Review: Pisco Porton
I’ve learned more about pisco in the last 48 hours than I’ve ever wanted to know. In a nutshell, pisco is the Peruvian or Chilean take on brandy (the two countries are virtually over war over which pisco is “real”): Made by distilling wine then bottling it without aging, pisco is a white spirit that last had its heyday on these shores in the years before Prohibition.
Now pisco is attempting a comeback, and numerous brands are winding their way to the market. Pisco Portón is one of them, and it’s so new that it doesn’t even have a bottle design we can share with you yet. A “mosto verde” pisco, Portón is made using wine that is not fully fermented, which leaves a bit of sugar in the spirit and, ostensibly, a smoother, silkier body.
Pisco Portón is rougher than I’d thought it would be. At 86 proof that might be expected, but I imagined it would be balanced by the sugar content. Not so: Portón is hot and spicy, complex with a mix of wood, phenol, smoke, and then a finish that offers the sweetness that Portón promises: honey, lemon, and fresh satsuma. (Yeah, I just wrote “satsuma” in a review. Sorry.)
In today’s world of ultra-smooth spirits, the invariably funky pisco is an incredibly tough sell. That said, Portón is about as good as any I’ve tried to date.
86 proof.
B / $45 [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS]
Pisco Porton
$45
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Sounds interesting. Thanks for the last few posts of more exotic, potentially interesting spirits.
Up until a few minutes ago I had no idea there were other categories of liquor like pisco. How to get..
Hi there.
I just bought a bottle of Pisco ABA, from Chile. After moving the bottle from the shelf, I noticed flakes in the Pisco. As this is my first time buying Pisco, I am wondering if someone could tell me if that is normal!
Thanks,
Jeremy
Not normal. Take it back.
Did u even research this product. It’s the oldest distillery in the Americas. They don’t eve use electric to make this stuff. Why are you saying it’s new?
John: Old distillery does not equal old product. Even Porton’s website says “Pisco Portón, a new white spirit from Peru to make cocktails like Pisco Sour…” and the official product’s tagline is “Try something that is actually new.” (http://piscoporton.com/about) Whether they use electricity to make the spirit or not is not really germane to the review, but consider it noted.