Barsol Pisco Selecto Torontel 70 cl 41,3%

Pour it, and the flowers are out of the glass before you have picked it up. Jasmine, lilac, citrus blossom. Torontel is the loudest grape in Peru, and not a single drop of flavouring was added to make it that way.

The expert's description

Barsol Pisco Selecto Torontel 70 cl 41.3% is a Peruvian Pisco Puro distilled from the aromatic Torontel grape in copper pot stills and bottled at 41.3% with no water added.

Torontel is a relative of Argentina's Torrontés with roots in northern Spain, where it yields crisp white wines that smell somewhere between Muscat and Gewürztraminer. Peru adopted it long ago, and beyond wine a large share of the harvest ends up in pisco. Selecto is Barsol's designation for the house's single-variety bottlings, where the entire flavour rests on one grape alone.

Because Barsol works to the Peruvian rulebook, the flowers come from the grape and nowhere else. No aroma, sugar, colouring or water may be added, and there is no cask to lay vanilla and spice over the top. The spirit leaves the copper still at 41.3% and is bottled exactly like that.

Bodega San Isidro sits in the Ica Valley south of Lima, where coastal fog and cold nights leave the grapes with enough acidity to carry their aroma through the whole process. That acidity is what keeps this bottle light rather than perfumed and heavy.

Tasting notes

Nose

White and purple flowers, jasmine and lilac, with citrus blossom and lemongrass behind them. A trace of meyer lemon and a dark berry tone right at the bottom.

Palate

Light peach and apricot, lemon and dark berries, soft black raisins. Then a streak of liquorice turns up alongside lavender and a mischievous touch of white pepper.

Finish

Velvety and light. The flowers linger longest, and there are no sharp edges at the close.

Specifications

Name: Barsol Pisco Selecto Torontel 70 cl 41.3%
Distillery: Bodega San Isidro
Region/Country: Ica Valley, Peru
Type: Peruvian Pisco Puro from the Torontel grape
ABV: 41.3%
Size: 70 CL
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Single distilled in copper pot stills to bottle proof
EAN no.: 7750323000128
Serving suggestion: Neat in a tulip glass or in a Chilcano with ginger ale

Flavour profile

Floral · Stone fruit · Citrus · Velvety · Aromatic

Did you know?

Peru approves only eight grape varieties for Pisco. Four count as aromatic, namely Torontel, Italia, Moscatel and Albilla, and four as non-aromatic, with Quebranta the most widely planted. Torontel is the one most often mistaken for perfume on a first sniff.

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Frequently asked questions about Barsol Pisco Selecto Torontel 70 cl 41.3%

What does Torontel taste like?

Flowers first, fruit afterwards. Jasmine, lilac and citrus blossom lead the nose, while the palate brings peach, apricot and lemon with soft raisins underneath. Liquorice and white pepper appear at the end, and the texture stays soft throughout.

Where do the strong floral notes come from?

From the grape alone. Peruvian Pisco may not receive added aroma, sugar or colouring, and it may not be aged in wood, so there is no other source of scent than the Torontel grape itself. Those aromatic compounds carry across in the copper still during distillation. That is exactly where it parts company with the barrel-aged grape brandy of the Cognac Houses and Distilleries, where much of the aroma comes from the oak.

Is Selecto an age statement?

No, Selecto is Barsol's name for the house bottlings made from a single grape variety. It speaks to grape selection and to the fact that nothing else is blended in. Age would not mean much here anyway, since Pisco does not mature in a cask.

How does Torontel differ from Quebranta?

Torontel is aromatic and heavily scented, Quebranta is non-aromatic and built on body and fruit. In the glass that means Torontel fills the nose with flowers while Quebranta makes its case on the tongue. The two varieties also serve very different purposes behind a bar.

Which cocktail suits an aromatic Pisco?

A Chilcano, where ginger ale and lime leave the flowers standing instead of covering them. The classic Pisco Sour is normally built on Quebranta and turns into a much more perfumed drink with Torontel. It is also worth trying in a Pisco Punch with pineapple.

What is a Pisco Punch?

A San Francisco drink from the late 1800s built on Pisco, pineapple, lemon and sugar syrup. It was the city's most famous cocktail in its day and disappeared during Prohibition. The floral side of Torontel flatters pineapple unusually well.

Should the bottle be stored cold?

No, dark and at ordinary room temperature is plenty. Strong light is the only real enemy, since over time it wears down the volatile floral notes. Store it upright, as the cork does not benefit from sitting in spirit.