Tasting

What does Wachau apricot brandy taste like? Of ripe apricot, but not of jam: dry, with a fine spiciness, plus a hint of almond from the kernel. The impression is soft and round, lingering for a while in the finish.

A nosing glass or a small tulip glass brings the aroma together, while a wide tumbler lets it escape. Pour just a little—a finger's width is enough—and the ideal temperature is room temperature, or at most lightly chilled. Smell it first, then take a small sip and wait to see what happens in the mouth.

Good examples include the apricot brandies from Domäne Wachau, whose own brandy is described by the producer as fruity and mild, and from the Bailoni distillery in Krems. Alongside these, many small winegrowing and fruit-farming estates in Dürnstein, Spitz and Weißenkirchen bottle their own brandies, each differing in richness from house to house.

Anyone tasting the brandy and the liqueur side by side notices the differences immediately. Wachau apricot liqueur is sweet, syrupy and noticeably less sharp, while the brandy is dry and precise. One sits in the glass like a dessert, the other like a scent.

With Wachau brandy, the picture changes entirely: it's amber-colored, smells of oak, dried fruit and spice, and needs more time in the glass. This is especially true of the long-aged bottlings from Domäne Wachau. For both, the same rule applies as for all brandies: a little, slowly, with water on the side.