Tokara 5 Year Old Potstill Brandy 2000

The history of Tokara’s Potstill brandy begins in 1999 when a 500lt Alambic Charentais Potstill with onion shaped pre-heater was sourced from Prulho in Merpins, Cognac in France and shipped to Cape Town. The size of the potstill, a minimum 500 litre capacity, was pre-determined by South African law at the time. The 500 litre capacity meant that 41,500 x 750ml bottles could be produced from 4 months of distilling and maturation, but this was never contemplated, Tokara's goal was to produce small quantities of an exquisite product.

Legally South African brandy had to be matured in French Oak barrels for a minimum of 3 years, but Tokara increased the maturation period to 5 years. The first 5 year-old Tokara potstill brandy was presented in 2005, at the time the Tokara brand was officially launched.

The Tokara Five year old Potstill Brandy is made from Chenin Blanc. The grapes were picked in January 2000 and the base wine had a citrus character with concentrated fruit aromas of pear, pineapple and green apple. Hand distillation, using Tokara’s gas flame-heated Prulho Potstill from Cognac, started in April 2000 and the traditional double distillation process was used to retain only the “heart” fraction. The resultant spirit was 72% alcohol volume and this was filled into a combination of 300 litre new and 20-year-old French oak brandy barrels, with a five-year maturation contributing to the brandy’s distinct characteristics. About 2 000 litres were produced with the final blending of the debut Tokara Potstill Brandy - creating a distinctive spirit with balanced flavours and a fine length of aftertaste.

In a sense Tokara five year old brandy is a guided synthesis in which all the variables of soil, climate, man and machine, time and change have been orchestrated to give a sublime and delicate fruitiness complemented by rich spices and fine oak, all against a backdrop of the palest gold. The brandy, bottled in 750 ml bottles, was released on 1 December 2005.

Robert Prulho was born in the Cognac area in 1926. Born into a modest family, he started an apprenticeship like boilermaker in 1942. But his passion for the Cognac pushed him to become a still builder in 1948. With his son Richard, who joined him in 1981, they represent two generations of experiment and passion. They understood the importance of the quality of the distillation. Perfectionists, they built the finest and most effective distillation pot to equip the most prestigious distilleries in Cognac and the world.

Available in the following lot sizes
2 x 1 bottle lots: Starting bid R1500
1 x 3 bottles lot: Starting bid R4500