Tokara Vintage 5 Year Old Potstill Brandy (2004 Vintage)

Tokara Five year old Potstill Brandy, produced in the winery’s copper Potstill, is a first for winemaker Miles Mossop who worked in close conjunction with brandy consultant Buks Venter, who previously headed brandy distillation and maturation at KWV. The Chenin Blanc grapes were picked in January 2000 and the base wine had a citrus character with concentrated fruit aromas of pear, pineapple and green apple. Hand distillation, using Tokara's gas flame-heated Prulho Potstill from the town of Cognac, started in April 2000 and the traditional double distillation process was used to retain only the “heart” fraction. The resultant spirit was 72% alcohol volume and this was filled into a combination of 300 litre new and 20-year-old French oak brandy barrels, with a five-year maturation contributing to the brandy’s distinct characteristics. About 2 000 litres were produced with the final blending of the debut TOKARA Potstill Brandy taking place prior to bottling in 2005 to adjust the brandy strength to 40% alcohol volume and to create a distinctive spirit with balanced flavours and a fine length of aftertaste.