Review: 1950s Don Pedro Competidor
Don Pedro Competidor Extra Viejo (1950s) - 40%
Don Pedro Competidor Extra Viejo brandy was produced in Malaga, Spain for the Italian market. Malaga is outside the "sherry triangle" so this does not qualify as Brandy de Jerez. Wasn't able to dig up anything on Don Pedro Hernandez (the distiller) or really anything on the brand. Expectations weren't super high when I purchased considering all signs here point to a generic, export product. The Italian tax medallion dates this bottle to the 1950s.
Notes: Nose is light - young and grape-y (so much for the "extra viejo"). A little eucalyptus adds structure. Caramel and oak around the edges. Not as burnt sugar or sherry forward as I imagined. More weight on the palate than expected - still light. Eucalyptus, florals - then the finish starts to run away with detergent and fabric softener Finish is zero heat, medium length and thankfully back dips into some of the caramels/coffee/toffee. The pour dries out nicely until the detergent kicks back up.
Score: 3 (Anything Else To Drink) More here than I expected. I got a deal on three of these and opened this one because it was low fill and leaked in transit. I'm guessing that combo of low fill/leaky cork (over 60+ years) may be responsible for the eucalyptus and florals breaking down into chemical/detergent notes. I've run into similar notes with low fill bourbon minis from the 1960s and 1970s. Hopefully the better fills on the other two bottles point to them drinking absent the detergent notes.
Rating System
10 - Reevaluate The Budget
9 - Stash Two (If Able)
8 - Stash One (At The Right Price)
7 - Highly Recommend It To Strangers
6 - Solid - Above Average
5 - Acceptable For The Situation
4 - Not Vocally Complaining
3 - Anything Else To Drink?
2 - Nothing Nice To Say
1 - Drain Pour