Grappa

[Luna56]

Having some really fantastic grappa right now. It's called Grappa di Brunello di Montalcino, from Castiglion del Bosco. Seriously wonderful stuff.

Grappa is something of an acquired taste, as it can be very harsh sometimes. This is round and beautiful, even at 90 proof. It reminds me a lot of the white dog I tasted on a Four Roses distillery tour awhile back. Obviously vastly different in the origins of the spirits, but, in both the grappa and the white dog, one can taste as much of the fermentation as the distillation, if you know what I mean.

Any grappa fans out there?

Cheers!

[Dr. François]

I really enjoyed the grappa produced by the Clear Creek Distillery in Portland, OR.

http://clearcreekdistillery.com/grappas.html

I had the Moscato grappa. My friend and I described it as tasting like a field of flowers. That, and booze.

[Luna56]

Sorry to revive such an old thread, but I'm heading back to Italy on Saturday and I'm definitely bringing back some of the Grappa di Brunello di Montalcino I mentioned before.

Too bad grappa is such an unknown here, I bet some of the more adventurous diehards would dig it. Finding the gateway grappa is the key. This stuff is it!

I'll be spending my birthday in Italy this year and I can't think of a better place to be; great friends over there, incredible food and surroundings... mighty good indeed.

Cheers, and, Ciao!

[Josh]

Sorry to revive such an old thread, but I'm heading back to Italy on Saturday and I'm definitely bringing back some of the Grappa di Brunello di Montalcino I mentioned before.

Too bad grappa is such an unknown here, I bet some of the more adventurous diehards would dig it. Finding the gateway grappa is the key. This stuff is it!

I'll be spending my birthday in Italy this year and I can't think of a better place to be; great friends over there, incredible food and surroundings... mighty good indeed.

Cheers, and, Ciao!

[DeanSheen]

My friend is in the wine import business. There is this one grappa that I really like, I have an unopend bottle of it on my counter now.

I can see the similarities to white dog but it's an entireley different flavor. I love to drink it with a beer chaser. I get anise and white pepper in the one I drink but I like that its not sweet.

It's funny how some people take to it and others think it's vile. I think I've had more takers than passers though I usually dont share much with this stuff.

Have fun in da boot.

[smokinjoe]

I dig on Grappa. I only drink it seldomly, but some are quite good.

Enjoy your trip, Luna. I love the USA, but Italy is the one country I might be tempted to move to, if given the right opportunity. My wife and I spent a couple of weeks travelling through Italy several years ago. Many wonderful sites, and even more wonderful people. Although, Rome was not my favorite place we visited, I can still remember coming out of the underground subway across the street from the Colosseum, and my knees literally buckling when I viewed it. I was awestruck.

I'll pick up a bottle of grappa today, and toast your trip. Travel safely.

[BourbonJoe]

Grappa make you loco.

Joe :usflag:

[Josh]

Grappa make you loco.

Joe :usflag:

Exactly. That's why I like it.

[Jono]

My only experience was a random purchase...I forget the brand (it was Italian)...but I found it pretty undrinkable...I ended up pouring it out.

[marco246]

Luna,

While you're in Italy, try Cynar. (Pronounced CHEE-nar). It is made from artichokes, and is taken following a meal as a "digestivo". Tastes sort of like Jaegermeister, except smoother.

Cheers,

Mark

[Luna56]

Thanks for the tip. I think I may have had Cynar years ago, but I'll look for it again. i've had a wide variety of Italian spirits and am impressed by the diversity and drinkability of nearly all of them.

Grappa is a deep subject and there is a nearly infinite number of grappas to choose one. In my opinion it's easy to go wrong; grappa under the best conditions can be a bit daunting. I've had the benefit of the wisdom of some true grappa aficionados and have tasted some truly amazing stuff.

I'm bringing a bottle of Baby Saz and FR1B as gifts that will hopefully impress.

I'm off in the morning, still packing here. Almost looking forward to some Woodford reserve on the plane.

Hopefully I'll be able to check in here from time to time, but it's a very busy trip.

See you all in June, stay well.

Ciao and Cheers!

[Luna56]

Back from Italy with a couple of really fine grappas, a ton of parmigiano and lots of truly amazing olive oil.

I tried Cynar while I was there; horrible! A digestivo, so I guess it's supposed to taste like that. Not as rough as Fernet Branca, but it's in the same league.

Cheers!

[Bourbon Geek]

All you grappa fans out there should do some white dog tasting and see if it doesn't seem like the same family.

I believe at Maker's Mark, the end of tour tasting includes a taste of the white dog for comparison.

I always thought it would be fun for the bourbon distilleries to release some of their white dog in a class similar to grappa. ... although some taste more earthy while some taste much more floral.

[Luna56]

All you grappa fans out there should do some white dog tasting and see if it doesn't seem like the same family.

I've made this observation myself, there are some striking similarities, but it really depends on the grappa. The really high end grappas are a lot closer to white dog than the low end ones, which can be harsh and just plain weird. I love 'em all, though.

Cheers!

[cowdery]

There is a similarity to all green spirits. Grappa, being made from the pomace, has an almost herbal flavor. Presumably one thing that is coming from the stems is tannic acid, so it gets a woody flavor without aging. Bourbon white dog is actually a cleaner spirit than most grappa I've tasted, though I can't say I've made a study of the stuff. I like green spirit, whether it's bourbon white dog, grappa, brandy, corn whiskey, white tequila, white rum, or what have you, but a little goes a long way. If I had a bottle of Maker's Mark white dog and a bottle of regular Maker's Mark, I'm sure I'd grab the aged product nine times out of ten, at least.