Fassbind Les Vieilles Barriques Cherry
Fassbind Les Vieilles Barriques Cherry is not a clear kirsch — it is a Swiss cherry eau-de-vie rested in small oak barriques, which gives it its golden color and its name ("the old barriques"). Made by S. Fassbind of Oberarth, Switzerland — the country's oldest functioning distillery, founded in 1846 — from fully ripe cherries grown in the Rigi region, it is first rested a minimum of two years in stainless steel, then 14 to 18 months in oak barriques, and refined with the house's own Bonificateur dosage. Bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof), it is cherry distillate with real depth. It's available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Style: cherry eau-de-vie aged in oak barriques (not a clear kirsch)
- Aging: min. 2 years stainless steel, then 14–18 months in oak barriques; finished with house Bonificateur
- Fruit: fully ripe cherries from the Rigi region, Switzerland
- Origin: S. Fassbind AG, Oberarth, Switzerland (est. 1846); US importer Preiss Imports
- Size: per bottle label — live tag 750mL; importer sheet states 700mL (bottle read recommended)
Switzerland's Oldest Distillery, In Oak
Gottfried Fassbind founded his distillery in 1846, and nearly two centuries later it remains Switzerland's oldest working distillery and its second-largest. The Les Vieilles Barriques line is the house showing what patience does to fruit distillate: cherry eau-de-vie that has already rested two years in steel goes into small oak barriques for well over a year, emerging golden, rounded and complex — the Bonificateur, Fassbind's house dosage, polishing the edges. It drinks like a brandy that happens to be made from cherries. Explore more liqueurs, browse brandy, or see the Fassbind listing at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Per the importer and retailers: marzipan and dried cherry at the core, with toasted oak and vanilla from the barrique aging; rich and warming, nothing like a neutral clear kirsch.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a tulip glass at cool room temperature, like a fine brandy — or as the base of an elevated Old Fashioned where the cherry and oak do the talking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as kirsch?
No — kirsch is typically clear and unaged. Les Vieilles Barriques Cherry is aged 14–18 months in oak barriques, giving it color and depth kirsch doesn't have.
What does "Les Vieilles Barriques" mean?
"The old barriques" — a reference to the small oak barrels the cherry eau-de-vie rests in.
Who makes Fassbind?
S. Fassbind AG of Oberarth, Switzerland — founded 1846, the oldest functioning distillery in the country.
Cherry eau-de-vie with two centuries of Swiss craft behind it — order Fassbind Les Vieilles Barriques Cherry online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.