Capreolus Quince Eau de Vie (375ml)
Quince Eau de Vie
It is hard for Capreolus to overstate their excitement at working with this incredible fruit. With each small arrival of local quinces, the distillery is immediately filled with the most heavenly scent one can imagine. It is, however, an extremely difficult fruit to work with.
The fine fuzz that covers these hand picked fruit contains an essential oil that turns rancid after distillation. Washing by hand removes every trace of this fuzz. Dry and tannic, quince needs expert preparation for a slow and successful fermentation that preserves its wild aromas. This takes over a month, and rushing would mean a loss of precious aroma. Following this is a gentle triple distillation. With 55 pounds of fruit used to make each liter, the result is extraordinary.
On the nose there is honey, rosewater, lemon zest and peach – it's very floral with a beautiful, sumptuous perfume. This is pure quince fruit, very different from the quince paste one might find on a cheese board. On the palate there are fresh apples and pears, white pepper, more and more citrus zest. It is sweet, sour, juicy, and drying.
Capreolus Distillery
Barney Wilczak is on a mission to make the finest eaux-de-vie on earth, with zero compromises. It's safe to say that this is a mission accomplished – Capreolus Distillery produces spirits of astonishingly high quality that reflect the painstaking processes behind each bottle. Wilczak preserves his local English landscape through exclusively wild fermentation, meticulous distillation, and thoughtful sourcing of fruit.
Eschewing shortcuts to prioritize quality as the sole focus, the various eaux-de-vie from Capreolus require up to 100 pounds of fruit to produce a single liter of spirit. Every piece of fruit is picked at peak ripeness then graded and cleaned by hand before fermentation and distillation. Capreolus works with a plethora of local fruit including mulberry, apple, comice pear, damson plum, quince, blackcurrant, gooseberry, and more.
