What does pisco taste like?
Pisco tastes like a bright, floral grape brandy: clean and unaged, with fruity, sometimes perfumed aromas and a peppery bite, a bit like grappa with better manners.
Pisco
bright, floral grape brandy
Pisco is a clear brandy distilled from grape wine in Peru and Chile, which both claim it fiercely. Peruvian pisco isn't aged in wood, so it tastes of the grapes themselves. Pisco made from aromatic grapes, like Italia or Torontel, smells of flowers, citrus peel and muscat grapes. Non-aromatic styles, like Quebranta, are earthier and more rustic. Peruvian pisco is distilled to bottle strength, with no water added; Chilean rules are looser. Either way, it's bright, fresh and great with lime.
Where you’ll see it
In the pisco sour (pisco, lime, sugar, egg white and bitters), the Chilean piscola (with cola) and the chilcano (with ginger ale and lime), and sipped neat at Peruvian restaurants.
Order it if you like grappa or gin and want something fruity, floral and great in sours.
Quick questions
- Is pisco Peruvian or Chilean?
- Both countries make it and both claim it. Peruvian pisco follows stricter rules: no added water, no wood aging. Chilean pisco can be diluted and aged.
- What's the difference between pisco and grappa?
- Pisco is distilled from fermented grape wine; grappa is distilled from leftover skins and seeds. Pisco tends to be cleaner and more floral.