Notes: Made with a number of different herbs, the primaries being chichona, cardamom orange, angostura, enzian, and gentian. In business since 1821, Luxardo has a long tradition of making all sorts of various liqueurs almost all of them winning high praise from various organizations and individuals in the trade.

First Impression: Aromatic bitter licorice with earthy, herbal and spicy notes, wrapping even more bitter. Smells like a witches herb cabinet.

Appearance: Dark cola or betel nut color – a very striking red and unmistakable in a drink. On swirling, leaves a coating on the glass with many long thin legs developing.

Taste: Heavy oily entry with a bitter bitter, intensely alkaline taste, bitter cherry, woodruff, rosemary, lemon, gentian, quinine, cassia, cardamom, cinnamon, orris root, tansy, angelica, fennel, wormwood, enzian.

Drinks: Not sure what to do with this except over ice. Good as a digestiv. Bitter enough to use in small dashes in drinks calling for other types of bitters.

Bottle: Clear glass bottle, cylindrical with a rounded shoulder 3/4 of the way up and a slightly large neck with a bright red screwtop closure. Simple paper label and a medallion / pommel stamping on the shoulder make it easier to find. Red screwcap and neckwrap.

Final Thoughts: Bitter enough to threaten small children with if they misbehave.

Website:  http://www.luxardo.it/