Barsol Pisco Quebranta 70 cl 41.3%

The Ica Valley sits wedged between the Pacific and the first ridges of the Andes, and almost no rain ever falls there. Sand, stone, sun. The vines stand anyway, year after year. Quebranta is the grape that learned to live with it.

The expert's description

Barsol Pisco Quebranta 70 cl 41.3% is a Peruvian Pisco Puro distilled from the Quebranta grape in copper pot stills and bottled at 41.3% straight off the still with no water added.

The bottle comes from Bodega San Isidro in southern Ica, a distillery with more than a century behind it. Barsol is the house's pisco label, and Quebranta is the foundation it rests on. The variety emerged in Peru when Spanish Negra Criolla vines had to make peace with stony ground and dry heat. The name carries the story: quebranta means tamed in Spanish.

Quebranta belongs to the non-aromatic pisco grapes. It does not throw flowers and perfume at you, it brings body, sugar and an earthy sort of fruit instead. That is exactly why Peruvians reach for it in a Pisco Sour, where lime juice and egg white otherwise run away with the whole show.

Pisco never sees wood. No water, sugar, colouring or flavouring may be added, and the spirit is bottled at whatever strength it leaves the copper still with. At Barsol it rests in glass and stainless steel before bottling, so everything in the bottle comes from the grape and the fermentation.

Tasting notes

Nose

Pear and red apple first, then freshly cut grass. Behind that sit dried fruit and something cake-like, fresh cream and a trace of cocoa, kept in line by fine citrus notes.

Palate

Ripe pear, red apple and red grapes with citrus laid across them. Then the nuts arrive: toasted almond, walnut and pecan, with dark chocolate and a grainy tone underneath. Dried apricot and ripe dark berries close it out.

Finish

Round and long. The fruit settles slowly, the nuts hang around, and the alcohol never burns.

Specifications

Name: Barsol Pisco Quebranta 70 cl 41.3%
Distillery: Bodega San Isidro
Region/Country: Ica Valley, Peru
Type: Peruvian Pisco Puro from the Quebranta grape
ABV: 41.3%
Size: 70 CL
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Single distilled in copper pot stills to bottle proof
EAN no.: 7750323000098
Serving suggestion: Pisco Sour or a Chilcano with ginger ale and lime

Flavour profile

Fruity · Nutty · Dry · Round · Earthy

Did you know?

It takes roughly five kilos of grapes to fill one bottle of Barsol Pisco. The juice is distilled once and arrives at bottle strength entirely on its own, which is why two bottles from the same house can easily carry different percentages.

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Frequently asked questions about Barsol Pisco Quebranta 70 cl 41.3%

Why is Quebranta called the tamed grape?

Because the name points to a vine that was forced to adapt. Quebranta means tamed or broken in Spanish, and the variety appeared when vines brought from Spain had to cope with the stones and drought of the Ica Valley. What emerged was a hardy grape with high sugar levels, and today it is the most planted pisco grape in Peru.

Why do Peruvians reach for Quebranta in a Pisco Sour?

Because it has enough body to stand up to lime and egg white. Quebranta is non-aromatic and sits underneath the drink rather than fighting it. A flowering variety such as Torontel or Italia pulls a Pisco Sour in an entirely different direction, while Quebranta delivers the classic dry version.

Should Barsol Pisco Quebranta be chilled before serving?

No, it shows best at room temperature or only lightly cooled. Cold shuts down the pear and the nutty tones. If it is going into a cocktail, the chill comes from the ice in the shaker instead.

Can you drink it neat?

Yes, and Peruvians do exactly that. Use a small tulip-shaped glass that gathers the aroma, and give it a couple of minutes before the first sip. The fruit steps forward first, the toasted nuts follow.

What separates Peruvian Pisco from Chilean Pisco?

Peruvian Pisco is distilled once to bottle proof, may not be diluted with water and may not be aged in wood. Chilean Pisco allows both dilution and cask ageing, which produces a different style with clear wood influence. Barsol works to the Peruvian rules. That ban on wood is also the big divide from the grape brandy made by the Cognac Houses and Distilleries of France, where the cask supplies much of the flavour.

How long does an opened bottle keep?

Several years, kept dark with the cork in. There is no residual sugar to oxidise and the strength protects the spirit on its own. Once only a splash is left in the bottom, though, the aroma slowly fades, so finish it rather than saving it.

What is a Chilcano?

The everyday Peruvian drink: Pisco, ginger ale, lime juice and a couple of dashes of bitters in a tall glass over ice. It is lighter than a Pisco Sour and lets the grape's fruit speak. The usual ratio is one part Pisco to three parts ginger ale.