Pear Brandy Clean Pear

Gölles Saubirne Pear Brandy. From the pig trough to the tasting glass.

Saubirne Pear Brandy is the name of the clear, fine brandy that Gölles distills in Styria from a hard, barely edible raw pear variety. No barrel-aged brandy, no pleasant fruit brandy, and nothing for a quick drink on the go.

Saubirne Pear Brandy is a Styrian fruit brandy from Riegersburg, for which 18 kilograms of pears go into the mash for every liter. The name sounds like it belongs in a barn, and for good reason. For centuries, the hard fruit ended up in the pig trough because it offered little when raw. Only in the copper still does it show what it has to offer. Today, the distillery counts it among the most elegant pears it processes.

Mustard seed, red pear and freshly broken bread

Saubirne opens with a spicy note reminiscent of mustard seed, and only then does the red, ripe pear emerge in full. In the background, there are hints of banana, freshly broken pumpernickel, and a touch of tomato paste. On the palate, it becomes full and round without feeling heavy.

This complexity demands attention, and the distillery calls it the most challenging among its pear brandies. Anyone expecting a juicy, sweet pear aroma will find it here only as one voice among many. Some guests may therefore initially find Saubirne too spicy. For the very first pear brandy, the Williams pear brandy from the same distillery is the more accessible starting point. Saubirne is the next step.

A brandy that demands time in the glass

Saubirne needs air, so it belongs in a tall tulip glass and at a temperature between 15 and 20 °C. Straight from the freezer, its spicy layers would close up. A small sip, held briefly in the mouth, reveals more than a large one.

Paired with a mature mountain cheese or a robust blue cheese, it forms an exciting counterpoint. After a Wiener Schnitzel or Martinigansl, it provides a clear final note without dominating the evening. It is less suitable for very sweet desserts, as too much sugar masks the delicate spice. A piece of Kletzenbrot on the side, on the other hand, picks up the fruit and lets the spice notes stand out.

Based on experience: Smell the still glass first and only then swirl it. The mustard seed note appears at first, and the pear gains ground with every minute.

The harvest begins in mid-August

Saubirne is picked in mid-August, and from then on, every hour counts in Riegersburg. The distillery accepts only fresh, whole fruit. The first of the ten house rules requires fruit so clean that the distillers themselves would be happy to eat it. Ground and cool-fermented, the mash then passes through the copper still twice.

The first run, the rough distillate, takes three to four hours. The fine distillate follows with four to six hours, and during this process, the most important decision is made. What flows out of the still at the beginning and at the end is discarded. Only the middle part, the heart, which has around 70 percent alcohol, goes into storage. Until bottling, Saubirne rests in a glass balloon; it never sees an oak barrel.

The reason 18 kilograms of pears are needed for a single liter lies in the principle of fine brandy. Here, every drop of alcohol comes from the fruit itself; sugar, aromas, or purchased alcohol are ruled out. For this conviction, Alois Gölles co-founded the Quinta Essentia distillers' association.

A pear with a past as a guest gift

What makes Saubirne special is its history from pig feed to fine brandy. Hardly any bottle is so well suited as a conversation starter. Anyone who gives it as a gift also gives the anecdote behind its name.

For a pear tasting at home, a sequence from juicy to tart is ideal: Williams, Saubirne, and finally the tart Hirschbirne. After delivery, the bottle should stand for two to three weeks so that the aromas can settle again. Half a bottle is plenty for a round of eight people, if everyone tries two small glasses.

A pear brandy that shows how much finesse is hidden in a fruit once shunned, when harvest and copper still do it justice.