Our Spirits

Available for purchase at Shelburne Orchards during regular season hours: Tuesdays - Sundays 9-5, starting 9/5.

Our tasting room is open Saturdays and Sundays 11-5.

Dead Bird Brandy

750ml Bottle | 40% ABV - $100.00

350ml Bottle | 40% ABV - $52.00

200ml Glass Flask| 40% ABV - $35.00

Our flagship apple brandy distilled from over 30 varieties of apples we grow in our Orchard in Shelburne, Vermont. Aged in American and European Oak barrels for 9 years in our subterranean brandy cellar, this spirit is a quintessential expression of the land we love and our (mild) apple obsession.

Tasting notes from our friend, Kevin Clayton of Village Wine & Coffee: 
Nose: Floral, apple and a hint of caramel.
Palate: reminiscent of Tarte Tatin with caramel, apple and butter notes.
Overall: Clean, smooth and elegant to drink with a long finish.

Serve: Our favorite way to drink Dead Bird Brandy is neat (no ice or water) at room temperature.

Dead Bird Brandy - 12 Year, Single Barrel

$267.00

750ml Bottle | 40% ABV

This is a single barrel 12 year apple brandy that was distilled in 2011, from over 30 varieties of apples grown here at Shelburne Orchards. This brandy was aged first in an American oak barrel, then transferred to a neutral Hungarian oak barrel, for a total of 12 years in our subterranean brandy cellar.

Serve: Our favorite way to drink Dead Bird Brandy is neat (no ice or water) at room temperature.

Don Holly Tasting Notes for the 12 year Dead Bird Brandy:

Nose - Aromatic profile of medium intensity - lovely ripe apple with butterscotch overtones and cinnamon accent with subdued alcohol. 

Flavor/Palate - Layers of lovely fruit and earthiness, apple note prevailing, with dimensions of sweetness, tartness, brightness, and as it warms in the mouth more aromatic range including mint and fennel.  The oak is subtle and functional like a stand-up bass in a quintet. 

Finish - Clean and sweet, round and lingering, zero heat, pleasant aftertaste.

Pommeau

750ml Bottle | 24.5% ABV - $80.00

350ml Bottle | 24.5% ABV - $52.00

A little lighter, a little sweeter, Pommeau is our spin on a classic aperitif (French-fancy for “before dinner drink”). To craft this magical, apple sensation, we start with 2-year-aged Dead Bird Brandy and infuse it with unfermented, fresh-pressed apple cider - - it’s sort of an old-meets-new moment. The melange is then aged for another 3 years in oak barrels. The result is a quaffable concoction that is lighter in body and lower in alcohol content. Pommeau is similar to a sherry or a port in its drinking style.

Tasting notes from our friend, Kevin Clayton of Village Wine & Coffee: 
Nose: Sweet apple, beeswax and a hint of cherry pie.
Palate: Pleasant richness to the midpalate and a generous mouthfeel, followed by a good length and lingering flavors on the finish.
Overall: A lovely pre-dinner aperitif and even good on ice on warmer days.

Serve: Our favorite way to drink Pommeau is chilled or on ice.