First Impression: At first whiff, the coffee has a robust espresso, and hints of chocolate smell with a touch of vanilla. Dark roasted coffee hits first, then alcohol but in a somewhat understated way.

Appearance: Pleasing coffee color, dark but not opaque, on swirling leaves a even, somewhat thick coat on the glass with some legs developing.

Taste: Sweet, creamy/oily mouth feel intense coffee, chocolate, vanilla then a lingering pleasant alkali taste, (black pepper?) and a long aftertaste. Only mild alcohol aftertaste, smooth and sweet.

Drinks: We found all of their proprietary recipes to be excellent. We especially liked it in out Toasted Almonds. illy makes a very nice (and better frankly) substitute for Kahlua or many other subsequent coffee liqueurs. Be careful with this in your coffee(especially your morning coffee) it is very easy to drink. It may totally counteract the caffeine resulting in relaxation. Also good in cooking.

Bottle: Dark machine-age style glass bottle with simple retro looking black and red label.

Other: Made in Trieste, Italy, since 1933 .

Final Thoughts: The classic coffee liqueur, one of the originals – copied by many.

Website: http://www.ourniche.com/spirits.asp

Quick loading webpage with drinks recipes.