Rochelt Wachau Apricot vintage 2016 50% 350ml

This is summer preserved in its most elemental form. The Wachau apricot, grown along the sun-drenched Danube, is a thing of legend in Austria — deeply aromatic, wildly juicy, with a tart-sweet tension that makes it a dream for distillation. And Rochelt doesn’t just harness that flavour — they elevate it into something almost supernatural.

On the nose, it’s like biting into a ripe apricot still warm from the tree. Explosive and radiant. Apricot flesh, apricot skin, apricot stone — the whole anatomy of the fruit, rendered in high-definition. Behind that: wildflower honey, crushed almond, and the delicate perfume of late spring. Let it breathe, and you’ll catch touches of peach blossom, orange zest, and even the faintest note of rosewater.

On the palate, it’s electric. That 50 percent ABV doesn’t slap — it sings. Silky, mouth-filling, and intensely aromatic. The fruit hits first — golden and fleshy — then blooms into marzipan, candied citrus peel, and something like jasmine tea. There’s a stony dryness beneath the sweetness — a nod to the Wachau’s famous terroir — that keeps the spirit grounded and clean. No sugar, no glycerin, just unfiltered orchard light.

The finish is haunting. Long, floral, slightly bitter from the apricot stone, with that mouth-coating oily texture that Rochelt is known for. Like the afterglow of a summer you don’t want to end.

Drink it cool, not cold. Serve in a narrow tulip glass. This is not for shots. Sip it slowly, post-meal, with stone fruit tart, Alpine cheese, or nothing at all except silence.

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