Söul is an apple schnapps made in Saaremaa, Estonia. The producer, Wösel, is a few years old company that started with the production of flavored vinegars and has quickly expanded to various other drinks. In the alcohol selection, they have also gin made with 12 different herbs. The apple schnapps is made of fermented apple juice, which is distilled by Atla Distillery in Estonia. The apple distillate has been seasoned with apple juice, ginger and oak ships, which have been added to the mixture for a short maturation period. Söul Apple-Ginger Snaps has been produced just a small patch and it can be ordered from the manufacturer’s online store (www.wosel.ee). 

The color of schnapps is yellowish brown, like with lager beer or whiskey. The aroma has apple cider, ripe apple and honey. The taste has a bit of honey sweetness at the beginning, but the schnapps is not so sweet, rather on the dry side. The alcohol burn is quite sharp. The taste does not have so much apple like might expect, but it is a mixture of apple/pear, honey, a bit of wood and a hint of spices. The ginger taste is not so well exposed. The alcohol has a sharp but short bite, but there is not any tingling spicy burn in the aftertaste. It also has a clear aroma on small scale copper pot distillation. Adding ice or a splash of water naturally softens the alcohol bite, but is also watered down the aromas and make the mouthfeel more sweeter. The schnapps is best when sipped neat or with a very small splash of water. I didn’t try it in cocktails, mixing such a high price distillate with other cheap ingredients just seems a waste for me.

Söul Apple-Ginger is a nice product, quite pleasant and reasonably easy to sip. However it does not have anything special or radical. Seasoning with ginger and honey just  is nothing new in the market. I would have expected more original touch on the product. Let’s hope the producer will bring some more local flavors to the next batch.

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