Hans Reisetbauer Apricot Eau de Vie

Apricots won't grow properly in Axberg — the climate is too rainy — so Hans Reisetbauer has them grown for him by his best friend, Bernhard Ott, one of Austria's most acclaimed winemakers, on biodynamic land in Wagram, Lower Austria, where the soil and climate are ideal. The varieties are Klosterneuburger and Ungarische Beste (Hungarian Best), the classic apricots of the Wachau tradition, and the harvest is where the obsession shows: starting in July, each tree is picked six separate times over a month and a half, so that only fruit at peak ripeness ever reaches the mash. The apricots are pitted immediately and fermented eight to ten days at a held 19°C, then double distilled in a Christian Carl copper pot still keeping only the heart, and rested a minimum of three years in stainless steel before bottling at 42% ABV. It takes roughly 16 kilograms — over 25 pounds — of apricots for every liter. The result solves a real problem: finding the perfect apricot in a bunch is a gamble, and this is that perfect apricot every time, without oxidation. Expect an intense, fresh, almost tropical nose of ripe stone fruit with white pepper, opening into a soft, creamy palate of warming ripe apricot, jasmine tea, and nutmeg, with racy liveliness and a long finish. The apricot connoisseurs at Augustine Bar call it a personal favorite among all of Hans's spirits. Serve it lightly chilled.

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