Post #164660 by Humuhumu on Wed, Jun 8, 2005 11:54 PM

I love sipping liqueurs. I wish more of them were available in airliner-bottle form so I could sample more. There are so many out there, I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of experimenting with them, but boy it'd cost an arm and a leg to buy all the ones I'd like to try.

Here are some of my thoughts, I'd love to hear more:

Sambuca - Sweet, anise flavor in a clear liqueur. I've only tried the standard Romana Sambuca, but I love it lots. I like it at room temperature. Tradition (though I've always imagined it to be "tradition" in the Hallmark Cards vein of tradition) calls for three coffee beans to be floated in it, and if you can get the little buggers to stick to the side you'll be lucky in love. I've had a rough time getting them to stick, and have done damned fine in the love department anyhow, so take that as you will. Regardless, it's tasty. Anyone tried the other sambucas? I'd love to hear if another brand is a bit better.

Whidbey Loganberry - Sweet dark red/purple liquid with a strong loganberry flavor. (Think blackcurrant.) This liqueur is produced on Whidbey Island, not far from Seattle, and is really yummy. It comes in far too large a bottle, but is worth picking up. Yum.

Amaretto - Golden sweet, not-quite-bitter almond-cherry flavored liquid. I'm a sucker for DiSaronno. Again, if anyone knows of another brand that is better, I'm all ears.

Luxardo - Clear, bitter flavor, doesn't taste quite like cherries. Luxardo makes a number of liqueurs, and I'm curious about all of them, but the one I've tried (and loved) is this marachino cherry liqueur. Made from the pits, it's on the bitter side and not for everyone, but I'm a solid fan. It's a great flavor, I'd like to try mixing with it sometime, too.

Velvet Falernum - Clear (maybe tending toward pale amber) liquid. Light, sweetish liquid, tastes of rum, lime & mostly clove, without being as cloyingly sweet as other falernums. Yes, our favorite bit of controversy also makes a tasty sipping liqueur, and that's in fact my favorite way to enjoy it. It's lighter than a typical liqueur, but damn if it ain't yumtacular.

Limoncello - Bold bright yellow liquid. Lemon flavored, with an obvious alcohol presence, tart but still sweet with a bitter aftertaste. This is a new one for me, just picked up Gioia Luisa brand. The alcohol tastes a bit harsh, but the flavor is nice. My mom makes a lemon sauce out of the Betty Crocker cookbook for rice pudding that tastes just like this (minus the alcohol). A bit harsh straight, but it would be good on dessert.

Creme de Cassis - Sweet, strong blackcurrant taste in a very dark red (almost black) liqueur. The brand I've got is Edmond Briottet, and its' beyond delicious. I lurve blackcurrant. This liqueur is very, very yummy, a strong sweet flavor, like syrup.

Bonny Doon Framboise - Red liquid. It's marketed as a wine and not a liqueur, but it's the most delicious stuff -- tastes just like fresh raspberries. Yum. Not too terribly syrupy.

Cynar - Artichoke liqueur. Sounds like a good idea when you're a few drinks into hte night, but really it isn't. Not my cup of tea at least. Maybe I need pointers on how to enjoy it.

I'd love to hear what's good & not-so-good from others!