About the Producer
R. Jelinek is one of the most prolific eau-de-vie producers available in the US. If your local store has any plum or apricot brandy, there’s a good chance it’s from R Jelinek. Because of that and the reasonable costs, it makes sense to try their products at least once if you’re into fruit brandies.
R Jelinek was founded by Zikmund Jelinek in the southern Czech Republic in 1891. The distillery was passed to his sons Rudolf (after whom the modern brand is named after) and Vladimer in 1919. Sadly the family hit a fair amount of tragedy a few decades later when most of the family, include Rudolf, was killed by the Nazis. Then in 1948, the company was nationalized by the Czechoslovakian government following the communist revolution and the remaining family was forced to flee the country. The company remained under government control until it was privatized in 1994. After several chaotic year the company’s fortunes started looking up and planted new orchards in 2003. This brand has a lot of interesting history behind it. I recommend reading through the company’s website; a lot of good info there.
The modern company now has ~200 hectares of orchards growing plums, pears, apricots and cherries. In addition to this prear brandy reviewed here the company produces oak-aged plum brandy, apricot brandy, cherry brandy, apple brandy and a whole range of liqueurs.
Details
•Made fromWilliams/Bartlett pears.
•Pears from three different continents
•Tripled distilled.
•~$30 per 750ml
•42% abv.
Nose
Fresh pear juice. Slight mint and lemon. Medium intensity. A bit unrefined Good but not great.
Palate
Pear juice again but now it’s more of the flesh as well. Like the nose, small traces of mint and and citrus. Medium bodied and flavored. Texture is smooth and viscous. Good.
Finish
Medium with pear flesh and cinnamon.
Rating: 5
Overall
This is a quality product and a very good value pear eau-de-vie. I think I like the plum brandy they are know for better but this is a solid dependable brandy. That being said there isn’t anything special about it; nothing that pushes it from good to great.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite
10 | Perfect | Perfect
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