Louisville-based Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. is launching the limited-release artisanal five-year-old 3 Marlenas Apple Brandy.
Matured two years in Tequila barrels, the non-chill filtered spirit is unadulterated by any post-distillation infusion of apple flavors or apple essences, the company says.
Only 1,000 bottles (375-ml. each) will be produced and sold at the distillery and a small selection of bars and liquor stores.
The original art is painted by Louisville oil painter Damon Thompson.
“This is quite a restless spirit,” says Copper & Kings founder Joe Heron. “We left this for two years to really obtain the tequila nuance from the used barrel, to extract not only flavor, natural color but also character and personality.”
“Copper-pot intensity, two years of polishing, really great tonality – but completely unpredictable,” says head distiller Brandon O’Daniel. “Very layered texturally and flavor wise. Just an excellent example of the work a barrel does during maturation, and the role a barrel’s provenance plays through its lifetime . . . I love the way the apple brandy hangs in there, holding its own as the foundation and essence, but lets the tequila wrap its arms around it and give it a nice deep, sexy smooch.”
Copper & Kings 3 Marlenas Tequila Barrel Aged Apple Brandy is 100 proof and retails for a suggested price of $40 per bottle.
Aromas include light spiciness with crisp apple, whiskey hints, honey and vanilla with a little campfire, dried fruit – prune, fig. It tastes of roasted apples, honey, slight reposado tequila vegetal notes with faint agave back-end. Smokey close with a little butter smoothness.
