El Gobernador Pisco Review

El Gobernador is a Chilean pisco made from muscat grapes and is one of the more affordable yet good quality piscos available.

El Gobernador means ‘The Governor’ in Spanish, and in the case of this pisco from Chile it refers to Felipe Margutt Donaire, who was a prominent figure in Chile’s fight for independence from Spain, which finally happened in 1818. Donaire later became the governor of the city of Ovalle.

Close to Ovalle is the Limarí Valley, where the winery that produces this pisco is located. It’s interesting because it’s run by Miguel Torres Maczassek of the famous Spanish wine and brandy-making Torres family. Miguel moved from Spain to Chile to take charge of the pisco production and the result is, as with Torres wines and brandies, a combination of good value and respected quality.

Tasting El Gobernador Pisco

The pisco is made from equal blends of rosé muscatel and muscat of Alexandria and is aged for at least 90 days and up to a year in stainless steel vats, then bottled at 40% ABV. The result is a crystal clear spirit which has a very floral nose, typical of muscat grapes. There are grassy hints too, a little citrus, but the floral nature is most pronounced, like walking past a big jasmine plant putting out its scent in the early evening.

On the palate it feels a little thinner than the Pisco Waqar I also tried recently. The floral notes are still there, with a dash of lime and other citrus, that floral/rose suggestion, and some vanilla creaminess. There’s also some sourness and bitterness, and it worked better with an elderflower tonic or some berry juice rather than with straight tonic. It’s not the best pisco I’ve tasted but it’s not bad either, and hard to beat at the price.