Pálinka was quite widespread in Hungary as early as in the 14th century. However, in recent years, consumer habits have been undergoing enormous changes, primarily because of such high-quality products as Agárdi Pálinkafőzde’s fruity delights. In the fourth part of our pálinka series in cooperation with Agárdi Pálinkafőzde, you can learn about how to taste pálinka.
Most importantly, pálinka is best served at room temperature, as the hidden flavors and scents evolve at 16-18 ºC; therefore chilling the fruity spirit is not a good idea. However, it is quite common that pálinka is refrigerated. However tempting it may be, when it comes to pálinka, forget about the fridge.
So what makes a pálinka good? The harmony of color, flavor and aroma, as experienced during tasting. High-quality pálinka is transparent (except those matured in barrels) and the combination of its scent and flavor can be described as being harmonic, characteristic and fruity.
When tasting, it is advisable to opt for a tulip-shaped glass, which is wider toward the bottom, since this concentrates the scent of the spirit, making it possible to fully experience even the subtle aromas. Actually, this kind of glass was introduced by Agárdi Pálinkafőzde; they wanted to draw attention to the astonishingly fresh and pure scents of pálinka.
Also, it is crucial that you drink the pálinka in little sips, carefully examining every drop, instead of downing the spirit. After tasting, conduct a ‘dry test’, that is, put your empty glass aside for five to ten minutes and then take a long sniff. If the spirit is of high quality, you will find a nice, fruity smell.
If you can smell anything else, especially if it is unpleasant, it implies some kind of fault in the spirit’s manufacturing. It is also suspicious if you wake up with an agonizing hangover.
Of course, practice makes perfect. It is advisable to start your ‘training’ with first-rate products in order to have a benchmark for comparison. Why not choose something from the colorful palette of Agárdi Pálinkafőzde, offering a wide selection of pálinkas, ranging from all kinds of typical Hungarian flavors to the most unique products.
Agárdi Pálinkafőzde
2484 Agárd, Sreiner Tanya
Tel.: +36.22.579.164