Jörg Geiger Blackcurrant in a Madeira Cask. Fruit brandy made from blackcurrants, aged for at least three years in a Madeira cask – 42% ABV, notes of dark berries, spicy, long finish.
Jörg Geiger Blackcurrant in a Madeira Cask is a single-varietal fruit brandy made from blackcurrants from the foothills of the Swabian Jura, distilled in Schlat and aged for at least three years in a Madeira cask, 42% ABV, 700 ml in a gift box. Not a liqueur, not a "Geist" – a brandy made from fermented fruit with cask aging.
Blackcurrant in a Madeira Cask by Jörg Geiger is a fruit brandy, i.e., a distillate made from fermented fruit. While a "Geist" involves macerating fruit in alcohol before distillation, a brandy is made by fermenting and distilling the fruit itself. Jörg Geiger requires about 50 kilograms of blackcurrants for every liter of distillate, produced via double distillation (first and second pass). Fresh from the still, the distillate is youthful and has a rather short finish. It is the time spent in wood that creates the long finish: at least three years in casks that previously held Madeira. Madeira is a wine from the Portuguese island of the same name, which matures in warmth, resulting in a concentrated flavor. The casks used had already been filled five times.
Flavor
The nose is floral and reminiscent of dark berries. The producer describes an aroma of dark berry fruit with forest berries, raspberries, licorice, and dark chocolate. This is complemented by stemmy, pomace-like accents, earthy, green-leafy, and grassy-mossy notes, nettle, menthol-mint, and delicate elderflower. The Madeira cask adds soft, sweet tones that give the blackcurrant a well-balanced spice on the finish.
On the palate, there is a pleasant fruit acidity, accompanied by medicinal-quince and iodine-petrol nuances, and a slight bitterness. The sweet notes from the cask carry the finish, while the fine bitter notes linger for a long time. Those expecting a fruity-sweet blackcurrant liqueur will find a dry, complex brandy here.
Serving Suggestions
Drink it neat, at room temperature, from a small nosing or tulip glass. Two centiliters are sufficient, and a few minutes in the glass allow the berry fruit to open up. The producer does not provide a specific food recommendation for this brandy. However, the chocolate and berry notes suggest a piece of dark chocolate, and it pairs well as a digestif after a game meal.
With 42% ABV, it is a spirit; purchase is permitted from age 18. The bottle in the gift box lasts a long time because only a small glass is poured at a time.
Our tip: Place a piece of dark chocolate with a high cocoa content next to the glass. First smell the brandy, then have a piece of chocolate, then a sip – the berry fruit becomes even more pronounced.
Origin
The blackcurrants come from the Läpple family's fields in Hattenhofen in the foothills of the Swabian Jura, grown mostly on Jurassic shale soils. The Läpples grow about six hectares of blackcurrants exclusively for the manufactory. Jörg Geiger guarantees to purchase the entire harvest every year. In years with a large harvest, this single-varietal brandy is produced. The blackcurrant is a particularly aromatic berry whose leaves are also fragrant, and exactly these green, leafy tones can be found in the distillate.
Distillation takes place at the Gasthof Lamm in Schlat, where Jörg Geiger's father already produced his distillates in the vaulted cellar. According to the producer, the heads, hearts, and tails are double-selected. For aging, the manufactory selects used wooden casks according to the character of the respective fruit; in the case of blackcurrant, this is Madeira.
For Whom
For fruit brandy drinkers looking for a fruit with cask aging, and for whisky enthusiasts who enjoy spirits from sweet wine casks. In its gift box, it is a present for people who collect spirits. The Apple Brandy in a Chestnut Cask and the Nägelesbirne (pear brandy) with dried pear aroma come from the same distillery. Side by side in the glass, the three show how differently fruit and cask can interact. You can find all brandies on our Jörg Geiger page.
The brandy is not suitable for those looking for a mild, sweet fruit liqueur – it is powerful, complex, and dry.
Blackcurrants from Hattenhofen, three years in a Madeira cask – the fruit brandy from the Swabian Jura for a small glass after a meal.
