PR Apricot with Brandy Liqueur Essence 20 ml

PR Apricot with Brandy Liqueur Essence 20 ml

In most fruit liqueurs the spirit plays second fiddle. Here it is a meeting of equals: the apricot brings the sunshine and the sweetness, the brandy the warmth and the gravity. The result is a liqueur with a grown-up air – less sweet shop, more armchair and crackling fire – that tastes as though someone had left sun-ripened apricots to steep in a glass of good grape brandy.

Apricot with Brandy is the liqueur for anyone who usually finds fruit liqueurs a little too well behaved. The brandy note gives backbone and length, and the discreet almond bitterness of the apricot kernel keeps the sweetness in check. It is every bit as good in a small glass after dinner as it is in a stirred drink where each ingredient has to pull its own weight.

Colour & Appearance

Once mixed, the liqueur takes on a deep golden orange that leans towards amber, rather like dried apricots held up to the light. The sugar gives it a lightly syrupy texture that leaves slow curtains on the inside of the glass.

Nose

The nose opens with ripe, almost oven-baked apricot and a warm grapiness that gives the brandy away at once. Just beneath lie apricot kernel and bitter almond, vanilla pod and a suggestion of toasted oak and raisins. Taken together it smells more of the dessert table than of the fruit bowl.

Palate

The palate starts out fruity and sweet, with apricot in concentrated form – think dried apricot rather than fresh – but within a second or so the brandy spreads out with grapey warmth, vanilla and a little caramel. In the middle comes the almond note of the kernel, dry and elegant, giving the liqueur an almost marzipan-like depth. The sweetness is plain to taste, yet it is balanced by a lightly toasted, spicy note that makes every sip feel considered. The mouthfeel is smooth and full without ever turning sticky.

Finish

The finish is long and warming. The apricot fades slowly while brandy, vanilla and almond stay on the tongue, with a last dry hint of oak that invites the next sip.

How to Use

The essence is mixed with vodka or neutral spirit and sugar. 20 ml makes 750 ml of finished liqueur. Instructions are on the label.

Serving Suggestions

• As a digestif in a small glass with coffee, at room temperature.
• Over one large ice cube with a strip of lemon peel.
• In a stirred drink with dark rum or whisky and a dash of bitters.
• Drizzled over almond cake, vanilla ice cream or oven-baked apricots.
• A splash in dry sparkling wine as a festive aperitif.

About the Essence

Apricot with Brandy belongs to the PR (Prestige) series and is the more brandy-driven of our two apricot liqueurs – choose it when you want warmth, almond and depth rather than pure fruit sweetness. It suits the home bartender just as well as the person who prefers to drink a liqueur exactly as it comes.

In the kitchen it is a real asset: a few tablespoons lift fruit salads, cake fillings and sauces for duck or pork. The essence is also available in 25 litres for those who produce on a large scale.