Arak Brun Special Reserve (75cl, 53%)

Arak Brun Special Reserve is a Lebanese arak from Domaine des Tourelles in Chtaura, in the Bekaa Valley, bottled at 53% in a 75cl bottle. It is a limited-edition bottling of the house spirit. It is made from grape alcohol and fresh anise, distilled in three stages in alembic stills, and left unsweetened. The difference from the standard Arak Brun is time in clay: five years in old clay jars in the domaine's hundred-year-old cellar, against one year for the standard bottling. The domaine describes it as an extra-premium arak with a smooth taste. It is usually taken with water and ice alongside a mezze spread.