Don Cesar Pisco

Pisco is a grape brandy obtained from the distillation of fermented grape must, and the Peruvian pisco is obtained from grapes, such as the Quebranta variety, which are harvested from February through May. The juice and the pulp of the grapes are fermented for about two weeks with natural yeast. Only the center cut of the distillation is taken for ageing, usually at around 55% alcohol. For Peruvian pisco, the must ferments in clay containers known as "pisqueras." The wine, once it reaches 12 to 14 percent alcohol, is filtered before entering the still. Distillation takes place in small pot stills, a purposely slow process for preserving the aromatic elements of the wine. Unlike the Chilean variety, Peruvian pisco is distilled to about 40 percent alcohol and bottled without the addition of water. As a result, the pisco is much richer in congeners-key elements to the pisco's flavor.

Don Cesar is Peru's most famous brand in the U.S.