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What this post is really about for me is testing the birectifiers I produced myself in my glassblowing workshop. If you’re noticing a lot of case studies, it is because I’m selling birectifiers.
I’m not going to go into what Medronho is, but it is probably part of my destiny. I’ve recently collected numerous bottles for case studies on a trip to the Algarve.
Third in the series of Medronhos I brought back from Portugal is Velho Terra, bottled at 40% (which is usually a commodity spirit flag when all the others are slightly higher ABV). This case study turned interesting only because it is a look at an inferior spirit. It may also be a window into the character of other Medronhos I tasted, some informally produced, but did not bring back.
The back of the label has a paragraph I really like:
Manuel Bem Balau, um homem singular que viveu parte da sua historia ligado a pesca tradiciaonal. Desde muito jovem dava apoio aqueles que arriscavam a vida no Mar, vulgo “Velho Terra”, alcunha pela qual ficou a ser conhecido para o resto da sua vida. Mais tarde, foi pescadore e Arrais de “Arte Xavega”. Chamavam-lhe “Velho Terra” e tinha o respeito e o reconhecimento de toda a comunidade nazarena.
Dedicamos esta linha de aguardentes a todos os “Velho Terra” de Portugal.
Manuel Bem Balau was a unique man who’s life was linked to traditional fishing. From a young age, he supported those who risked their lives at sea and was known as “Velho Terra”, a nickname by which he was known for the rest of his life. Later, he was a fisherman and organizer of “Arte Xavega”. They called him “Old Land” and he had the respect and recognition of the entire Nazarene community.
We dedicate this line of spirits to all the “Old Lands” of Portugal.
A linkage between Medronho & life by the sea! Arte Xavega is a type of sustainable artisan fishing where practitioners row boats directly from a beach across breaking waves to set up hand made nets that are then hauled by hand by an entire crew on land. Teams then round up the fish. It is an endangered cultural practice with recent protected status after nearly being evicted from the traditional beaches. Nazarene is north of Lisbon and recently famous for big wave surfing. These traditions may be important to Portuguese love of small fish.
Some of these Velho Terra types were captured by photographer João Mariano in Alembics & Alchemists which led me years ago to Medronho.
30% white bubble Test: Lees note I’ve noticed in other Medronhos. Lack of fruitiness. Chocolate character.
Exhaustive test: This possibly does not even stretch 1:100.
Esters increase test: 1.0 ml of fraction 1 onto 20.0 ml of original sample. This was not exactly a concentrated fraction 1 and the original spirit handled the extra esters easily as expected. A question was whether it elevated the lees character, but it was not obvious and perhaps requires trials with higher concentrations.
This is not a good example of a Medronho, but at the same time, I’m not going to have trouble finishing the bottle! Some parts of the spirit I cannot quite explain because many Medronhos are estery and many producers flirt with acetification through protracted ferments. What is with the low amount of fusel oil relative to the salient lees character? When you think of the birectifier as a scalpel meets stethoscope, we have successfully picked apart this spirit so that we can ask pointed questions. If we need to change the character we observe, we also know what is actionable and where to invest resources & time. We also know what is exemplary from the other case studies we have performed. Our supporting organoleptic tests (white bubble & exhaustive test) reinforced our judgement and were affordable & easy to perform.
What you see here is a useful minimum of what new distillers should be capable of.
Fraction 1: Surprisingly not very concentrated or very fruity. Is this due to a fermentation or distillation parameter?
Fraction 2: Fairly neutral.
Fraction 3: Neutral as expected, but flickers of fusel oil. Its interesting to compare the “neutrality of fraction 2 with hints of ethyl acetate behind it and fraction 3 with hints of fusel oil ahead of it.
Fraction 4: Lighter than expected? Not sure what this implies.
Fraction 5: Lighter than expected. Only very slightly louched. So little concentration that it is palatable (as opposed to acrid). Less evidence of that lees in fraction 5 than 6.
Fraction 6: Slight aroma. This may be where most of what I think is the lees aroma lives. Almost a note of cinnamon. Very little gustatory acidity.
Fraction 7: Slight aroma. Floral, pleasant? Very little gustatory acidity.
Fraction 8: Did not collect. I went and got an espresso as an ode to Portuguese culture.
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