The marriage of Williams Birnenbrand with pure Williams pear extract creates an exceptional specialty drink with a natural and harmonious taste. This eau de vie is made from Swiss Williams pears, known as Bartletts in the U.S., using small copper pot stills. The process is more authentic and expensive, as the pears are carefully handpicked at their peak ripeness and never stored in cold facilities. They are then inspected and prepared for fermentation for 8-10 weeks before being distilled. Only the center cut of the distillation is aged in glass demijohns for 3 years to achieve a mellow flavor before bottling. Each bottle contains over 19 pounds of fruit. The appearance is clear and bright. The initial impression is reminiscent of the scent and taste of a freshly cut ripe pear. It is remarkably smooth, with the alcohol presence being difficult to detect until it warms up. The taste offers a strong essence of pear followed by a rush of well-distilled alcohol. As it has not been aged in wood, it has a cleaner, more fruit-forward taste, unlike wood-aged eau de vie. The finish is warming and lingers on the palate.