singani Archives - Piscologia

September 12, 2020 In PiscoLogía

Myth #10- Singani= High-Altitude Brandy & Peruvian Pisco= Low Altitude Brandy

This is the 10th in a series mythbusters to clarify misconceptions about Peruvian pisco!

While it’s true that signani is associated with high altitudes, Peruvian pisco can be produced at altitudes as high as 2,000 meters (6,562 feet).

We presented many differences between Peruvian pisco and singani in a past blog post. However, we wanted to elaborate on the subject of altitude. Singani is most often associated with high altitudes, as it must be produced at 5,250 feet or higher from grapes grown at those elevations. While that classification is well deserved for Bolivia’s clear brandy, it is important to note that Peruvian pisco is not necessarily a low altitude brandy.

Peruvian pisco is associated with lower altitudes, more specifically, coastal valleys. The D.O. in Perú requires that pisco be produced at 6,562 feet or lower from grapes grown at those elevations. Keep in mind that the concept of altitude is quite different in the Andean region. While Peruvians consider 6,562 feet to be fairly low, in the U.S., that is a relatively high elevation. For example, Denver, known as the “Mile High City”, has an elevation of 5,280 feet! There are Peruvian piscos made at altitudes higher than Denver in the D.O of Arequipa in the Caraveli Valley, which is located at 5,837 feet.

So the next time you hear the misconception that Peruvian pisco is a low altitude brandy, you can clarify. Yes, it can be made on the coast of Peru, but you will also find pisco vineyards and distilleries way high in the Andes mountains at 5,837, an altitude that is significantly higher than the famed “Mile High City”!

August 1, 2019 In PiscoLogía

Las Diferencias Entre el Singani y el Pisco

Ambos singani y pisco son aguardientes transparentes hechos por un proceso de destilación de uvas. Por sus características físicas, parecen semejantes. Sin embargo, cuando examinas sus métodos de destilación, sus zonas de producción, sus procesos de reposo, clasificaciones de calidad u otros detalles, encontrarás que son licores muy distintos. Aquí hay las diferencias entre el Singani boliviano y el pisco peruano:

Pisco Peruano	Singani
Un aguardiente hecho de 1 o una mezcla de las 8 variedades de uva permitidas por la Denominación de Origen en Perú.	Un aguardiente hecho de la uva moscatel de Alejandría en Bolivia.
Reposa un mínimo de 3 meses en recipientes que no alteran el producto.	Reposa un mínimo de 6 meses en recipientes que no alteran el producto.
Se tiene que producir en una de las zonas geográficas designadas por la Denominación de Origen en Perú.	Se tiene que producir en una de las zonas geográficas designadas por la Denominación de Origen en Bolivia.
Se produce a menos de 2,000m (6,562 pies) de uvas cultivadas a esas alturas.	Se produce a más de 1,600m (5,250 pies) de uvas cultivadas a esas alturas.
Hay piscos de una variedad de uva (puros) y una mezcla de uvas (acholados).	Sólo hay Singani de una variedad de uva: moscatel de Alejandría. No se puede mezclar la moscatel de Alejandría con otras variedades.
Hay evidencia que la palabra “pisco” viene de “pishqu”, la palabra quechua para pájaro.	Hay evidencia que la palabra “singani” viene de “siwingani”, la palabra aymara para juncia.
Sólo se destila una vez.	En general se destila más de una vez y se le pone agua.
No tiene clasificación de calidad	Tiene clasificación de calidad Singani de Altura Singani Singani de Primera Singani de Segunda
El orujo nunca se destila en la producción de pisco.	El Singani de Primera and Singani de Segunda pueden ser producidos por la destilación de orujo, parecido a la producción de grappa.
Chilcano Ginger ale o cerveza de jengibre Limón Pisco	Chufly Ginger ale o cerveza de jengibre Limón Singani

Fuentes:

Armstrong, Darren. “Singani.” StrongSomm, www.strongsomm.com/singani.

“Singani.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 July 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singani.

July 26, 2019 In PiscoLogía

Singani vs. Pisco

Singani and pisco are both clear grape brandies that share similar physical attributes. However, when you examine their distillation methods, geographical zones of production, resting techniques, quality classifications and other details, you will find that they are very different spirits. We have listed the differences between Bolivian Singani and Peruvian pisco in the chart below:

Peruvian Pisco	Singani
A brandy made from 1 or a blend of the 8 pisco grapes permitted by the D.O. in Peru.	A brandy made only from Muscat of Alexandria grapes in Bolivia.
Rests in neutral casks a minimum of 3 months.	Rests in neutral casks for a minimum of 6 months.
Must be made in one of the Pisco-producing regions as defined by the D.O. in Peru.	Must be made in one of the Singani-producing regions as defined by the D.O. in Bolivia.
Produced at 2,000m (6,562 feet) or lower from grapes grown at those elevations.	Produced at 1,600m (5,250 feet) or higher from grapes grown at those elevations.
Has both single-variety Piscos (puros) and blends (acholados).	Only single-variety Singanis are produced exclusively from the Muscat of Alexandria grape. No blending with other varieties is permitted.
Linguistic evidence suggests the word “pisco” comes from the native Quechua word “pishqu” (meaning bird).	Linguistic evidence suggests that the word “singani” comes from the native Aymara word “siwingani” (meaning sedge).
Only single distillation permitted.	Usually double distilled and watered down to proof.
No quality classification	Has quality classifications: Singani de Altura Singani Singani de Primera Singani de Segunda
Pomace may never be distilled in Pisco production.	Singani de Primera and Singani de Segunda may be made from the pomace leftovers from winemaking (similar to grappa)
Chilcano Cocktail Ginger ale or ginger beer Lime Pisco	Shoofly Cocktail Ginger ale or ginger beer Lime Singani

Download our Signani vs. Pisco chart here: Singani vs. Pisco

Sources:

Armstrong, Darren. “Singani.” StrongSomm, www.strongsomm.com/singani.

“Singani.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 July 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singani.

November 30, 2018 In PiscoLogía

Singani and Pisco- Distillation Methods of New World Grapes

The indigenous people of the Americas had a tradition of making alcoholic beverages long before the Spaniards brought the first grape plant across the Atlantic. They often fermented corn, strawberries or potatoes, a custom still practiced in many countries. For example, “chicha”, made from fermented corn or fruit, is highly consumed throughout the Andes in Peru today.

Although the first grapevines in the Americas were planted at the end of the 15^th century, distillation of wine seemed to have begun about 100 years later. Since then, certain grape varieties have thrived in different locations and production methods of distilled wine have diversified.

We would like to highlight the characteristics of 3 spirits distilled from grapes in South America: Peruvian pisco, Chilean pisco, and Bolivian Singani. The chart below makes a brief comparison of 3 of the 8 Peruvian pisco grapes (Quebranta, Torontel and Uvina) and their Bolivian and Chilean counterpart, Muscat of Alexandria.

Grape Type	Distilled Spirit	Grape Characteristics	Typical Characteristics When Distilled
Quebranta	Peruvian Pisco	Non-aromatic: Red/Purple color	Herbal, nutty, banana, apple and mango.
Torontel	Peruvian Pisco	Aromatic: Golden yellow color	Floral aromas such as lavender, tropical fruit, cinnamon, citrus.
Uvina	Peruvian Pisco	Non-aromatic: Blue/black color	Olives, fresh herbs, apple, banana.
Muscat of Alexandria	Bolivian Singani	Aromatic: White/yellow/pink	Pink peppercorns, citrus and white flowers.
Muscat of Alexandria	Chilean Pisco	Aromatic: White/yellow/pink	Floral, with hints of jasmine and green pears.

The common ground between Peruvian pisco, Chilean pisco and Bolivian Singani is that they are all made from New World grapes, using distillation methods that were introduced at the end of the 16^th century in Latin America (and as we mentioned in an earlier post, they are all are types of brandy). They all have unique qualities, depending on the terroir and the distiller who crafts them. Regardless of your preference, it is indisputable that the introduction of the grape into Latin America was a momentous game-changer. Thanks to those viticulturists in the 15^th century, we now enjoy Peruvian pisco, Chilean pisco and Bolivian Singani today!

September 5, 2018 In PiscoLogía

Peruvian pisco – a brandy to be revered

types of brandy, peruvian pisco, pisco, piscologia, jerez, sherry, singani, marc, orujo, how to make brandy, what is brandy, grappa, chilean pisco

Freshly made PiscoLogía

Peruvian pisco is classified as a clear brandy. By definition, brandy is an extensive category that includes spirits made from fermented fruit juice, most often grapes. However, brandies can be so vastly different from one another, so how do you distinguish one from another? For example, how do pomace brandies such as grappa, marc, and orujo differ from cognac, Brandy de Jerez, singani, Chilean pisco or Peruvian pisco? The answer to this question is quite complex. Not only do these brandies use different grape varieties in production, but they also vary in the way the grapes are utilized, the distillation and aging processes and often times, in the way they are enjoyed by consumers. By the end of this blog entry, hopefully you will understand what makes Peruvian pisco especially distinctive and intricate.

To demystify this complex spirit, it is helpful to separate it in two subcategories: pomace and fruit (grape) brandies. Pomace brandies do not use the grape juice; they are made from fermented pulp, seeds, and stems of grapes leftover after the winemaking process. Grape brandies are made solely from the fruit juice, which means all stems and seeds are removed before making the wine to be distilled. Both pomace and grape brandies can be aged. Some examples of aged brandies are cognac, Brandy de Jerez and Chilean pisco. The oak casks give them a dark color. In contrast, Peruvian pisco never ages in wood, thus making it a clear spirit.

Peruvian pisco is especially unique because, unlike other brandies, it is distilled only once. Furthermore, no water is added after distillation, which means you have one chance to achieve perfection with each batch. All other brandies are distilled twice and water is then added to reach a desired proof. Because of this single distillation, one can especially appreciate the flavors of each grape profile in Peruvian pisco, as many important flavors and aromas can be lost during second distillation.

Furthermore, brandies can be made from a multitude of grape varieties. While Chilean pisco and singani are made from the Muscat grape, Cognac is typically made from Ugni Blanc. Since grappa and orujo are made from the leftovers of wine production, both can be made from many different grape varieties. However, the Denomination of Origin in Peru requires that Peruvian pisco be produced from at least one of eight different grape varieties, all of which have distinct aromas and flavors.

People tend to mix Peruvian pisco in delicious cocktails, while they may drink other brandies such as cognac or Brandy de Jerez in a snifter. We recommend that the next time you open a bottle of PiscoLogía, treat it like a cognac- pour it into a snifter to fully enjoy the nuances of grapes. You will note no interference from oak casks or second distillations, just the pureness of the fruit from our vineyard. We are certain you will be thoroughly impressed by the delicate nature of this single-distilled spirit.

Myth #10- Singani= High-Altitude Brandy & Peruvian Pisco= Low Altitude Brandy

While it’s true that signani is associated with high altitudes, Peruvian pisco can be produced at altitudes as high as 2,000 meters (6,562 feet).

Las Diferencias Entre el Singani y el Pisco

Pisco Peruano

Singani

*Chilcano*

*Chufly*

Singani vs. Pisco

Peruvian Pisco

Singani

*Chilcano Cocktail*

*Shoofly Cocktail*

Singani and Pisco- Distillation Methods of New World Grapes

Peruvian pisco – a brandy to be revered

Chilcano

Chufly

Chilcano Cocktail

Shoofly Cocktail