Over in Spain for a few weeks & my father asked me to pick him up a higher end Spanish brandy not available in the US, anyone have any ideas? I’d say he prefers Lepanto/Carlos 1 - not a fan of Mendoza, Torres, dAlba
I found a bottle of Lepanto Aulum but its 300euro (only 200 bottles supposedly and 30 y/o)…
thanks for any help
Erik, I really hope this gets to you in time.
Given what you have disqualified that I would otherwise have recommended (Cardenal Mendoza, Torres, dAlba) I would recommend the following:
Lepanto – Get ALL of them. The regular, the OV and the PX. Each is twice distilled and aged for 15 years, the last 3 of which are spent in Fino, Oloroso Viejo and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks respectively. I absolutely love these.
Cruz Conde – Gran Brandy VSOP. Solera aged for a minium of 15 years, this one is also cask-finished in PX brandy barrels. It’s also a QPR steal.
Lustau – Solera Gran Reserva Finest Selection and Reserva Familiar 1977. First is aged 15 years and the latter is a Solera aged 15 years minimum. Both finished in Pedro Ximenez
Hidalgo 200 Solera Gran Reserva – Another Solera ager finished in PX barrels. I sense a pattern here. 
Partially influenced by my own well-known sweet tooth, but the thing I love about Brandy de Jerez is the added dimension that the sherry cask-finishing gives it which I find even more complimentary than with Scotch. Brandy de Jerez has actually now overtaken Cognac in my preferences as my spirit of choice. I even love the drier ones not finished in sweet sherry casks i.e. the Torres 20 and 30 year olds and the Lepanto original.
At the risk of being snobby, I would advise you not to get the Carlos I for your dad for the simple reason that despite its solera being a hundred year sold, the actual average age of the brandy is a mere 5 years which to me is either an incredible waste or an indicator that the Solera was not well planned out as they should be easily able to pump out bottles with 15 years on average age like many of the others here I have mentioned.