distillation of esters from the wine yeasts Armagnac is relatively rough and complex thanks to its higher content of volatile acids; it’s said to have a prune-like aroma With long aging, both develop a prized rancio (“rancid”) character from the transformation of fatty acids into methyl ketones, which also provide the distinctive aroma of blue cheese(p 62) Less renowned brandies are made elsewhere in France and throughout the world in a variety of ways, from the industrial to the artisanal Especially interesting are brandies distilled from more distinctive grape varieties than the purposely neutral Ugni blanc Eaux de vie, Fruit Alcohols, White Alcohols These are various terms that are less confusing than their synonym “fruit brandy”: they name spirits that are distilled from fermented fresh fruits other than grapes Unlike true “burned wines,” which offer a complicated, transformed wineyness, eaux de vie capture and concentrate the distinctive essence of the fruits from which they’re made, so they can be savored almost pure rather than in their flesh France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland are especially noted for their fine fruit alcohols Some popular examples are apple (Calvados), pear (Poire Williams), cherry (Kirsch), plum (Slivovitz, Mirabelle, Quetsch), and raspberry (Framboise); less widely known are apricot (French Abricot), figs (North African and Middle Eastern Boukha), and watermelon (Russian Kislav) A single bottle of eau de vie may represent from 10 to 30 lb/4.5–13.5 kg of the fruit Fruit alcohols are generally double-distilled to about 70% alcohol and are not aged in barrels — hence their lack of color — because their point is to concentrate the fruit’s own flavor into an intense, full, but pure essence One prominent exception to this rule is Calvados, an apple eau de vie that is distilled in Brittany ... capture and concentrate the distinctive essence of the fruits from which they’re made, so they can be savored almost pure rather than in their flesh France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland are especially noted for their fine... apricot (French Abricot), figs (North African and Middle Eastern Boukha), and watermelon (Russian Kislav) A single bottle of eau de vie may represent from 10 to 30 lb/4.5–13.5 kg of the fruit... about 70% alcohol and are not aged in barrels — hence their lack of color — because their point is to concentrate the fruit’s own flavor into an intense, full, but pure essence One prominent exception to this rule is Calvados,