Tasting

Apricot brandy belongs in a nosing glass or a small tulip shape that narrows toward the top and concentrates the aromas. Fill it only partway, so there's room above the liquid for the scent to gather.

Start by checking the clarity: a fruit brandy from South Tyrol should be water-white. Then smell from a few inches away, followed by closer in, so the alcohol doesn't mask the finer notes. With apricot brandy, look for ripe apricot and perhaps honey; with Zwetschgeler, ripe fruit flesh with a trace of almond; with gentian, earth, root and bitter herbs.

A brandy shows its best at slightly cool to room temperature. Served too cold, the aromas close up. Small sips, a glass of water on the side and plenty of time all matter here, and anyone who has to drive afterward should skip the tasting altogether.

When tasting several brandies in succession, start with the lightest and finish with the strongest, meaning apricot or Zwetschgeler before gentian. Between glasses, water, a piece of bread and a little time help the nose recover. The lingering finish in the mouth ultimately reveals whether the work was clean: it should be long and pleasant, never sharp or harsh.

Examples from the region include Biobrennerei Steiner in Mals, which by its own account uses only organically grown or wild-foraged fruit and distills, among others, apricot, pear and rowan berry. Brennerei Knöspele near Brixen works with fruit and grapes from the sunny slopes. Pschnickerhof in Villanders above Klausen offers a broad range, including walnut, elderflower and pomace.