Excellentia Slivovitz 750ML

Excellentia Slivovitz 750ML is a crystal-clear damson plum brandy bottled at 40% ABV in a 750ml format. What distinguishes this expression is its maturation in inert tanks rather than oak barrels, a deliberate choice that preserves the bright, unadorned character of the plum distillate without imparting wood-derived flavors.

Quick Facts: ABV: 40%  |  Origin: Bosnia and Herzegovina  |  Style: Unaged Plum Brandy (Slivovitz)  |  Producer: Navip a.d.

Production & Heritage

Excellentia Slivovitz is produced by Navip a.d., a well-established producer in the Balkan brandy tradition. The spirit is made from fermented damson plums and undergoes double distillation in traditional copper pot stills, a method long associated with high-quality slivovitz production across Central and Southeastern Europe. After distillation, the brandy rests in inert (non-reactive) tanks, which keep it colorless and crystal clear while allowing the distillate to settle without introducing tannins, vanilla, or other oak-influenced flavors. This approach prioritizes pure plum expression over barrel complexity.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with a subtle, fresh character of ripe damson plums. As it develops in the glass, the aromatics become more pronounced, revealing well-developed stone fruit with a clean, almost floral lift.

Taste: The palate entry is light and approachable, with clear plum flavor that stays true to the fruit. At mid-palate, the spirit shows balance and roundness, with soft fruit sweetness held in check by a gentle mineral dryness. There is no oak influence to compete with the distillate, so the plum notes carry through uninterrupted.

Finish: The finish is long and interesting, lingering with ripe plum and a faint earthy quality. It tapers cleanly, leaving behind a pleasant fruit echo rather than heat or bitterness.

How to Drink Excellentia Slivovitz

Traditionally, slivovitz is served neat at room temperature in small tulip-shaped glasses that concentrate the plum aromatics. This is the best way to appreciate the purity of the distillate. For cocktail use, its clean fruit profile and colorless appearance make it a versatile base spirit. A Slivovitz Sour highlights the plum brightness against lemon and simple syrup. A Palinka Spritz — built with sparkling water, a touch of elderflower liqueur, and a lemon twist — makes a refreshing warm-weather serve. A Plum Old Fashioned, substituting slivovitz for whiskey with a dash of Angostura bitters and a sugar cube, showcases how well the fruit character stands up to classic cocktail structure.

Best For

• Exploring traditional Balkan spirits for the first time
• After-dinner digestif service alongside coffee and pastry
• Gifting someone who appreciates fruit brandies and eaux-de-vie
• Building cocktails that call for a clean, fruit-forward base spirit

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Excellentia Slivovitz taste like? Excellentia Slivovitz delivers a light, balanced palate dominated by ripe damson plum flavor, with a clean mouthfeel and a notably long, fruit-driven finish. It has no oak or wood influence, so the flavor profile stays purely focused on the plum distillate.

How does Excellentia Slivovitz compare to Zaric King Slivovitz? Zaric King Slivovitz tends toward a richer, more robust profile and is often aged in wood, adding layers of vanilla and spice. Excellentia Slivovitz, by contrast, is tank-matured and unaged, resulting in a lighter, more fruit-forward expression that emphasizes pure plum character.

Is Excellentia Slivovitz good for sipping neat? Yes — neat service at room temperature is the traditional and recommended way to drink slivovitz, and the 40% ABV makes Excellentia approachable enough for comfortable sipping without water or ice.

Where is Excellentia Slivovitz made? Excellentia Slivovitz is produced by Navip a.d. in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a region with deep historical roots in plum brandy production stretching back centuries across the Balkans.

What foods pair well with Excellentia Slivovitz? Aged sheep's milk cheese complements the fruit sweetness with salty contrast. Dark chocolate brings out the deeper stone-fruit notes. Grilled lamb or pork benefits from the clean plum flavor as a palate cleanser. Plum or apricot pastries echo and amplify the brandy's core fruit profile. Walnuts and dried figs round out a classic Balkan-style pairing board.

What sizes does Excellentia Slivovitz come in? The standard available format is the 750ml bottle.

Is Excellentia Slivovitz worth the price? Excellentia positions as a solid entry-level to mid-range slivovitz, offering genuine copper pot still distillation and pure plum character at a price point accessible to anyone curious about traditional Balkan fruit brandies.

Why Excellentia Slivovitz?

The decision to mature this spirit in inert tanks rather than oak is the defining production choice behind Excellentia Slivovitz, and it separates the bottling from many competitors that rely on barrel aging to build complexity. Here, the copper pot still double distillation does all the heavy lifting, and the result is a transparent window into the quality of the damson plums themselves. For drinkers accustomed to barrel-aged spirits, this is a valuable study in how a well-made fruit brandy can deliver depth through distillation alone. It represents a straightforward, honest expression of one of Europe's oldest brandy traditions.