When I first began my journey to discover quality brandy and other grape spirits; I had a lot of preconceived notions to overcome. Especially about the quality of grape spirits in general; as many that I had tried were overly sweet and lacked character or seemed to taste artificial. As in grape spirit cut with neutral spirit and re-flavored on the backend.
Luckily, I have been finding more and more producers dedicated to crafting a premium spirit. In my attempt to continue to grow and overcome my prejudice of the category, I decided to take my chances with fruit brandy as well. This decision was reinforced once I learned the historical and cultural importance of the category in American history; namely apple and peach brandy (the later still nigh impossible to find).
Most recently, I have been getting to know pear brandy. The one in question I am going to delve into today is a single barrel pear brandy selected by Binny’s Beverage Depot from Copper & Kings’ Distillery from Louisville, KY.
According to the bottle’s labelling:
“Exclusive Casks are selected by our best customers with their discerning and professional palates for guests with adventurous and demanding taste.”
The brandy itself is described as a “highly aromatic pear wine” distilled on a copper pot alembic still. The eau de vie is then aged for 10 years in a combination of French and Hungarian oak before being bottled at 52% abv with no added pear flavoring, boise (powdered oak or shavings), or caramel coloring. In further transparency, Copper & Kings acknowledges that the brandy is sourced from an “Oregon Distillery” that they cannot name.
For anyone familiar with craft distillers in the United States; that statement basically narrows the producer to Clear Creek Distillery. A producer known for their array of wonderful fruit brandies, liqueurs and McCarthy’s Single Malt Whiskey.
APPEARANCE
Golden honey in color with a slightly deeper core. The labeling itself on the bottle is quite pretty and worth noting as well. Tall and slender, the pear green labeling and gold lettering really pops quite nicely against the color of the brandy in the bottle.
AROMA
The initial aroma coming from the glass is quite light and easily perfumes the surrounding area. The delicate fruitiness of the brandy is backed by warming spices that reveal themselves in time. Layers of ginger, raw honey, sulfury dried stone fruit and the same kind of acidity you would get from a freshly poured glass of champagne.
PALATE
The entry of the initial sips are a bit hotter than the proof would suggest. Once the palate becomes accustomed to the heat of the brandy, the pear really begins to make a show of itself, leaving no doubt what fruit was used to craft this. In a bizarre twist, you can taste the texture of pear skin. That slightly leathery and gritty sensation of the skins come through on the mid palate with subtle apricot.
BODY
A touch leathery and slightly drying. Not enough to sap the moisture from your palate, but not quite enough to make it salivate either.
FINISH
If the entry of the palate was all about the proof the brandy, the finish reminds you of the warm hug that brandy is supposed to have. Sweet cinnamon and clove lead the way with something that is reminiscent of burning incense. From there it becomes oddly complex with notes of Turkish coffee, olive oil, and an herbal/saccharine flavor of spruce tips.
OVERALL
All together this is quite a delightful pour and is definitely something that can be enjoyed year-round. My only criticism is that it does drink quite a bit hotter than it probably should. Even if it is cask strength. A dab of water or an ice cube tends to over dilute the brandy as well, losing any of light fruity character. Your best bet to enjoy this thoroughly without numbing your palate is to just keep a glass of room temp water off to the side to sip on. Other than that; this is a great showcase for Copper & Kings and the ever expansive world that is the fruit spirit category. And if this is the profile that Copper & Kings wants to showcase; then I cannot wait to see what their own distillate has to offer in the future.
