Distillation

How is brandy distilled in Portugal? The principle is the same everywhere: as the liquid heats up, alcohol and aroma rise as vapor and condense back into liquid in a cooler. For Aguardente de Vinho as a spirit, the distillate must remain below 86% ABV. Only then does it retain the character of the wine rather than tasting like neutral alcohol.

Distillers separate the distillate into sections. The first part is called cabeça in Portuguese, the heads, and the last is cauda, the tails. Neither goes into the heart cut, because they taste sharp or musty. How this works for another wine brandy is shown in the encyclopedia article on Cognac and Armagnac.

Pomace brandy follows its own rules. Under EU law, the pomace itself is placed into the still, either with steam or after adding water, and the first distillation must take place in its presence. Bairrada's specifications for Bagaceira mention traditional stills and require that heads and tails be discarded. The minimum strength there is 40% ABV.

According to the specifications, the result should be a brandy low in acidity and bitterness, with herbal aromas derived from higher alcohols. It is precisely this restraint that distinguishes Bagaceira from the rougher pomace brandies known from southern Europe.

The wine brandy used for Port follows its own figures. Aguardente de Vinho Douro has a minimum of 37.5% ABV, at least 125 grams of volatile compounds, and no more than 200 grams of methanol per hectoliter of pure alcohol. For fortifying Port wine, the IVDP institute specifies 77% ABV.