Kuentz-Bas Eau de Vie Kirsch France 70 cl 45%

In Alsace the cherry trees stand at the edges of the vineyards, half-wild and crooked, carrying fruit that is small, dark and very nearly inedible raw. Picked without stems and brought home the same day, it begins a transformation lasting five weeks. What comes out at the other end is as clear as water.

The expert's description

Kuentz-Bas Eau de Vie Kirsch France 70 cl 45% is a French Eau de Vie distilled from Alsace cherries and bottled at 45%.

The fruit is the guigne variety, a small dark cherry with an unusually small stone. It is traditionally grafted onto wild trees and remains widespread across Alsace. The acidity of the guigne is precisely why it is chosen, because it carries the aroma all the way through fermentation and distillation instead of disappearing on the way.

The cherries are harvested without stems and brought in quickly so the fruit takes no damage. Fermentation runs for four to five weeks and is stirred every single day. The stones are left uncrushed throughout, and that is a deliberate decision. Crushed stones give a heavy, bitter almond note, while whole stones release only the fine trace of almond that enthusiasts look for in a Kirsch.

Kuentz-Bas is based in Ammerschwihr in Alsace and is first and foremost a wine house. Eaux-de-vie belong to the standing range alongside Mirabelle, Framboise, Poire Williams and Vieille Prune among others. What unites them all is that no sugar is added. An Eau de Vie is pure fruit and alcohol, neither sweetened nor coloured, which leaves the quality of the fruit completely exposed in the glass.

Tasting notes

Nose

Cherry, but the fresh kind straight off the tree rather than the preserved kind out of a jar. Behind it sits a fine breath of almond and a floral note reminiscent of cherry blossom.

Palate

Dry from the first drop. The fruit is concentrated without being sweet, and halfway across the stone fruit character steps clearly forward with a light almond bitterness. The alcohol is warm but clean, framing the fruit rather than shouting over it.

Finish

Cool and clean. Cherry stone lingers longest, with a dry dusting of almond and a fresh acidity that clears the mouth.

Specifications

Name: Kuentz-Bas Eau de Vie Kirsch France 70 cl 45%
Producer: Kuentz-Bas
Region/Country: Alsace, France
Type: French Eau de Vie from Cherries
ABV: 45%
Size: 70 CL
Serving suggestion: Chilled to 8-10 degrees in a small tulip glass after a meal

Flavour profile

Cherry · Almond · Dry · Fresh · Stone Fruit

Did you know?

The word Kirsch is short for kirschwasser, which simply means cherry water. The term has been in use in Alsace since the 17th century, making Kirsch one of the oldest named fruit spirits anyone has a record of.

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Frequently asked questions about Kuentz-Bas Eau de Vie Kirsch France 70 cl 45%

What exactly is Kirsch?

Kirsch is distilled cherry and nothing else. The fruit is fermented and distilled with neither sugar nor colouring added, and that is the whole difference between a Kirsch and a sweetened cherry spirit. It is bone dry in the glass even though the aroma is full of fruit.

What makes this particular Kirsch worth keeping on the shelf?

The fruit variety and the handling. Guigne is a small dark cherry with high acidity and a very small stone, harvested without stems and fermented slowly over four to five weeks. A fruit variety chosen for the purpose combined with an Alsace wine house with long experience in fruit distillation is rarer than you might assume.

How is Kirsch best served?

Lightly chilled in a small tulip glass after a meal. Ice cold shuts it down completely and room temperature lets the alcohol take up too much room, so somewhere in between works best. Pour a centimetre at a time, since the aroma develops quickly in the glass.

Why does it taste faintly of almond?

Because the cherry stones are left whole during fermentation. Whole stones release a fine almond note without the heavy bitterness you get when they are crushed. It is one of the details that separates a well-made Kirsch from a hard and sharp one.

Can Kirsch be used in the kitchen?

Yes, and it is close to indispensable in two classics. A Swiss cheese fondue takes its acidity and its digestible lightness from a splash of Kirsch, and a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte relies on the same spirit in both the sponge and the cream. It also works beautifully over fresh cherries and in sorbet.

How long does an opened bottle keep?

It keeps for years. At 45% and with no sugar there is nothing in the bottle that can ferment on or spoil, so the only thing time does is take a little intensity off the aroma. Keep the stopper tight and store the bottle upright and out of the light.

Why is Alsace known for Eau de Vie?

Because fruit trees and vineyards have always shared the same landscape there. Alsace winegrowers have had surplus fruit and access to a still for centuries, and that has produced a tradition of clear fruit spirits with few equivalents anywhere else, while further south-west the Cognac Houses and Distilleries instead age their grape distillate in oak. Kirsch, Mirabelle and Framboise are among the best known.