Hommage to PM Spirits
12/19/2024
Most people who foray into the world of alcohol generally stay in separate silos: namely the world of spirits and wine mixing like oil and water, with many truly passionate experts staying on opposite sides of the fence. This mentality makes sense and seems almost natural, with wine being built on an agricultural backbone, something very much alive and ever changing, spirits seem like recipes largely built by massive conglomerates and the most storied and sought out products being gate kept by hoops to jump through to gain access to allocations. However, amongst the sea of differences, PM Spirits has been able to curate a portfolio of products that speaks to the agricultural mentality and transparency which many of us wine lovers gravitate towards.
Focused on spirits with varietal individuality and terroir, PM has risen above other importers in finding spirits from small producers and farmers who make standalone examples of spirits which organically tell the stories of where they are from and the love and effort that goes into the bottle. Much like Kermit Lynch, Becky Wasserman, or Louis/Dressner; PM spirits has championed the small farmer, the passionate people dedicated to perfecting their craft. Much like when I see the Dressner logo on the back of the bottle, the PM Spirits emblem invokes the same confidence in the quality of what lies within the bottle. As the temperature starts to drop, and as you gather with loved ones for the holiday season, I implore you to explore the lesser known spirits, crafted by passionate individuals who are uncompromising about the quality and transparency of what their legacy is being built on. We are unable to ship spirits outside of NY state, however if you are in another state I highly recommend seeking these incredible spirits out in your local market.
-Chase Fowler
Cognac seems to me to be the spirit shrouded in misconceptions for Americans. Associations of sweetness and lack of complexity generally impede people from venturing into the category. Over the years I have been slowly converting the people into the category using the beautiful Cognacs made by Jacky Navarre. A fourth generation distiller working exclusively in Grand Champagne, Jacky Navarre truly embodies the ethos of product that PM is representing: hand harvesting from his vineyards, then distilling via copper pot still and aging his spirits in oak for 35-50 years for the Vielle Reserve and 50+ for the Souvenir Imperial. He doesn’t filter his Cognacs whatsoever, and they are never diluted; instead the spirit is left to proof down naturally, resulting in a depth of character and complexity unlike any brandy I have ever had. Complex and comforting, these Cognacs are truly revelatory and are a far cry from anything I have every tasted in the category.
Cobrafire
In a step in nearly the opposite direction from the traditional and reverent style of Navarre, there is the Cobrafire project from Armagnac. A collaboration between Nicholas Palazzi of PM Spirits and Claire de Montesquiou of Domaine d’Espérance, Cobrafire’s inaugural vintage was in 2016. The heart and soul of the project is a passion for Armagnac with a desire to move it into the modern market and into the hands of people who might never think to even try Armagnac. They started with a Blanche Armagnac as their first product, declassified it to an eau de vie de raisin, avoiding the long winded explanation of the category Blanche Armagnac as a whole. The separation of category makes sense when you taste the resulting product, undiluted at around 60% abv and full of aromatic complexity which folds fruit and vegetal character into an unparalleled product. A few years later, they came out with the Cobrafire Evil Force, which is the same juice this time aged for 6-20 years once again bottled at full proof. This is much more recognizable as a full strength Armagnac (though still classified as eau de vie de raisin), while retaining the unique character so apparent in the unoaked product. The change of category from Armagnac to eau de vie de raisin makes sense here when tasting the spirits; there is still the old spirit of Armagnac very much alive in these, but presented and prepared in a way that appeals to the more adventurous drinker looking for somewhat new to sink their teeth into.
Calvados is a category held near to my heart. Once the chill of autumn comes, a bottle of Calvados always lives on my bar cart until spring comes around. Roger Groult’s Calvados are the most common residents: they balance between wild ester character and richnessin each cuvée. Started in 1860, the Groult family farms 27 hectares containing over 30 varietals of apples that make up their Calvados. They harvest about 600 tons of apples per season, sort them, then ferment on the fine lees before being double distill the fermented juice in a copper pot still over a wood fire - with the same methods used in 1860. Aging varies for the intended final product, but they have over 400 casks, ranging from 100L-13,000L, all of old french oak. We normally have the 3 year in store, but we are offering the 12 year as well as a very special 15 year sherry cask. The 12 year is deep but retains a lovely freshness and fruit character that truly represents the heart of the Groult’s care for their spirits. The 15 year is aged 10 year in used french oak before finishing its aging for the last 5 years in Oloroso sherry casks, bringing a unique richness that I really fell in love with. Production is limited for the 15 year, making it a truly special offer.
Once again, we visit a modern representation of a classic spirit with Cyril Zangs’ remarkable 00 (double zero) apple brandy. Cyril Zangs is most well known as an incredible cider producer; he teamed up with none other than Roger Groult to create a unique distillate of his cider. He farms over 20 varietals of apples, which are hand sorted before and then cellared to concentrate sweetness. The apples are then gently pressed, and then slowly fermented before being aged on the lees for an additional 10 months. Finally, the product is double-distilled and proofed to 50% abv. The resulting spirit is unlike any eau de vie; a captivating mixture of true apple character with an almost Mezcal-like vegetal and fruit complexity. If you are hesitant to try brandy as a whole but enjoy agave distillate, this is an absolute must-try.
Founded in 1888, Bordiga is an Italian based distillery producing some of my favorite vermouths and a truly wonderful gin (as well as many other exceptional products). Located at the foothills of the alps, they hand-forage their botanicals for their vermouths and spirits, believing this is an integral backbone to the purity and quality of their products. Their sweet vermouth is made with Nebbiolo and Moscato Secco from Piedmont, and the extra dry is made from Moscato Secco, Trebbiano and Cortese. Both excel in elevating the cocktails they are in, but truly shine simply on the rocks with a lemon peel. The gin, Occitan, named after the valley the distillery is located in, is a Juniper-forward dry gin, perfect for classic cocktails and is a staple for any bar.
Mahon
Hailing from Menorca, one of Spain’s Mediterranean Balearic Islands, Mahon Gin is one of the two geographically designated gins in the world.Starting with a base of Xare-lo and Parellada, the secret to this gin lies in the juniper, which is aged for 2 years to concentrate the flavor and complexity of the gin. Mahon is distilled only once, by lambic stills to 50% then proofed to 40%. The resulting gin is very bright and juniper forward - perfect in classic cocktails (like a dry martini) or on its own.
New England may not be the first place which comes to mind when you think of rum, however some of the best (if not the best) domestically made small batch rums are being made by Privateer rum in New England. While they are not growing the sugar cane for molasses themselves, which is a molasses sourced from a single-origin site in Guatemala, the true craft in Privateer is in their fermentation process. While most rum fermentation takes place in the tropics, where the warm 90-100 degree temperature speeds up fermentation to complete in 24 hours or less, Privateer prefers to ferment around 74 degrees, slowing down that process to a shocking 6 days. While the sugars’ conversion to alcohol may be done around the second or third day, the extra time with yeast creates further complexity of flavor for the rum, much like lees aging with wine. Then they double distill this fermented ‘wash’, first in pot still and then in column still, before proofing down or going into barrel. The resulting spirit is completely dry, with a wild bouquet of tropical fruits and mineral funk. The Bottle in Bond American Rum is a 4 year aged rum, coming in at 100 proof and aged for 4 years in new charred oak. The “Fresh to Death” single cask is an exciting barrel pick from PM Spirits which has been aged 4 years, 6 months in used oak and comes in around 108 proof. These rums have no coloring added, no artificial flavorings, and no dosage. It is a true expression of what rum should taste like, and is tasty and complex enough to convert the most skeptical drinker.
Finding a truly great Bourbon that is new to the market often feels like an impossible task. Most blenders seem to struggle and most distillers seem to miss the mark next to big producers like Four Roses, Buffalo Trace, or Old Forester. EJ Curley is a new project with the richness and sophistication of established producers. Master Blender Ashley Barnes is at the helm, and while every detail of the sourced Bourbons is kept secret, I can tell you this small bourbon punches far above its weight in rich character compared to any newcomer bourbon I have tasted in over 8 years.
Yuza
Founded on the principle of perfection, Yuza was founded in 2018 as the first distillery in Yamagata prefecture, Japan. The approach here emphasizes meticulous attention to detail: the founders tested 10 different water sources before deciding where to construct the distillery. The First Edition Single Malt is a 3 year single malt whiskey aged in bourbon barrels with the backbone of character which speaks to any single malt lover, but also with a delicate nuance that also can appeal to those who are new to single malt whiskeys. At a hefty 61% abv, I definitely recommend a little dilution to bring out this whiskey’s explosive bouquet.
A collaboration between PM and Jose Luis Gutierrez, these 2 offerings from PM have quickly become my go-to tequila. With most tequila, the concern is ripeness of the agave: most producers, concerned with reducing production time and costs, rush the growing process and harvest the agave before the sugars can develop properly. This tequila is made from agave 6 years old, harvested at 35 brix, which is roasted for 40 hours before being double distilled in copper pot stills. It is released in an 80 proof and a 110 proof still strength offering which I think truly shines in all tequila mixed drinks and is the one I reach for most frequently
NETA
Translating to “Truth”, or more aptly “The Real Deal”, NETA is the project that drove my interest in the PM porfolio. NETA is an agave distillate project working with over 20 small families producing single lot, single harvest agave spirits in Miahuatlán, Oaxaca. Their spirits honestly represent the terroir and character of the agave and land. Much like many winemakers who decide to declassify from the AOP due to the taxes and restrictive laws, NETA’s products are all classified as ‘Agave Spirits’, not because the quality isn’t there, but because the word ‘Mezcal’ is one owned and controlled by the Mexican Government. In the words of NETA’s cofounders:
“… There is nothing monolithic about these communities nor their craft. The rich diversity of peoples, languages, traditions, lands, agaves, techniques, and tools is what makes mezcal understood as a biocultural product so incredibly special and unique. In creating the world’s largest denomination of origin, the perhaps well-intentioned efforts to safeguard these legacies and the quality of the spirit, have resulted in the consolidation of resources, money, and access to information and infrastructure that has aided and abetted in the homogenization of everything that the private regulatory body supposedly seeks to protect”
One of the most captivating aspects of wine is its ability to portray the essence of varietal, terroir, and character of the farmer and winemaker. These same characteristics that draw me towards wine are also abundant in the character of agave spirits (and mezcal). NETA is a project that does one of the best jobs in communicating the agricultural heart of these spirits and focuses on products representing the varietal of agave, soil and place they were grown, and character of the people who are farming and producing the Agave Spirit. The Espadin Capon is fermented for 10 days, roasted with mesquite wood before being shredded by machete and double distilled in copper pot stills. The Madrecuixe Capon is fermented for 14 total days, roasted with mesquite for 8 days, then is shredded by an ox-drawn stone mill and double distilled in copper pot still. Finally, the Tepextate is fermented for 12 days, roasted for 9 days with mesquite wood, shredded by tractor-drawn stone mill, and double distilled in copper pot stills. Each offering has addition notes provided by NETA.
