Capel Pisco Reservado

Capel Pisco Reservado is a pisco, a spirit distilled from grapes, so it sits in the brandy family but isn't aged in oak the way cognac is. The VS, VSOP and XO age statements used for cognac don't apply here. The "Reservado" on the label is a quality-tier name. In pisco labeling it usually points to a step up from the entry bottling, often with a bit more strength and a more rounded profile. The listing doesn't give a stated ABV, grape blend or tasting profile, so check the bottle label for those. Styles like this usually show floral and fruity grape aromatics, with a clean, slightly peppery finish and none of the vanilla or toasted-wood sweetness of aged cognac. For sipping neat, use a small tulip glass or a snifter filled only a quarter full, so the aromatics collect. Pisco is typically served at room temperature or very slightly cool. Chilling it hard mutes the grape character you'd be pouring it to taste. A few drops of water can open up a spirit at bottling strength, and it's worth trying that before deciding the pour is too hot. Mixing is where pisco is most at home. The classic is the Pisco Sour, which uses pisco, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, egg white and a few drops of bitters. Shake it hard over ice, strain it, and serve it chilled in a coupe. The Chilcano is a taller, easier option of pisco, ginger ale, lime and bitters over ice in a highball glass. Chilean drinkers also commonly mix pisco with cola, as a piscola. If you want to try it in brandy cocktails, a Sidecar works well with pisco in place of cognac. Reduce the orange liqueur a little, because a lighter, brighter base is easily overwhelmed by sweetness. A Brandy Alexander or a Sazerac made with pisco will taste different from the cognac versions, since the cream or the rye-and-absinthe backbone covers much of the grape character. Save those drinks for a heavier brandy. For food, pisco's acidity and fruit suit ceviche and other lime-cured seafood, fried fish, empanadas and salty cheeses.