The bouquet is a spirit sprung from apples. The golden-amber color is warm and welcoming. The flavor is slightly sweet, full bodied and finishes pleasantly, like a subtle dessert. Made with apples and a hint shared with an apple brandy barrel, the pommeau is among the spirits created at Of the Earth Farm & Distillery, 9 miles north of Richmond. EVOLUTION Like other area farmers, Jim Pierce started out growing produce typical to Ray County. “In the early ’90s, Mom and Dad bought 40 acres out on 176th Street. I grew vegetables to sell at the farmers market,” he said. Later, Pierce bought land and moved to Highway 13. “We started planting fruit trees and we moved the distillery up here from the original (location),” he said. In 2008, Pierce attended a fruit-growers conference with his father in Nebraska. There, Dr. Kris Berglund from Michigan State University talked about making brandy to increase the value of tree fruit. “He had samples!” Pierce said. “He had a Montmorency…