Varieties of pisco
Photo: Renzo Uccelli / Promperú
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 Pure Pisco (Pisco Puro):
Finely distilled and made from a sole variety of non-aromatic grape, that includes: Quebranta, Mollar and Common Black. Pure pisco’s taste has little aromatic structure on the nose (aroma), preventing the drinker’s mouth feel from saturating or tiring. It has complex tastes in the mouth. Pure pisco is used for preparing Pisco Sour.
Green Must Pisco (Pisco Mosto Verde):
Obtained through the distillation of partially fermented fresh musts before the entire sugar content has transformed into alcohol. This requires a larger amount of grape, making it slightly more expensive. Green must pisco is subtle, elegant, fine, and has a remarkable body. Its aroma and taste structure is varied, and causes a tangible sensation in the mouth. Distilling the must with sugar residues does not mean that this pisco is sweet. Glucose is not eliminated by the still as it only evaporates alcohols. However, this small amount of sweetness in the must transmits a particular characteristic that enhances the body and the velvety mouth feel.
Blended Pisco (Pisco Acholado):
Stronger and higher alcohol volume. It is obtained from fermented fresh musts and the mix of several grape varieties and different stocks. The definition of "acholado" is similar to that of "blended", such as blended Scotch whisky, cognac or sherry. To say it more clearly, pure and aromatic piscos are considered single malts, and acholados are considered blended. They combine the aroma of aromatic pisco and the taste of pure pisco. Each producer treasures the secret measures used in its acholado, creating a complete world of varieties and flavors. Acholado pisco is used as main ingredient for preparing Pisco Sour, and is the favorite of the experts.
Aromatic Pisco (Pisco Aromático):
Prepared with aromatic pisco grapes of the Italia, Muscat, Torontel and Albilla varieties. When tasted, aromatic piscos bring a range of floral and fruit aromas to the nose, confirmed in the mouth with a complex and interesting aromatic structure, that also causes a long aftertaste. Aromatic piscos are ideal for cocktail preparation, specially when making chilcano de pisco, where the use of aromatic pisco is compulsory.
There are two types of pisco yet to be included under the technical regulations:
Aromatized Pisco (Pisco Aromatizado):
Prepared in the traditional way but aromatized, that is, the aroma of other fruits is incorporated during distillation. For this, the producer places a small basket inside the pot with the selected fruit and it hangs from the cap. The wine vapors go through the basket and extract the fruit’s aroma. Some common aromas are lemon, cherry, tangerine, among others.
Macerated Pisco (Pisco Macerado):
Obtained using pisco as a macerating agent, and fruit as the macerated ingredient. It is a very appreciated digestif that can be made at home by simply placing the selected fruit inside a wide‑mouth demijohn, adding pure pisco, and macerating for a couple of weeks.
Source: Wikipedia |
