The name Grallet Dupic may not immediately ring a bell with every spirits enthusiast. It is a traditional fruit distillery from the French region of Lorraine, whose origins date back to 1890. However, those who are particularly interested in mirabelle Eau de Vies will likely have already noticed the name, since the distillery has been famous for that particular type of spirit for a long time. But when you read the name of the village Rozelieures, where the distillery is located, there will certainly be a little more attention: because under this name they publish not only fruit Eau de Vies, but also single malt whiskys for quite some time. (provided test product)*
If all this sounds familiar to you, you may have read several articles about these whiskys on this blog in the past. I have also described the distillery and its history in more detail here. Today, however, it is neither a whisky, nor mirabelle, but a classic Williams Eau de Vie from that house: the de Rozelieures Poire de Lorraine.
For this Eau de Vie, the fruit is harvested as early as the beginning of September (about 8 kg per bottle), which has previously been allowed to grow on a total area of four hectares. After a three-month spontaneous fermentation without any added sugar or yeast, the fruit mash is finally double distilled via steam distillation. The cuvée is then left to mature in stainless steel tanks for at least five years.
Finally, it is bottled in a simple, but for the Eau de Vie genre typically fancy bottle with an alcohol content of promising 45% vol.
Tasting Notes:
Aroma: A very nice, rich and fully ripe pear aroma rises to the nose. This is quite complex with slightly woody tones, but the freshness is clearly in the foreground, as well as the fruitiness of freshly sliced fruit, which is captivating with associations of sweet tones. An aromatic and beautiful bouquet that makes you want to take the first sip.
Taste: Here, too, one is not disappointed, because a beautiful, authentic flavor profile of ripe Williams pears spreads in the mouth – associations of orchards and pear trees flash up; one seems to taste a fine, sugary sweetness, also slightly woody notes are in the game, which, however, do not disturb at all, but are successfully integrated into the full-bodied overall picture.
Finish: medium long with lingering fruit and subtle fruit pits.
But what can you do behind the bar with a beautiful, classic Williams Eau de Vie like de Rozelieures Poire de Lorraine? Plenty, of course, because pear Eau de Vies are historically long-available and classic ingredients that may never have played a role in the first row, but have always found their way into excellent drink recipes.
Today, however, I’d like to highlight a drink here that was invented as recently as 2013 by vodka maker Grey Goose as a drink for their pear vodka, but which (it won’t surprise most) does much better without a Grey Goose flavoured pear vodka. And in this form, which I learned about again via Simon Difford’s recipe collection, it is nothing more and nothing less than one of my absolute top favorites at the moment (especially in autumn moments…).
Recipe “La Poire de Bénédictines” (version slightly adapted by me):
3 cl de Rozelieures Poire de Lorraine
2,5 cl Pierre Ferrand Cognace Ambré
2 cl D.O.M. Bénédictine
1 bar spoon of ice cold water
1 dash of celery bitters
Preparation: Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass on ice until cold and strain into a pre-chilled glass.
Glass: Coupette or goblet
Garnish: A pear wedge and a small piece of Roquefort cheese on a cocktail stick
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.
