[DE]: Die phenolische Zusammensetzung der in Holzfässern gelagerten Destillate wurde studiert, um daraus verschiedene Standards zu erarbeiten, so daß daraus die Unverfälschtheit und Qualität abgeleitet werden kann. [EN]: Phenolic composition of distillates aged in wood has been widely studied, thus giving rise to different standards that establish their genuineness and quality. The present paper sets out the results for classification of Spanish brandies and cognacs according to quality by applying analysis of variance and principal component analysis to the results of simple chemical (pH, phenol content) and physical (colour) determinations and/or the relationships between them. Chemical changes that occur during the aging process are related to these parameters. Peer reviewed