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Pisco Tasting

by Hans Hilburg


Pisco tasting has, of late, become a very detailed issue. I remember when Pisco was drunk from “pisqueritos” or “mulitas”, which was something like “shot” glasses back then.

The producer that would offer us some Pisco would say: drink it and chew it. That was because, really, the idea was that what one had to do when drinking Pisco, was completely feel the grape on the palate, gums and throat, as if we were really chewing the fruit.

Up until a few years ago, Pisco tasting, basically, was done only with our taste buds. However, in the last five years or so, Pisco tasting has been turned into something much more detailed. This arising from the Pisco “Boom”.


Peruvians have now begun to give Pisco the place it truly deserves. They have begun to value it, love it, respect it and also defend it. We completely identify with Pisco, and that has also taken us, by default, to try to get to know it better. Therefore one of the ways to get to know it better and more intensely is through a tasting. In this way we will, like in tasting of wines and other spirits, use our senses of sight, smell and taste.

There are many ways to conduct a tasting. There is the tasting carried out at national and regional competitions, which are definitely, much more technical. There are also Cellar or Parlor tastings, where an oenologist and professional tasters, evaluate the characteristics of a particular Pisco. And finally, the aficionado tastings, which are truly the most fun, where simple folks like us get to have a say.

This last method, the simplest and most basic method, is what we will detail:

Looking at it: What we want to see in the glass is a spirit that is transparent, brilliant and clean.

Smelling it: Despite being a spirit with high alcohol content, the first sensation should be of smoothness and harmony, followed by aromas of the grape itself, as well as citric traces, like lemon or lime.

Tasting it: It should be smooth and delicious. It should not burn nor should it have an alcoholic aggressiveness that overwhelms, despite it high alcohol contents which vary between 38ª and 46ª.

The “copita pisquera” (Pisco glass), should be used to taste Pisco. It is very similar to the one used for Grappa; in a pinch one can use a small Cognac snifter.






Add a comment :
3 comments

Alberto Iglesias Farji says :
8-08-07,11:16:21


Gracias y Felicitacioes por los excelentes articulos sobre el pisco.

Hans Hilburg Vivar says :
10-08-07,03:01:42

Gracias a tì por el comentario Alberto.

Hans

Carlos caceres Beraun says :
24-05-08,04:07:41

Hermano que bien, tiempo que no sabemos como estas:
estas llevando el Pisco a nuevas fronteras,
Estoy llendo a Lima en Septiembre, ojala que podamos conectar.

Carlos Caceres Beraun
406 Main St
White Plains,  NY  10601

Tel # 1-914-9979497
cel # 1-914-3931945

merittans@aol.com
caceres_beraun@hot mail.com




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