In Souillac, where the Lot river winds through south-western France, the Roque family has distilled plums into brandy since 1905. The recipe has never left the family, the stills are still copper, and every bottle is sealed by hand, just as it was when Louis Roque himself stood over them.
Expert's Description
La Vieille Prune Louis Roque is a French Plum Brandy, distilled in traditional copper stills and matured in oak casks, bottled at 42%.
Through the 1800s, the Roque family was already known locally for its distilling craft, a knowledge passed from father to son. In 1905, Louis Roque, the third generation of the family, founded his own distillery in Souillac in the Lot region and specialised in high-quality fruit brandy made from pears and plums sourced from local growers.
After Louis Roque's death, his daughter carried the distillery forward with respect for his methods, and today his grandson leads it. The blend of plum varieties behind La Vieille Prune remains a closely guarded family secret.
The brandy is made from three carefully selected plum varieties: the red Ente, the yellow Mirabelle and the green Reine-Claude. The fruit ferments naturally, is double distilled in copper stills and then rests for four to five years in 400-litre oak casks with no added sugar.
Every bottle is sealed with a cork and wax, and the label is applied by hand — a final craft step that keeps production slow but the result singular.
Tasting Notes
Nose
The nose offers ripe plums and a touch of marzipan, carried by dried raisins and a gentle spiced warmth from the cask.
Palate
On the palate, the brandy shows real depth, with concentrated plum fruit, a hint of liquorice and a nutty note carried by the long cask maturation.
Finish
The finish is warm and lingering, with a last trace of spice and dried fruit that stays long after the final sip.
Specifications
Name: La Vieille Prune Louis Roque
Distillery: Louis Roque
Country: France
Type: French Plum Brandy
ABV: 42%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks, 400 litres
EAN no.: 3458530030047
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a cognac glass, ideally to round off a meal.
Flavour Profile
Ripe plum · Marzipan · Spice · Long finish
Did You Know?
Did you know that the recipe for La Vieille Prune has never left the Roque family? The blend of the three plum varieties is a closely guarded secret, passed down only from generation to generation, never written down and never shared outside the family.
