333 Saubirne Hafele Brand - Hafele Subira Brandy 333 45 % vol

A Subira pear brandy from Austria

Robust, strong and unbelievably intense in flavour and aroma: brandy made from the Subira pear is a high-proof pleasure that is in a class of its own. The fruit is an old local variety that is mainly found in Vorarlberg. The name Subira is a version of the word "Saubirne" which is an Austrian colloquialism coined to describe the fruit's particular characteristics. When ripe, this pear ("birne") variety has an extraordinarily intense aroma that tempts you to bite into it. But that is where the pleasure ends because the flesh is extremely grainy, almost wooden, and can be very difficult to swallow. This led to the name "sau" (sow) "birne" (pear) – as in "fit only to feed to the pigs..."

It is of little use as a dessert fruit but is valuable as an ingredient for distilling schnapps. After the harvest in autumn, we process the small pears at our Obsthof. There, the pears are pitted, de-stemmed, crushed and mashed. We then distil the mash in our distillery in a two- or three-part distillation process. Only then can we perfectly separate the middle faction, the so-called heart, in order to create this speciality brandy.

Intense pear flavour

We store this liquid treasure for several years in fine-pored stoneware containers, which gives the distillate enough time to develop its flavour. During the maturation period, the master distiller repeatedly takes samples to check the taste. When the distillate is finally ready to drink, we dilute it to drinking strength with the purest water.

The result is a brandy with an enormously rich flavour and strong fruit aroma. On the palate, the full-bodied texture of tasty spice and intense pear notes develops, lingering long into the finish. An incredibly fruity and vibrant brandy!

Enjoyment recommendation: Enjoy Hafele Subira Pear Brandy 333 at its best in a Hafele Glass at room temperature, and give it a little time to develop before drinking.