The January meeting of the Bend Spirit Club was unique in that instead of tasting similar spirits from different distilleries we tasted a product range from a single distillery, Clear Creek Distilling. Founded in 1984, Steve McCarthy has dedicated his company to perfecting fruit based spirits. We sampled five different spirits from CCD called Eau de Vies.
An Eau de Vie is the un-aged fruit distillant. If an Eaux de Vie were to mature in an oak barrel it would be called a brandy. Because fruit has a low sugar content it is common among producers of fruit distillers to add sugar to increase the alcohol yield. Clear Creek adds no sugar to their distillants. They are the sole fermentation of fruits.
We first sampled the Williams Pear Eau de Vie. It has a very pleasant aroma that certainly reflects the fruit contained with in. It is very clean, bright and pleasing on the palate. It is not as sweet as one might expect from a spirit that has such a robust aroma but there is a bold finish that reflects each of the 30 pounds of pears that goes into every bottle. This is not only a delicious spirit but also a fun experience.
Four Cheers
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Our second sample was of the Blue Plum Eau de Vie. Although not as aromatic as the pear it is easy and quite pleasant to find the plum in the smell. Its smell is very inviting. The plum flavor is more difficult to discern if you are unfamiliar with the fruit. It is an exceptional spirit. It is an elegant spirit.
Four Cheers
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Next we tasted the Mirabelle Plum Eau de Vie. Less common than the blue plum, the Mirabelle is generally used in the production of jams than direct consumption. The aroma of this distillant is less indicative of the plum I am accustomed to, although, it is certainly not unpleasant. When the spirit meets the palate the flavor of plum certainly comes through. I find it interesting that I preferred the aroma of the blue plum spirit but the flavor of the mirabelle was more appealing to me.
Four and a half Cheers
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Our forth sample was a Cherry Eau de Vie. The aroma is far subtler with this distillant. The flavor is a more complex with this spirit than the other spirits we tasted. It is difficult to find the cherry flavor in this beverage. There is a slight almond flavor that is probably introduced from the stones in the mash. I didn’t care for this spirit when I first tried it, but as I write this I wonder if I just didn’t understand the complexities of this spirit.
Three Cheers
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Finally we tasted a Raspberry Eau de Vie. This has a remarkable aroma. As my nose approaches the glass I almost fear being overwhelmed with the raspberry. Don’t worry though it won’t hurt you. Although very smooth you can nearly feel the seeds dribble across your tongue. I think that this is an exceptional spirit. But if you don’t like raspberries, please don’t bother, leave your serving for me.
Five Cheers
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2 Comments
This was my first experience with Eau de Vie. There was a certain level of intimidation regarding them – what is the appeal? What is the proper way to drink them? Mixed, straight?
The nose for all of these selections was outstanding. I think the greatest appeal was enjoying the incredible aroma of each one.
They were all quite enjoyable neat though perhaps a bit strong. Mixed lightly with ginger ale, club soda (or something else I would like to try – cream soda) was fantastic.
I particularly enjoyed the surprise spirit – Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir. Neat it was complex and overpowering – mixed with tonic it was fantastic.
Great tasting!
- Lance
I would agree with Lance, the aromas were to be enjoyed as much as the drink itself. These would make lovely summertime spritzers, mixed with soda or 7up for a sweeter sip!