Review from one of the World best sommeliers and spirits expert: 9 points out of 10
Review from one of the World best Sommelier and Spirits expert
I had a bottle of liqueur at my disposal some time ago. The producer sent it from Croatia to taste and express its thoughts on it.
Briefly about the liqueur itself. Made on the basis of grape brandy, aged in oak for a year and a half. 7 types of honey from all over Croatia are added to the brandy. Needless to say, everything is made by hand and absolutely no extra flavours or sweeteners are added. The combination of brandy and honey takes place at a temperature (up to 40'C) at which the honey does not lose its properties. After an additional 2 years of aging, the product is ready for use.
I tried it in three different ways. At room temperature, with ice and straight from the freezer around minus 18'C.
At room temperature, the drink smelled like a handful of fresh beeswax. Only honey and wax can be tasted, which is perfectly integrated into the drink. 7 points out of 10 in this performance.
Ice was best. The taste and aroma were very similar to a drink served at room temperature, but the slow melting of the ice made the drink easier to enjoy and very pleasant. 9 points out of 10.
Serving it very cold I was surprised. Even a beekeeper smelling a drink might say it's not pure honey. 😁 Because that's what it smelled and tasted like. After pure honey. Here it is difficult to assess, because the embarrassment about whether the drink really should smell and taste. I have never felt such a pronounced presence of a basic product in any other drink. In any case, my verdict is very simple - a perfectly prepared drink and very high quality.
There will always be supporters for such drinks, but there will probably not be many of them, at least in Latvia, because the price of the drink on the store shelf would be not less than 100-140 €. But in a high-quality restaurant like a digestive or a master bartender, this drink can show itself on a level.
Janis Kalkis, President of the Latvian Sommelier Association