Alte Zwetschke Zwetschkenbrand – 350 ml

Gölles Alte Zwetschke 350 ml. Eight years in oak barrels, mild and amber-colored.

Zwetschkenbrand Alte Zwetschke is a barrel-aged fine spirit from the Styrian distillery Gölles, aged for at least eight years in oak barrels. No clear fruit brandy, no rum, no whisky, even if the color might suggest it.

Zwetschkenbrand Alte Zwetschke comes from Riegersburg and rests in wood for many years after distillation, where it gains color and spice. In the house, it is considered the spirit that many guests start with and many end with. This is due to its mildness, which one can hardly believe given the number on the label. The Zwetschke remains recognizable, while the wood adds notes of toast, caramel, and a hint of vanilla. The 350-ml bottle is ideal for discovering barrel-aged fruit brandy.

Zwetschke, smoke, and roasted notes

The aroma of Alte Zwetschke first reveals the fruit, clear and ripe. Then the wood emerges, with strength that submits to elegance. On the palate, the spirit becomes fuller and more complex, with smoky and roasted notes added. Gölles describes it as a southern spirit with a Balkan note.

The color is a warm amber that comes entirely from the wood. Anyone expecting a crystal-clear, fresh Zwetschkenbrand will find a different world here. The fruit takes a step back and shares the stage with the oak barrel. For lovers of pure, varietal fruit brandies, Alte Zwetschke is less suitable; a clear spirit would be a better fit there.

At the end of a long meal, with an espresso

The distillery recommends Alte Zwetschke at the end of a long meal, together with a strong espresso. It is mild enough for the moment after dessert and has enough body to stand up next to the coffee. The bitterness of the bean and the sweetness of the fruit from the barrel play together.

Ideal are 15 to 20 °C and a tall tulip glass. Ice cubes take away its aromas and are therefore not recommended. With dark chocolate containing 70 percent cocoa, a piece of fruit bread, or roasted hazelnuts, it unfolds its roasted notes particularly beautifully.

Our tip: For those who prefer the bitterness in the glass, pair the spirit with the walnut bitter from the same house. Two glasses, two types, one meal to conclude.

70 percent into the barrel, 40 percent into the bottle

Alte Zwetschke begins as a clear Zwetschkenbrand, distilled twice in a copper still. It is stored at around 70 percent alcohol, so significantly stronger than in the bottle. During the at least eight years in the oak barrel, the wood works and gives off roasted aromas, caramel, and vanilla.

A part of the spirit evaporates through the wood during this time. Distillers like to call this loss the angel's share. Gölles uses newly purchased barrels for this, which are filled two to three times. With each new filling, the wood gives off a little less, which the distillery takes into account when planning. How often a barrel is filled thus directly determines how much wood will reach the glass later.

The cellar where the barrels lie was built in 1993 from old bricks. At the end of the aging period, the spirit is brought down to drinking strength and bottled. By the way, Zwetschke is the Austrian spelling of Zwetschge; the same blue fruit is meant.

The entry into the world of barrel spirits

What makes Alte Zwetschke special is its bridging function between fruit brandy and aged spirits. Anyone who otherwise drinks cognac or whisky will find familiar wood notes here with a completely different fruit. The 350-ml bottle is suitable as a gift for exactly these people. Even those who have previously only experienced fruit brandy as sharp will find a mild new beginning here.

Anyone who stays with it after the first glass will find the same spirit in the 700-ml bottle. Every newly arrived bottle should rest unopened for two to three weeks.

A spirit for the final course, which shows what eight years in an oak barrel can do to a Styrian Zwetschke.