Willm Kirsch d' Alsace Cherry Brandy Eau de vie 375ml

Maison Willm was founded in 1896 in the town of Barr, at the foot of the celebrated Kirchberg de Barr Grand Cru vineyard in Alsace. Though best known for its wines, particularly its Riesling, Willm also carries on a longstanding regional tradition of distilling brandies from the orchard fruit grown alongside its vines. Founder Emile Willm helped bring Alsatian wine to international attention, making the estate's bottlings among the first from the region exported to the United States after Prohibition ended in the early 1930s.

Kirsch d'Alsace is distilled from cherries grown in the Willm orchards near Barr, at elevations between two hundred and four hundred meters along the base of the Vosges mountains. The fruit is harvested at peak ripeness to preserve its essential character, then fermented and distilled in copper stills heated by a water bath. Depending on the fruit, Willm uses either a double distillation or single column method, always drawing only the heart of the run to capture the purest expression of the cherry. The finished eau de vie is bottled clear and unaged.

The nose is intensely aromatic, dominated by tart Alsace cherry and cherry pit with a marzipan like almond note underneath. The palate is bone dry, with no added sweetness, letting the fruit come through as pure, stony perfume rather than sugar, finishing warm and long. Kirsch d'Alsace is traditionally served at room temperature in a chilled glass after dinner, and is also the classic base for Black Forest cake or a splash into champagne for a Kirsch Royale.