Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/343109
july 2014 / the tasting panel / 7 cement tanks where Portón is able to rest for approxi- mately 12 months, allowing the flavors to fully develop. The spirit is distilled only once, to exactly 86 proof (no water added) in custom-designed copper stills, which means Master Distiller Johnny Schuler has just one chance to get it right. Portón falls into the mosto verde category, made from grape juice that has not completely fermented. The mosto verde production process yields pisco of the highest quality, as it requires a significantly large amount of grapes. Portón requires 18 pounds of grapes to make just one bottle. "To my knowledge, Peruvian pisco is the only 100% unaltered spirit in the world because it is made from only one ingredient: naturally fermented and distilled grapes," Bonneté says. "The category overall, and especially Portón, represents a pure expression of the terroir." Agrees Schuler, "We don't want to change the aro- matic structure: we want grapes, we don't want wood… we want nature." And true enough, Portón expresses Peru's smells: exotic fruits and florals with grassy herbs and white pepper on the nose, and then delivering rich baking spices and orange blossom on the palate. Though officially it is a grape brandy, Bonneté says they are positioning Portón as the "fifth white spirit" after vodka, rum, gin and tequila. "Brandy and cognac are usually perceived as after-dinner drinks. Portón, on the other hand, is a very versatile spirit that adds depth and complexity to a variety of cocktails." Schuler adds, "We are not looking to be a second-class cognac: we are looking to be a first-class pisco." Bonneté wants, instead, to leverage the heritage of winemaking to talk about the distilling process of spirits. "When we speak of terroir, about grapes and wine, and then you speak about copper-pot small batch distilla- tion, the consumer spectrum is very wide—it includes everyone from the wine lover to the spirits connoisseur," he says. "This opens the window to involve everyone from the sommelier to the bartender." Fantastically Fresh: Chicago's Joe Fish Popular restaurant chain Rosebuds has been satisfying guests for the last 40 years, but you shouldn't worry about things going stale—Joe Fish, the chain's newest eatery in Chicago, is as fresh as its locally sourced and seasonal seafood cuisine. There, Beverage Director Trudy Thomas, says, "I love Portón! I love the balance of elegance and complex, sweet and savory—it's completely approachable." But Thomas is ready to educate: "'What is pisco?' is something that I hear all the time. Chicago is learning about the spirit, and there's an excellent opportunity to educate this market on pisco by providing fun, bal- anced cocktails." Portón shines in Thomas' Pisco Punch, a drink that pairs its citrus and floral delicacy to the brine and minerality of Joe Fish's fresh oysters. —Brian Kustera PHOTO: LANA BORTOLOT Johnny Schuler is the Master Distiller for Portón. Beverage Director Trudy Thomas serves up a Pisco Punch at Joe Fish in Chicago. PHOTO: AJ KANE