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This very novel eau de vie was made for the true Quince Heads at Quince Fest, but I saved a little bit for wider release. Perhaps it will turn you into a Quince Head too?
About one Rav4 load of very special aromatic fruit was turned into a delicate, ethereal fruit brandy. Pseudocydonia sinensis, or Chinese quince, is a large, extremely hard, oblong yellow fruit used in Chinese cuisine and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Many Portlanders know Chaenomeles speciosa as the flowering quince that brings some welcome color to those dreary February days. Some varieties also make tart little fruits, much smaller than Pseudocydonia but just as lively in flavor. As far as I’m aware, this is the first time these fruits have been made into an eau de vie in the United States.
Together, they make a very distinctive distillate: Fruity and floral but also waxy, with a fat midpalate and a gin-like finish with citrus and spice. It’s recognizably quince, yet clearly its own thing, simultaneously softer and more complex.
Production notes: After picking, the fruit was matured in crates and then laboriously cored and seeded (Pseudocydonia are extremely hard!) before being milled and fermented. The mash was doubled-distilled in two small copper stills, and the brandy rested in glass for nine months before being slowly reduced to 46% abv for bottling.
Packaged in 200ml bottles with a natural cork seal and a hand-printed linocut label.
Limited edition of 63 bottles.