Porton Mosto Verde Quebranta Pisco (750ml)

Nestled in the Ica Valley in the south of Peru, amidst the foothills of the Andes, lies the oldest distillery in the Americas – Hacienda La Caravedo – established in 1684. Here Pisco continues to be handcrafted using centuries old production methods.

Now owned by an American family, the Kallops, the distillery employs Johnny Schuler, Peru’s most celebrated authority on pisco who's both the ambassador and master distiller. Their product remains the country's No.1 Pisco export.

Portón uses only the mosto verde method of distilling from partially fermented grape juice known as 'green must'. They let it rest for a full year in glass silos before it's bottled.

Distilled to strength in copper pot stills from a blend of three grape varieties (Quebranta, Torontel and Albilla), this is unaged and unaltered, nothing (not even water) is added to the finished product. Most other spirit makers distill to high alcohol levels and then add water to dilute to a desired proof.

Tasting note:Ideal clarity. Impressive bouquet highlights scents of crunchie bar and beeswax. Second pass drops a notch in sweetness offering more subdued ripe grape / unripe apricot-like notes. Very pleasurable. Creamy mouthfeel with initial vibrant pepper and fruit bread flavours. Slightly sweeter to finish with vanilla, honeycomb and beeswax to the fore. Excellent length. (One taster noted white chocolate.) Luxurious and highly textural. First rate. 43% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... 4.5 Stars - www.diffordsguide.com