Recently I received a package with a very interesting bottle inside – together with the information that it would be officially launched on September 1st. The package came from Kappelrodeck in the Black Forest and was sent by “Emil Scheibel Schwarzwald-Brennerei GmbH”. Of course I became very curious, because the Scheibel distillery has not only made a good name for itself among traditional eau de vie drinkers, but is also increasingly a big name behind the bar (at least in Germany). (provided test product)*
And this is not exclusively true due to the wonderful MoBi Sour and the really excellent Moor-Birne, which I reviewed some time ago in this blog. Therefore, I was all the more excited about the content of the package. And indeed it surprised me in a very positive way, because what I was holding in my hand sounded very promising: Scheibel Kamin-Kirsch, the name of the next big thing in the Scheibel range. This is obviously a slightly smoky Kirschwasser, which is indeed a very exciting idea. With autumn just around the corner, now is certainly the right time to bring such a bottle onto the market.
The Scheibel Kamin-Kirsch is distilled twice (over gold, as the marketing department of the house of Scheibel emphasizes with their products) and then left to mature in toasted barrels for an unspecified period of time. Unfortunately, they do not reveal exactly what kind of barrels these are. Likewise, I have no final information on how exactly the smoke enters the product (if someone has information on this, I’d love to know!). As soon as I know more, I will add it here. The bottle finally comes with an ABV of 43%.
Tasting Notes:
Aroma: An aromatic and ripe black cherry is undoubtedly the dominant impression on the nose, it comes along with notes of cherry stones reminiscent of Amarena cherries, bitter almonds and a hint of marzipan. A surprisingly harmonious smoke is also there, which really lifts the aroma to a more complex and appealing level. The smoke, however, is not superimposed or the dominant aspect (as with some Islay whiskys, for example). Herbal associations also come along. After some time the impression of the cherry becomes more fruity and fresher – very beautiful!
Taste: Yes, on the palate the smoke is perhaps even a little more defining than on the nose. From the beginning, it is part of the game, but also here it fits very skilfully into a taste picture of ripe, sweet cherries, cherry stones, marzipan, associations of dark chocolate and herbal nuances. It is recognizable as a (very well-done) Kirschwasser, but just one that goes different ways.
Finish: medium long, quite dry with fruity black cherry and fine spicy smoke.
The idea for my drink came to me almost immediately when I held the Scheibel Kamin-Kirsch in my hand. I had delicious drinks like a Professor Langnickel, a Vienna in Ashes, but also a simple Old Fashioned in my head. Smoky kirsch simply harmonizes fantastically with chocolate, which is why I opted for the Mozart Dark Chocolate chocolate liqueur. However, to give the drink an aromatic, powerful body, I also used a little dark overproof rum (here I used Plantation O.F.T.D. Overproof). Everything is rounded off with a dash of orange bitters and a dash of angostura bitters. The taste composition made me somehow think of a clichéd German TV ad of the 90s’ for Mon Chéri chocolate. In this ad, a woman named Claudia Bertani wore a red summer dress while examining the cherries for the sweets in Piedmont. Well, I’m sure she’d like this drink better than the chocolates.
Recipe: “Claudia’s Cheating:”
4 cl Scheibel Kamin-Kirsch
2 cl Mozart Dark Chocolate
1 cl matured overproof rum
1 Dash Angostura Bitters
1 Dash Orange Bitters
Preparation: The drink is built in the glass, simply put all ingredients on solid ice, stir, ready.
Glass: Tumbler
Garnish: three Griottines cherries
Furthermore, I thought about how the Scheibel Kamin-Kirsch could also shine in a simple highball or longdrink. And actually it works quite well with Tonic, if you are willing to think a little bit outside the box. However, I liked it even more in combination with a spicy cola. Yes, I know, this does not sound very sophisticated and is certainly not the great secret of “mixology”, but actually I am a friend of a good Cola-Highball every now and then – and with e.g. the Fever Tree Madagascan Cola or also the Fentimans Curiosity Cola (and also others) there is more than one good Cola available. Simply serve cola and Kamin-Kirsch in a ratio of 3:1 with plenty of ice in a long drink glass. It tastes really good!
Buying sources: At specialized retailers or online
*The fact that this product has been sent to me free of charge for editorial purposes does not – in any way – imply any influence on the content of this article or my rating. On the contrary, it is always an indispensable condition for me to be able to review without any external influence.