About the
Clear Creek Distillery was one of the first craft distillers, founded in 1985 in by Stephen McCarthy with the goal of producing eau-de-vies. To this day their most popular product is pear eau-de-vie made from Oregon pears. Clear Creek was bought out by Hood River Distillers in 2014 and moved from their original home in Portland to the Hood River valley. In addition to a wide range of aged and unaged brandies they also make what’s likely the first American single malt, made with peated barley and named after the founder.
Details
- 40% abv
- Unaged
- Pot distilled.
- Fermented and distilled from Oregon Bartlett Pears
- Uses 20lbs of pears for 1 750ml bottle of brandy.
Nose
Great nose. Fresh pear, more so the flesh and not the juice. Crisp and clean smelling, refreshing. Traces of mint and cinnamon. Dry and medium intensity
Palate
Medium to light flavor intensity and dry. Pear flesh; captures the essence of the pear well. Cinnamon and mint, more prominent than on the nose. Light bodied and texture is crisp and prickly; both are kind of a let down. Palate is good but comes nowhere close to the nose.
Finish
Short with dry pear flesh and a trace of bitterness.
Rating: 5
Overall
A solid pear brandy that captures the essence of the pear well but is held back by the light body and short finish. Solid option but not exceptional. If you are in the states it deserves a chance since it’s one of the icons of American brandy.
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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