Brandy Peak Distillery in Brookings, Oregon has been distilling since 1994, which make them craft distillery pioneers. Today I'm sampling their pear eau de vie, an unaged brandy made from 100% Barlett Pears and no additives. It's only available in and around Oregon.Spirit of Pear Brandy, 40% abv ($23 for 375 ml).
The entire experience of this brandy is like biting into a ripe pear. Apple brandies can have lots of apple notes on the nose, but the palate tastes like brandy. Not so this one. It's like virtual pear. It even mimics that slightly grainy texture of fresh pear. If you love pears, you need to drink this.
This is really remarkable stuff and at 40%, it's easy to drink. They also make an aged version; I'm very intrigued to see how barrel aging affects the freshness of this eau de vie.
Never heard of them but your review reminds me of the pear brandy made by their Oregon fellows from Edgefield distillery.
ReplyDeleteThere are a handful of pear brandy producers in Oregon (maybe more than any other state?). Brandy Peak has been around a long time, and Clear Creek's Pear Brandy is the exemplar. But there is also Big Bottom Distilling, who made an asian pear brandy, Immortal Spirits in Medford who made an unaged pear brandy, Edgefield's brandy and I think their sister distiller Cornelius Pass Roadhouse also made one for a bit, and Stonebarn Brandyworks (where I distill) who makes a Bartlet Pear Brandy.
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