The name Scharlachberg comes from a vineyard site in Bingen-Büdesheim, but for over a hundred years it has stood for something quite different from wine – a brandy style that insisted on taking the time it needed, whatever the law demanded.
Expert's Description
Scharlachberg Meisterbrand is a German Brandy distilled by Weinbrennerei Scharlachberg, bottled at 38%.
The house was founded in 1898 by Friedrich Wilhelm Petzsch as a cognac distillery and moved to Bingen on the Rhine in 1911. After the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the name had to change to Weinbrennerei Scharlachberg, taken from the Scharlachberg vineyard site itself in Rheinhessen – and in 1920 Meisterbrand reached the market for the first time as a domestic answer to expensive French imports.
Scharlachberg guarantees that only high-quality wines are used for distillation, where the core is drawn off through a careful, high-purity process. Ageing takes place in oak casks for longer than German law requires for the category, giving the spirit time to gather the golden colour and soft vanilla tones the house is known for.
The style behind this bottling dates back to the 1970s, when Scharlachberg had already established itself as one of the most solid names in German Weinbrand.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Toasted oak and vanilla, with a lightly spiced sweetness and a hint of dried grapes.
Palate
Soft and round, with warm wood tones carried by a discreet sweetness rather than sharpness.
Finish
Medium length, drying toward the end, with a last hint of spice.
Specifications
Name: Scharlachberg Meisterbrand
Distillery: Scharlachberg
Country: Germany
Type: German Brandy
ABV: 38%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: German oak
EAN no.: 4006296200106
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a brandy glass, ideally as a digestif
Flavour Profile
Toasted oak · Vanilla · Spice · Dried grapes
Did You Know?
Scharlachberg started out as a cognac distillery, but had to change its name and terminology when the Treaty of Versailles banned German producers from using the word cognac in 1919 – a history the house shares with several other German brandy houses from the same period.
