There are a number of Limoni, Lemoncello, and similar types of fruit liqueurs out there. Some domestic, some imported,and of course in widely varying quality.
Note: There are a number of Limoni, Lemoncello, and similar types of fruit liqueurs out there. Some domestic, some imported,and of course in widely varying quality.
Fratelli Averna dates back to 1868, and is much more well known here for theirAmaro Bitters, than their sambucas and their Limoni, their newest import.
This is welcome news to us as most of the Limoni or Lemoncello I have had tastes like lighter fluid mixed with some sort of lemon chemical/disinfectant compounds. Averna’s Limoni is not that type. Made from Sicilian lemons, orange blossoms, and spices it thankfully smells and tastes quite a bit different.
First Impression: Intensely fragrant bouquet of lemon,orange blossoms, star anise, orris root or cardamon?, with a fair amount of base spice notes so it’s not all lemon all the time. A nice balance.
Appearance:Attractive cloudy lemonade look. On swirling, leaves a thin coating on the glass, then develops some legs.
Taste: Nice round body,slightly oily, and intensely (but not sickly) sweet.
Drinks: Work well in the usual drinks calling for Limoncello, the company also has a number of great drinks that they developed (which sadly they do not list on their webpage- yet). Could also be used as a lemon juice substitute in some drink recipes to add more layers of taste and dispensing with sugar or simple syrup.
Bottle: Cylindrical glass bottle with rounded shoulders and screw cap closure. Clear label with silk screened stylized lemon on front. Back label type is hard to read for anyone over 40 years old. Hard to miss with the bright yellow color of the contents.
Other : This spirit is part of remarkable portfolio of the Domiane Select Classic and Vintage Artisanal Spirits Collection along with the following spirits we have already reviewed Averna Sambuca , Averna Limoni , Deaths Door Vodka , Deaths Door Gin, G Vine Floraison , G’Vine Nouaison , Rhum J.M Blanc , Rhum J.M. Gold , Rhum J.M VSOP , Rhum J.M. Vieux , Stranahan Colorado Whiskey, Suprema Grappa along with others we have not yet reviewed but hope to in the future, given the quality of what we have already reviewed.
Final Thoughts: A much better lemon liqueur than many out there. A wonderful addition to the category that I highly recommend. Yes, it costs a bit more but worth it (see my cost calculations in Cocktail Math).
Website: http://www.averna.it
Fast loading webpage with decent graphics, some drinks recipes, and information.
