Let’s celebrate yesterday’s Serbian election results with some Serbian spirits.

Yebiga “PRVA” Plum Rakija (43%, min. 18 months in Serbian oak)

N: sweet, radiant fruit, plum obviously but also blueberry and blackcurrant, creme de violet, clover honey. After half an hour a bright grapefruit note too

P: grapefruit radler, esprit di biere, currant and violet, spearmint

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Distillerija Zaric Povlenka Plum Rakija (45%, aged 3 years in oak)

N: less brightly fruity and floral than the PRVA, more of a mellow vanilla, with a citrus accent and a hint of volatile, cheesy funk like a rustic Calvados

P: mascarpone, orange, and strawberry in addition to plum, in this case closer to mirabelle. Turns toward a sharper peppercorn on the finish

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Flores Žuta Osa Superior Plum Brandy (42%, aged 8 years in oak)

N: grapey, purple plum, grape blossom, white pepper, bit of brass

P: very neutral oak character, just some slightly woody pepper and honey water, but silky smooth and pretty, almost candied fruit

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Stara Sokolova Old Falcon’s 7 year Plum Brandy (40%)

N: metallic and fairly neutral, not a lot of fruit nor of oaky goodness

P: quite watery and shallow, a bit of clove and orange, you almost have to hunt for the plum itself

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Destillerija Zaric Kraljica Plum Rakija (42%, aged 7 years in oak)

N: this one crosses a threshold of oak, fully a brown spirit in yak territory: leather, varnish, brown spice, Ruby Port, butterfly pea, pleasant mushroom sweetness

P: less impressive on the palate, a more generic muddled sweet brandy profile. Still fruity and floral, definitely a plum distillate, and nicely earthy too. It’s pretty nice but I suspect additives, and definitely prefer the Povlenka

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Gruzanska Zlatna Nit (43%, aged 9 years in oak)

N: plums have reclaimed the spotlight. Bright blue-purple fruit, grape as well as darker plum, something harder to place like walnuts or chocolate malt. Pancakes with butter and boysenberry syrup

P: fairly medicinal, raisins with some cocoa, pecan-blueberry syrup. My partner said this reminds her of Duchesse de Bourgogne which is far from where my mind was, but I can see it! Berry balsamic, I guess you’d say

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Podrum Pevac Desetka Plum Brandy (40%, aged 10 years in oak)

N: this one’s also a bit medicinal, but more in an orangey, DayQuil way. A little waxy, or honeycomb, and mirabelle again

P: oranges, chestnut, medicine, a hint of something stemmy and herbal

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