PISCO IS AN INSEPARABLE PART OF THE PERUVIAN CULTURE
Peruvian Pisco is the elixir of life for Peruvians. They are very proud of their national drink and like to enjoy it in a Peruvian Pisco Sour.
In honor of the Peruvian Pisco as well as the Peruvian Pisco Sour, ministry resolutions were issued on official Pisco commemoration days, which are always a reason for exuberant celebrations - of course with lots of Peruvian Pisco. The day of the Pisco "Día del pisco" is celebrated in Peru on the fourth Sunday in July, on the first Saturday in February the day of the (Peruvian) Pisco Sours "Día del pisco sour".
THE PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT STRICTLY MONITORS THE QUALITY OF PERUVIAN PISCO
As early as 1991, Peru issued a "Supreme Decree", which in particular prescribes quality-relevant aspects of the production of Peruvian pisco in the form of a technical standard. This defined a kind of "Pisco Purity Law" for Peruvian Pisco.
PERUVIAN PISCO MAY ONLY BE PRODUCED ACCORDING TO TRADITIONAL METHODS
In 2006, this technical standard, which all pisco produced in Peru must comply with, was last updated. The regulation clarifies that Peruvian Pisco is the distillate of the recently fermented fresh must of the Pisco grapes. Thus, contrary to popular belief, Peruvian pisco is not a pomace! Likewise, the technical standard stipulates that Peruvian Pisco must be produced using methods that follow the traditional principles of high quality production. Very illustrative are the sketches of the permitted Distillation arrangements for Peruvian pisco at the end of the standard (page 16).
PERUVIAN PISCO IS DIVIDED INTO THREE VARIETIES
The following three Peruvian Pisco varieties are officially classified into:
- PISCO PURO – a Peruvian Pisco which is made just from one kind of grapes. Example: Barsol Pisco – Quebranta
- PISCO ACHOLADO – a blend from different grape varieties, made before or after the distillation. Example: Barsol Pisco – Acholado
- PISCO MOSTO VERDE – a Peruvian Pisco made from must whose fermentation has not been carried out to the end. Some residual sweetness remains in the must. Example: Barsol Pisco – Mosto Verde Italia
PISCO PURO
Pisco Puro – a Peruvian Pisco which is made just from one kind of grapes. Example: Barsol Pisco – Quebranta
PISCO ACHOLADO
Pisco Acholado – a blend from different grape varieties, made before or after the distillation. Example: Barsol Pisco – Acholado
PISCO MOSTO VERDE
Pisco Mosto Verde – a Peruvian Pisco made from must whose fermentation has not been carried out to the end. Some residual sweetness remains in the must. Example: Barsol Pisco – Mosto Verde Italia
PERUVIAN PISCO MAY BE MADE FROM EIGHT DIFFERENT GRAPE VARIETIES
In Peru, the grapes allowed to produce Peruvian Pisco are clearly defined. This is to ensure that the taste of Peruvian Pisco is comparable and the quality is maintained. The approved grape varieties are, distinguished into non-aromatic and aromatic Pisco grapes:
Italia, Moscatel, Torontel, Albilla
Quebranta, Negra Criolla, Mollar, Uvina
The grapes are pressed and the fresh must is fermented. Distillation has to start immediately afterwards.
The piscos distilled from the "non-aromatic" grapes also have a fresh fruity grape aroma. In the case of aromatic grapes, this aroma is even stronger (e.g. Italia) or the taste is characterized by the particular aroma of a grape variety (e.g. Torontel).
PERUVIAN PISCO IS DISTILLED IN TRADITIONAL POT-STILLS
The law prescribes for Peruvian Pisco proven methods of distillation of high quality spirits. Peruvian pisco may only be distilled directly and discontinuously. The pre-distillation and post-distillation must be separated and only the heart of the distilled Peruvian Pisco may be used. The stills for the distillation of Peruvian Pisco must be made of copper or tin.
PERUVIAN PISCO FOLLOWS A STRICT PURITY LAW
Peruvian Pisco has to rest for a minimum of three months after the distillation. In order to maintain the original flavor of the high quality Pisco grapes, only tasteless containers should be used for storing Peruvian Pisco, such as steel tanks or glass kettles.
The addition of any other substances is explicitly prohibited in Peruvian Pisco. Thus, with Peruvian Pisco there is no possibility to manipulate the taste of the finished distilled Pisco afterwards, such as by adding sugar. Therefore, the quality of the selected Peruvian Pisco grapes as well as the experience of the bodega in the production of Peruvian Pisco directly affects the taste of the bottled Pisco.
Since no water may be added, Peruvian Pisco is bottled at cask strength. The alcohol content of a Peruvian Pisco must be between 38% and 48% by volume. The exact resulting alcohol content can vary over the years, as many things (sugar content of the grapes, temperature, air pressure, ...) can have an influence on the alcohol content.
More information regarding the production of Peruvian Pisco can be found for example in the blog of Trinklaune. For those who would like to study the subject of Peruvian Pisco in detail, the book by Roland Barics about Peruvian Pisco: „Pisco Drinks & Cocktails“. In addition to background knowledge about Peruvian Pisco, this book contains many classic and new recipes with Peruvian Pisco to remix.
PISCO BARSOL IS AN EXCELLENT PERUVIAN PISCO
To sum up, Peruvian Pisco is a grape brandy, where very special emphasis is placed on preserving the authentic taste of the grape.
The Peruvian Pisco "Pisco BARSOL" impresses with its particularly high quality standards, which are based on the use of the best Peruvian grapes from the Ica Valley and the many years of experience of Bodega San Isidro in the production of Pisco.
The translation of this claim into a spirit of outstanding quality has been confirmed by the highest international awards for Pisco BARSOL.
