About the Producer
St George Distillery is one of the original craft distilleries in the US, founded in 1982 by Jorg Rupf in Alameda, CA. The distillery is known for their excellent gins and malt whiskeys but they actually started out making eau-de-vies using locally grown CA fruits. For whatever reason, almost all of the very early (80s and 90s) craft distilleries in the US started out making brandy. If you haven’t tried them, the gins from St George are some of the best out there, especially the Terroir gin which includes Douglas Fir needles. In addition to these products they also produce a batch of aged apple brandy, which I’m reviewing today.
Details
- Lot # 2019
- Apples are a blend of varietals, all grown in California.
- Double pot distilled.
- Aged in both French and American oak.
- No age statement but during a tasting it was said it’s a blend of barrels 2-7yrs with the average being a bit over 3yrs.
Nose
Fresh apples; more like the flesh than the juice. Apples are a good mix of sweet, tart and tannic. Nutmeg, allspice and toasted oak. Sandalwood. Medium intensity, balanced and complex. Very good.
Palate
Again balanced apple flavor where the sweetness, tartness and tannics are all well integrated. Apples are baked or cooked with some cinnamon sugar and allspice. Toasted oak and vanilla adds structure and complexity. Medium body, medium flavor intensity. Mild balanced sweetness. Texture is mouth coasting. Again a very good apple brandy.
Finish
Medium with sweet apples, caramel and oak.
Rating: 6
Overall
A very good apple brandy. Recommended. The standout for me is how well balanced it is which allows the complexity shine through. It strikes me as a good middle ground between Calvados and something like Lairds
Leave a Reply