With Love From Pisco Portón Distillery, Peru [PHOTOS]

by Lanee Lee

Pisco, a white spirit made from grapes, is like the cognac of Peru, with origins dating back to the 16th century. There are over 600 different pisco makers, and 483 government registered pisco makers in Peru (the making of pisco is regulated like tequila is in Mexico). On a recent inaugural trip to Peru, I went with a few other journalists and bartenders to discover its glories at the Pisco Portón distillery in the Ica Valley.

And no visit to the Pisco Portón distillery is complete until you’ve met master distiller Johnny Schuler aka Peru’s pisco king. He discovered premium pisco in his 40s. Before that, he describes the cheap pisco as, ‘harsh, gave headaches and made you see wild animals’. Once the fateful encounter with high-quality pisco occurred, it was love at first sip.

“Magic happened. I fell in love with pisco and it fell in love with me,” says Schuler.

Since then, he literally breathes, dreams, lives and even bathes in pisco. Ok maybe he doesn’t shower in it, but he does admit to using Pisco Portón as an aftershave!

Not only is Pisco Portón’s distiller an interesting character, but the property is as well. It was originally a distillery run by the Jesuits, founded way back in 1684, making it the oldest distillery in Peru. They’ve maintained the historical distillery, still making pisco the original way. And they’ve also built a gleaming high-tech distillery as well.

“Techno-artisanal” is how he describes the old world-meets-new world pisco-making techniques at Pisco Portón distillery.

How is Pisco Portón Made?

Quick run down here. It’s similar to the wine making process, except instead of letting the grapes ferment for long periods of time in oak barrels, it ferments for only 7-10 days in stainless steel barrels and then is distilled through copper alembics. It’s made from 100% fermented grapes and in Peru, unlike Chilean pisco, no additional elements can be added, like water or chemicals. Just to geek out a bit here, Portón is an acholado, or blended pisco, made from Quebranta, Albilla and Torontel grapes. And a very cool aspect of Pisco Porton is they one of the few female pisco makers in Peru on staff: Carmen Gonzalez.

What Does Pisco Taste Like?

If you like drinking cocktails with white spirits, say vodkas or gins, you’ll probably really love pisco too. It’s much more ‘sweet’ on the nose and on the palate than a vodka because of the grapes. But don’t misunderstand me, this is not a dessert wine kind of sweet. At 42.5-45% of alcohol, pisco is powerfully potent. After a few pisco sours (a cocktail of pisco, lime, egg whites, syrup and bitters), you’ll feel it!

Afternoon Delight at Pisco Portón

Highlights of the dreamy afternoon at the distillery included live music, dancing, Pisco Punch cocktails made by legendary bartender Dale DeGroff aka King Cocktail, a home cooked Peruvian lunch, a horseback ride on a caballo de paso or Peruvian Paso (the ones that have the fancy prance) and of course, copious amounts of Pisco Portón tastings from the stills.

Here’s my postcards, with love from Pisco Portón distillery:

More About Johnny Schuler

Schuler is an author of Pasion por el Pisco and Rutas y Sabores as well as the host of a weekly show about pisco, Por Las Rutas del Pisco. In 2007, he receive a Congressional Medal of Honor in 2007 in Peru for his pisco advocacy. In 2010, he became master distiller at Pisco Porton.

Visiting Pisco Porton Distillery on La Ruta de Pisco

From Lima, it’s roughly a 4 1/2 hour drive south to the town of Ica. This is no Napa Valley, so get ready for Ica’s rough roads and sleepy village feel. The Ruta de Pisco (pisco route) is a very new concept, launched in August 2012 by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism. The route of pisco includes industrial and artisanal producers of 7 “bodegas” (distilleries) of Ica and Chincha, which includes La Caravedo aka Pisco Porton. Daily tastings, tours and Peruvian horse rides are free at La Caravedo Distillery (the historical name of Pisco Porton).

To visit Pisco Porton, contact: [email protected], +511 711 7800.