheers

[@chsandsandy6440]

Do you prefer this over Spanish brandy?

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Chs And sandy Hey Sandy, thanks for checking out the review! While they are both fruit forward and jammy, the Spanish brandy I tried had a heavy sherry influence. This brandy has a lot more white fruit and white wine characteristics. Depends on the mood! Cheers 🥂

[@bronstet]

Glad to see you trying this, Max. Metaxa is thecGreek equivalent of Grand Marnier with Muscat grape and rose petals instead of orange flavors. You must try the 12 star.

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Thanks Tran! I agree , it does have a Grand Marnier flair to it. I had no idea they produce a 12 star. It’s on my short list! Thank you for the recommendation! 🥂

[@alexk3088]

Agreed, great comparison, it's truly a brandy liqueur.

[@spi.ro.4164]

@@MaxsCognacReview The 7 star is the entry level in my opinion ! You should try the 12 star and the Private Reserve also which has 20+ years blends !

[@dusshan1]

the label says it contains not only water, real wine distillate and the aromatic extracts but also added food grade alcohol (ethylalcohol), hope my english translation is correct. wondering if there is a metaxa on the market without added alcohol as well. Thanks alot.

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Hey Dusshan1 that’s bs! I don’t think in the US they have to declare that on the bottle so I had no idea but that is really good to know and it’s really really sad because I will never drink it again. Thank you for sharing I really appreciate it. Cheers

[@dusshan1]

@@MaxsCognacReview Hi, thanks for your reply. I am located in Slovakia, and the Slovak label on the bottle says so. Also asked the dealer (eShop) about it and they told me they are not aware about any Metaxa out there without added alcohol. I guess the same thing with pure wine destilate would cost much more and perhaps the demand would decrease.. just my assumption.

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Can’t thank you enough. I wish we had stricter labeling laws here in US. Time to move. Haha

[@artemrepin1746]

Hi Max, I had Metaxa 5 stars and found it not very interesting, also it has some flavors that not regular for brandy. Generally I prefer Spanish in this price range.

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Artem Repin hey Artem, I have not had the opportunity to try 5 star but I feel like the 7 star is a tremendous value at $35. That being said it is vastly different than most brandies. I believe this is due to the grape (muscat) used that has a floral fruity flavor. I am fairly new to Spanish brandy but I am a huge fan! I am looking forward to giving Cardenal Mendoza Carta Real a try next! Cheers 🥂

[@bronstet]

Stay away from Metaxa 5 stars, you want 7 star or higher. The 12 star is amazing.

[@artemrepin1746]

@@MaxsCognacReview I think I'll try in future 7 stars and higher. I had Armenian brandy Ararat 5 and 7 stars, just 2 years difference but feels like different leagues

[@ryansmith8]

@@MaxsCognacReview A big difference between Metaxa and and other brandies is that it's dosed with undistilled wine and flavoured with botanical extracts. That doesn't bother me at all, as the end result of a fine tasting liquor matters more than the process used to achieve it.

[@TheLastDrop]

Love the Shirt Max! Metaxa is something i keep seeing around and i think i will now have to go and get a bottle.

[@MaxsCognacReview]

HaHa Thanks man! I appreciate the support. I too had seen this around for some time but never stopped to give it a second thought. I am glad I decided to give it a try! At the price point, you can not go wrong. CHeers!

[@mertkozan_]

öncelikle emeklerinize sağlık hocam. bir sorum olacaktı. metaxa 5 yıldızlısını önerir misiniz?

[@alperakyuz9702]

Şahsen cl başına fiyat bayağı yakın omduğundan dolayı metaxa 7yi öneririm, daha uzun bir bitşi var ve daha zengin

[@Gary_J]

Great reviews! Wondering if you've tried their 12 star as well? Cheers

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Hey Gary, Thank you! I am excited to give the 12 star a try! I will pick up a bottle sooner than later! Cheers

[@DotcomDisco]

Max's Brandy Review Have you tried it yet?

[@andersfaaren4893]

for a future review: Maison Rouge please. Recently gifted to me from my parents, reminds me a lot of Martell and Courvoisier. For a cheaper brand, I think it does quite well. Nosing and sipping it, was quite delectable.

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Hey Anders, thanks for the recommendation! I am always looking out for underdogs! I will certainly keep an eye out for a bottle. Cheers 🥂

[@nikosk.8216]

I'm sure it is 7 years aged just because it says 7 star. Many years ago (I'm not sure, I think in the 1920s') brandies an cognacs used to use stars as a quality mesure and back then 3 stars was top. But when they stop rating like that, Metaxa kept it and made it it's own measure of quality. That's what I know from a documentary inside ageing warehouse in Kifissia, Greece

[@михаилпанев-о4к]

God bless you, Brother! 👍🇬🇷🥃 God bless you! 👍🍀❤️🇬🇷💖🥃

[@MaxsCognacReview]

🥂

[@sfchrisrom]

Loving the pirate flag ARRR! Growing up in Bulgaria, next door to Greece I was gainfully familiar with Metaxa. An interesting take on cognac. Easy to drink, no alcohol burn, but the heavy herbal aroma, ruined it for me.

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Christian Ivanov it’s a interesting brandy to say the least. Incredibly sweet and floral as you mentioned. I enjoyed but in small doses. I’ve heard great things about the 12 year. For me it’s along the lines of a Grand Marnier. Interesting to note that you grew up in Bulgaria. It’s on my list of places to visit! Cheers

[@iBigEbALLs]

Sultanas.. Is what I recall, the taste of sultanas. Went well with cola ;-)

[@alexk3088]

Great review. I like the redesigned channel! Like the short format and music intro. Metaxa distillate is proofed down with sweet Muscat wine instead of water, which makes it unique. Without putting down the brand, for my taste I found this one too boozy and sweet, not satisfying and too one-dimensional, boring. But for me even cognacs are a bit sweet, it's just personal preference. Certainly an interesting spirit to try.

[@bronstet]

Hey Alex, spirits like Grand Marnier, Metaxa and Brandy de Jerez when aged in PX barrels can be a shock if you prefer drier styled brandies without sweetness. I'd recommend the Delamain Pale and Dry for you based on your comment here.

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Hey Alex, thanks for checking out the review! It is certainly a drastic change from your typical Cognac. I couldn’t drink a ton in one sitting, but I think it’s a perfect pair for a dessert or aperitif. If you are not a fan of sweeter jammy brandies I implore to give Delamain’s Pale and Dry XO a try! No added Carmel or sugar... You will not be disappointed! Cheers

[@alexk3088]

Hiya there, gents and thanks for the suggestions. I don't search out brandies the way I do whiskies (single malt especially but all others as well), but I am certainly not a cognac snob, I'm open and will try everything I come across (that's why I tried Metaxa 5 and 7 among other things). My bigger complaint is not the sweetness but the booziness. I have a similar complaint about Torres 10 spanish brandy (still have an unfinished bottle). That's just my taste, though, which keeps maturing, just like yours are. I used to have quite the sweet tooth. A few months ago tried a Clement rum (Martinique), I think it was an XO. A totally different beast from English and Spanish style rums. Rhum agricole - French style rum, about as dry as you can imagine but so good :) As far as brandy, cognac, armagnac, I have a bit of a collection but it's based on what I come across as opportune buys. Most of the budget goes to malts but I certainly do enjoy aged brandies and will try the ones you mentioned if the opportunity presents itself. At the end of the day, though, Metaxa is a brandy-based liqueur. Granted, it's not a candy-pop liqueur but a more mature one, like maybe Drambuie, Grand Marnier, etc. Nothing wrong with all that, the're just not my choice. We whisky drinkers whine about tiny bit of colorant and filtration, imagine how we feel about added flavorings ;) Nice to have all these choices these days.

[@ryansmith8]

@@alexk3088 When a whisky is finished in a wet sherry cask, the finished whisky can end up being as much as roughly five percent sherry. Then the Canadians just omit the cask and add the sherry itself! Not a knock, Canada actually produces some pretty nice tasting whisky once you move up from the bottom shelf and bar rail level expressions. We just don't tend to export the good stuff very much.

[@alexk3088]

@@ryansmith8 my thought on that: I am ok either way, I am not some purist. But I want transparency. Previous content influence is ok, it's "standard" and it's not as trivial as mixing in a bit of fortified wine - the stuff ages together. Adding wine (or anything) makes RECTIFIED whisk(e)y (US definition). And I am ok with that, too. I.e. I know that Canada makes some really great rye whiskies - I can extrapolate the caliber from Lot No. 40 (was my favorite), Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye, Canadian Club 100% Rye and to a lesser extent Wiser's Triple Barrel Rye. And Whistlepig. But the prevailing reputation of Canadian whisky being cheap mixing stuff comes precisely from not insisting on labeling transparency. The bottom shelf stuff "projects" its reputation on the rest of the product. This is not helpful to the industry, IMHO. (And Canada's best whisky is not rectified whisky). Liqueurs are liqueurs and whisky should be whisky (and brandy should be brandy). And Metaxa is definitely a brandy-based liqueur, IMO. There's nothing wrong with that, as long as it's not trying to be labeled as a straight spirit.

[@alexeyship]

Ок! Норм напиток, бро! 🥃🥃

[@doncressco]

I do enjoy your work. However I personally have stopped drinking brandy's because I find caramel colouring is over used and adds too much sweetness for me. The one brandy I do enjoy still is the Torres 15 from Spain. Regards

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Hey Don, I know what you mean. There is way too much E-150 in brandies these days, especially younger expressions like VS and VSOP. There are some great Cognac houses that do not use any sugar or Carmel. I strongly recommend giving Delamain’s Pale and Dry XO a try. It’s a steal at just under $100 for a 25 years strictly Grand Champagne Cognac. Another brandy worth looking into is Calvados, a pear/apple distilled brandy that is not traditionally blended with E-150. I find them to be crisper and dryer that most brandies. I tried Grand D’uque D’alba (Spanish brandy) recently and was seriously impressed. I’ve been looking forward to trying more. I will give Torres 15 a try! Cheers

[@doncressco]

@@MaxsCognacReview I was specifically talking about "brandys". I find cognacs both vs n vsop level to be much more cautious with their e-150 usage. With regards to cognacs I was under the impression that at XO level producers arent allowed to use artificial ingredients. Wow, delamain xo sounds very interesting, 25 years +, very impressive for that price range. So these cognac house that dont use exogenous sugar forms is this for all of their cognac lines, incl vs n vsop? If so what are their names? Ty S.

[@MaxsCognacReview]

The use of E-150 is common in many spirits. It's even worse in Rum and is incredibly common in whiskey as well. Unfortunately even in XOs and above can use E-150 although it is usually less common due to the fact that they are not needed. E-150 is typically used in young cognacs to mask the alcohol and recreate the smooth qualities that come naturally after extended periods of barrel aging. Delamain's range starts out at their 25 year Pale and Dry so the need for E-150 is not an issue. In general, I'd stay away from VSOPs and under if you're not a fan of E-150. Other recommended houses that do not use E-150 are Jean Grosperrin, Ragnaud Sabourin, Hardy and Daniel Bouju. Daniel Bouju does amazing non-chill filtered cask strength Cognacs that are reminiscent of good quality whiskey. Strongly recommend giving them a try! Cheers

[@sakistsilarxos2149]

Hello. Just try Metaxa Private Reserve .It is a little bit expensive but it worth every cent and more .You will be amazed.Better than Hennessy V.S.O.P

[@ThomasTVP]

Metaxa is extremly underrated. Good brandy. Everybody's palate is different (I get marzipan, cinnamon, nuts. Dried figs).

[@green__8988]

Nice video

[@kailasnair6172]

Exactly what I taste...♥️

[@joaswesterbeek8126]

You should say ''kalimera''

[@s.i7750]

Jesus Christ move the microphone away from your mouth

[@ardaholat3647]

viski fetish

[@MaxsCognacReview]

🥂