Notes: While there are many Pomegranate flavored spirits out there (including some unspeakably horrid RTD’s ) this is the first real eau de vie (a distilled spirits made from 100% pomegranate fruit – not an a spirit with pomegranate flavoring of some sort added to it) we have heard of. Also, this eau de vie is aged for one year in oak casks. Proshayn makes a number of other distilled brandy products from various fruits (mostly grape cognac-type brandies).

First Impression: Very much pomegranatey from the get go, with a very berry and berry skin like slightly woody stemmy notes with traces of oak. Lets you immediately know this is made from the real fruit and not some chemical equivalent of extracts. Slight savory and mineral notes around the edges with a nice tang of tannic acids.

Appearance: Very clear, pristine in appearance. On swirling, leaves a oily even coat on the glass with long legs developing.

Taste: Smooth oily entry with touch of sweetness, then a little tartness and a pleasant warm of the front part of the tongue and a little on the sides (kind of peppery). Finish is long, slightly astringent but pleasant.

Drinks: Note sure of any specific cocktails for it but it seems like there would be some good possibilities here. The painfully obvious possibility was of course high-octane Cosmopolitans or anything calling for a pomegranate juice. A less obvious but more fruitful (no pun intended) idea was to use it like a Maraschino Liqueur such as in an Aviation but it is drier so you have to add something to sweeten it a bit. Worked nicely also as a substitute for dry vermouth in some cases.

Bottle: Clear glass brandy bottle very reminiscent of a Slivovitz bottle- flattened round glass shape with medium length neck topped with decorative stopper. Medium to heavy flat glass foot helps balance bottle. Paper label is a touch confusing as it refers to the contents as a vodka (a much easier concept for most consumers even if it is wrong). Twist off cap (looks like a pull tab but those are anti tamper tabs) and a plastic anti refill pour device (as soon as the cap is off you can pour – don’t need to remove anything else).

Final Thoughts: Actually a remarkably versatile ingredient for mixologists to play with. Also pomegranate is such a popular, in, health thing, now it would be any cocktail made with it would be popular with the public. Good price,very mixable and unique – a winning combination in my mind.

Website: http://www.aikoimporters.com

Nice pictures, some information.