Réserve Originale plum eau-de-vie

La Vieille Prune Réserve Originale plum eau-de-vie is the original Vieille Prune, the historic heart of Maison Louis Roque in Souillac. The house signature, it strikes a balance between the liveliness of freshly picked fruit and the roundness brought by the wood.

Maison Louis Roque

Born in Sarlat in 1872, Louis Roque founded his own house in Souillac, on the banks of the Dordogne, after his father’s death in 1905. By blending old fruit eaux-de-vie from excellent small distillers, he created “La Vieille Prune”, which was an immediate success in the temples of gastronomy. True to its founder’s motto, “limit the quantity to favour quality”, the house is run today by enthusiasts who carry on the family tradition.

The Réserve Originale plum eau-de-vie

True to the founder’s recipe, the Réserve Originale recalls Louis Roque’s 1905 recipe and has been made under the same conditions for 120 years. The eau-de-vie comes from several plum varieties, in a secret proportion, and ages for a long time in small French oak casks with a fine to medium grain. It is bottled at 42% ABV in 70 cl.

Tasting notes

After long ageing in wood, it reveals notes of almond and stone, a reminder of the heart of the fruit. The colour is amber with orange highlights. The nose opens on the power of the fruit and plum jam, then stewed plum, quince, cinnamon and star anise. The palate has a powerful, warm attack and a silky texture; the finish is long, on liquorice and vanilla.

Food pairing and serving

Vanilla ice cream or a warm crème brûlée suit it perfectly. Pour 4 cl into a digestif glass, at room temperature or in a glass that has been lightly chilled, and sip slowly with a dessert.