Rochelt Wachauer Marille

It's challenging to find many eau-de-vie selections locally, leading me to search online. While I've found excellent options from certain producers, one stands out as potentially the finest I've encountered. Many bottles are not listed, and the cost is significant. You can sometimes find a set of four small bottles featuring this spirit along with Gravenstein apple, quince, and cherry variations, though acquiring them isn't straightforward. This particular spirit might be the best eau-de-vie I've ever tried, and despite having other unopened bottles, I find it hard to imagine any surpassing it. The scent is quite tropical, yet the pure fruit essence, akin to apricot jam, shines through. The texture is oily on the palate, with hints of vanilla and ripe apricot. The finish has a slight menthol quality, and despite being 100 proof, it has almost no heat. The apricot notes linger on the tongue for a considerable time. If you appreciate apricot or enjoy apricot brandy, this spirit is highly recommended. It will demonstrate how exceptional a truly great eau-de-vie can be. I have other spirits from respected producers to sample, but it's difficult to conceive of any being as superb as this. The 2016 vintage was the one I sampled. All of this producer's eau-de-vie undergoes nearly a decade of aging in demijohns, with some aging even longer, and all are bottled at 100 proof or higher. I also tried the 2013 Gravenstein vintage, which was very good, and the 2006 Quince, which was excellent (though I'm not a big quince enthusiast, so others might rate it even higher). I have yet to taste an eau-de-vie from this producer that isn't amazing, but this one is truly among the greatest spirits available, and it's the first perfect score I've ever awarded.