Yebiga "Prva" (43.0%): Ok, I have a pretty good conversation starter on my desk today... This is a sample of the cask aged Serbian plum brandy (rakija od sljva) bottled under the label
Yebiga owned by Bill Gould, yes the Bill Gould from Faith No More fame, to be sold exclusively in US. I bet you have so many questions now... Well, apparently Bill Gould first fell in love with rakija back in early 90s when he was touring East Europe with his band. In following decades he kept trying different ones while on tour, dug deeper into the culture and tradition attached to this amazing spirit, brought back many bottles to share from his trips to Balkans and many years later decided to create his very own brand to introduce Rakija to a much broader audience here in US. Long story short after an extensive search he finally found the rakija he wanted to bottle in the suburbs of Kraljevo City, Serbia and the
Yebiga brand was born. This rakija is distilled, aged and bottled in Serbia and the label hints ("prva" means "first" in Serbian) that it won't be the only fruit brandy we will be seeing released by
Yebiga. So, watch the space... Anyways, let's pour some and taste.
Color: Pale yellow gold, unoaked white wine color with a ring of tiny teardrops immediately turning into quick, skinny legs.
Nose: Very floral and perfumy first: Jonquils, hyacinths and rose water. Damson plum preserve, creme de cassis (kir..!) and black cherry soda. Apple cobbler, dried currants and prunes. Light and pleasing...
Palate: A little thin on the palate for my liking but very refreshing and tongue tingling. Fruit flavored sparkling water, citrus peel and juniper berries. Parma violets, Irish Spring soap bars and rose petals. Reminds me some contemporary style floral gins I tasted before... It is delicate but packed with flavors.
Finish: Medium long and tad bitter and piney: White pepper, lemon twist and pine gum.
Overall: To start with it is so hard to believe that this spirit is bottled at 43% abv... It is so easy drinking which makes it actually quite dangerous. Very floral, fruity and a little piney... I probably wouldn't oppose to have more texture on the palate but I also see clearly how it actually becomes a more food friendly spirit this way. It is priced amazingly well and I also loved the label design... You should visit their website and check it out. Thanks a lot to AMKrouse and G-LO from the one and only "It's just the booze dancing" crew for the sample...
Price: $39 (1 liter bottle)
85/100
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