Mathilde Poire is a French pear liqueur produced by Maison Ferrand using Bon-Chrétien Williams pears (Bartlett). The pears are pressed, fermented and distilled into pear brandy, with a small amount of quince added before filtration, followed by the addition of sugar and water prior to bottling. It is bottled at 18% ABV and typically retails for about $26.
Balanced, light and delicate, this pale gold pear liqueur has a fresh, crisp aroma, melding fruit and white flowers. The fruit flavors are bolder on the palate, sweet but not overly so.
There’s plenty of sweet, tinned pear notes on the palate, followed by ample ultra-sweet golden syrup. That dried floral note lingers heavily into the finish, though the sweetness sticks around for an eternity, too. Balance here is elusive, but it’s a lot better than I remember.