A beautiful and unique Pacific Northwest "terroir" brandy from Steve McCarthy's Hood River Oregon distillery, Clear Creek. Inspired by an obscure Alsatian distillate called Eau de Vie de Bourgeons de Sapin, this tree spirit was 10 years in the making. McCarthy infused a clear brandy with springtime buds from a Douglas Fir, then redistilled it, then infused it again with more buds. The liquor is then strained and bottled. Greenish in hue, this smells and tastes like the woods. Wow! Spiced and pure with juniper, forest floor, fresh wood, Christmas tree and sweet vanilla, long and quite amazing. A big winner in the New York Times! The distiller has changed the product name to "brandy" but it's the same old recipe as the original eau-de-vie. The terms are synonymous