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Yebiga "Bela" Rakija od Šljiva Plum Brandy Goč, Serbia
Yebiga "Bela" Rakija od Šljiva Plum Brandy Goč, Serbia
Regular price
$38.00 USD
Regular price
Sale price
$38.00 USD
Unit price
/
per
750ml bottle
40% abv
“Brandy of the Year 2024”: Tales of the Cocktail - Spirited Awards winner
BELA (translated as “white”) is a clear and clean rakija od šljiva (plum rakija) made from a 50-50 blend of hyperlocal, handpicked Čačanska rodna and Čačanska lepotica plums, both native to the region of central/southern Serbia.
BELA is a classic rakija procured through rigorously traditional processes, faithful to a heritage that goes back hundreds of years.
Nose - Rich floral aromas,
spice and pine notes
Taste - Soft, with persistent
fresh fruit
Finish - Long, dry, and fruit filled
In our view Rakija, though iconic to about 60 million people in southeastern Europe, has been criminally underappreciated , and generally regarded as some kind of firewater that is knocked back and tolerated. This perception needs to change, because the reality could not be further than that truth.
We started Yebiga to present what a proper rakija should be, with a level of quality that is typically reserved for special occasions — weddings, funerals, and similar life events. If you are a person of Balkan origin reading this, you know exactly what this means. And if you are not familiar, you are about to find out. We hope that this typically Balkan experience will open a door to this amazing part of the world.
The Yebiga process: Healthy local plums are harvested only by hand when at full ripeness (i.e, best volume of sugar and acid). The pits are separated, and the fruit is mashed and prepared for fermentation. Because Yebiga is Kosher, we only use wild yeast for the fermentation, and it is spontaneous.
Once the fermentation is complete, mash is distilled in 500-liter batches through copper stills. Yebiga is always double distilled. PRVA then goes into “second fill” local oak barrels for a minimum of 18 months. Pure mountain spring water is added upon removal from the barrels, and cold stabilization is applied before final bottling and labeling by hand.
Distillery: Our distillery is located on a longstanding family orchard, on the mountain of Goč in central Serbia, a region that is famous for its plums. Our plums are grown at an elevation of 800 meters (2600 feet), surrounded by pines. This creates a microclimate, as the oils in the air from the neighboring flora softly influence the flavor of the distillate. Our producers are well known as leaders in their field, from a lineage of distillers that spans over a century from the same location. They are widely regarded as pioneers for combining a completely traditional approach with 21st century technological expertise.
Bill: Yebiga’s arrival onto American shores comes thanks to Bill Gould, bassist and founding member of the rock group Faith No More. His extensive travel throughout the Balkans over the past few decades has led to a deep and enduring appreciation for the culture, the people, and the spirit that was inseparable from both. When unable to find the “good stuff” back in the U.S., Bill decided to go to the source, partnering with one of Serbia’s most respected distilling families to obtain a rakija that exemplifies the best of its class.
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