Clear Creek Reserve Apple Brandy

The Bottle: This is one of the few Clear Creek bottles that differs from their usual white label, likely to highlight the age statement it carries. It's housed in nice dark green glass with a parchment-style label that provides a good amount of detail. It's pleasant enough, but it won't particularly stand out on your shelf. The good news is that, unlike some other bottles from this distiller, it fits well on shelves with limited height. In the Glass: Straw color. On the Nose: Now we're getting somewhere. I poured myself a glass of this a few minutes ago, and I can smell it from five feet away. Distinct notes of apple and oak. If you've ever visited a winery or distillery where you could walk through the aging warehouse, this has some of those same "wood" characteristics. It might be one of the most "autumnal" drinks I've encountered. Taste: Smooth, with an apple arrival, followed by a development dominated by oak and wood spice (reminiscent of Lark's single malt, if I'm being honest). The fruit here resembles a pink/red variety...not Granny Smith. The finish is tannic/bitter, but you really don't want a lot of sweetness in a brandy like this...it would be too much. It's as if they captured the essence of an apple without the sugar. If you allow a few minutes between sips, the lingering flavor on your palate is purely apple skin. Many producers of this style prefer to age for 3 years or less (Clear Creek even does this with another apple brandy offering), but I believe the extended aging has benefited this one significantly. The worry is always that the oak will overwhelm the delicate nature of the apple, but that doesn't seem to happen with this expression. You certainly detect the oak during the development, more so than in a single malt; however, it doesn't mask the craftsmanship of the underlying spirit. This is definitely meant for sipping; mixing it into a cocktail would diminish much of its complexity.

Best enjoyed in specific situations, but overall a fantastic partner for mixed drinks.