Barsol Pisco Mosto Verde Italia 70 cl 41.8%

Making Mosto Verde means stopping halfway. The fermentation is never allowed to finish, and a large share of the sugar never becomes alcohol at all. It costs twice as many grapes per bottle. In return, something happens in the copper still that happens no other way.

The expert's description

Barsol Pisco Mosto Verde Italia 70 cl 41.8% is a Peruvian Pisco Mosto Verde distilled from the aromatic Italia grape in copper pot stills and bottled at 41.8% with no water added.

Mosto Verde means green must, and it refers to a must that is not yet finished. Rather than letting fermentation run its full course, it is halted while sugar is still present, and the must goes to the still in that state. The sugar does not carry across into the distillate, but the must behaves differently during distillation, and the result is a fuller, oilier texture that many read as sweetness even though there is not a gram of sugar in the bottle.

The bill is paid in raw material. Where roughly five kilos of grapes fill a bottle of standard Barsol Pisco, this one calls for about twice that. Italia is the name of the grape, not of a country. It is an aromatic table grape of French origin, listed among Peru's aromatic pisco varieties, and it already smells of flowers and ripe fruit before fermentation even starts.

Barsol is made at Bodega San Isidro in the Ica Valley south of Lima, where the distillery has worked for over a century. No pisco from this house goes near wood, and no water, colouring or flavouring is added.

Tasting notes

Nose

Complex and finely woven. Fresh grapes and green apple, semi-sweet citrus in the shape of orange, lemon and lime, with honey and rose petal underneath.

Palate

Tropical fruit with clear melon and pear, citrus laid across the top and golden raisins at the back. Rich without turning heavy, and the texture is close to silk.

Finish

Soft and refined. Everything holds together all the way out, and the floral notes stay put long after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Barsol Pisco Mosto Verde Italia 70 cl 41.8%
Distillery: Bodega San Isidro
Region/Country: Ica Valley, Peru
Type: Peruvian Pisco Mosto Verde from the Italia grape
ABV: 41.8%
Size: 70 CL
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Single distilled in copper pot stills to bottle proof
EAN no.: 7750323000159
Serving suggestion: Neat in a tulip glass at room temperature

Flavour profile

Floral · Tropical fruit · Citrus · Silky · Aromatic

Did you know?

Barsol rests its pisco for at least twelve months before bottling, but never in wood. The rest happens in glass and stainless steel, precisely because Peruvian Pisco has to stay water-clear and taste of nothing but grape.

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Frequently asked questions about Barsol Pisco Mosto Verde Italia 70 cl 41.8%

What does Mosto Verde mean?

It means green must and refers to a fermentation stopped before it finishes. Sugar is still present in the must when it goes to the still, which produces a rounder spirit than a Pisco Puro. The method is used on only a small share of Peru's pisco output because it demands so many more grapes.

Is it sweet?

No, sugar cannot cross over into the spirit during distillation. What the Mosto Verde method leaves behind is a full, oily texture on the tongue that most people read as a kind of sweetness. The flavour itself is dry, floral and fruity.

Does Italia refer to the country?

No, Italia is the name of the grape variety. It is an aromatic table grape of French origin and one of the eight varieties approved for Pisco in Peru. Everything in this bottle was grown, fermented and distilled in the Ica Valley in Peru.

Neat or in a cocktail?

Neat gives you far more. The aroma of the Italia grape is the whole point of the bottle, and lime and sugar syrup drown it quickly. If you do want to mix, keep it simple with iced water or a few drops of lime so the flowers can still be heard.

Which glass suits it best?

A small tulip glass or a white wine glass with a narrow opening. That gathers the volatile floral notes, which vanish instantly from a wide tumbler. Pour a little at a time and let it stand for a couple of minutes.

What food does it go with?

Fresh ceviche, oysters and ripe fruit such as melon and peach. The aromatic style also handles a ripe goat's cheese. Steer clear of heavy sauces and heavily spiced dishes, which shut the floral notes down completely.

How does a Mosto Verde differ from a Pisco Puro?

A Pisco Puro is fully fermented before distillation, a Mosto Verde is not. Both are made from a single grape variety and both are distilled to bottle proof, but Mosto Verde ends up softer in texture and more intense in aroma, and it uses roughly twice the fruit. Neither is aged in wood, and that is precisely where the line runs to the grape brandy from the Cognac Houses and Distilleries of France, which draws much of its character from oak.