Note: Tuaca is based on a 15th Century Renaissance formula for a brandy-based liqueur created for a nobleman of the Medici family and ruler of Florence Lorenzo the Great. Revived in 1938, it gained popularity with American serviceman after the war and was then exported to the United States and adopted by bartenders here.

This liqueur is an interesting mix of 3-10 year old brandy from the Emilia Romagna of Italy (one of 4 brandy regions), a blend of spices and fruit (lemons,oranges ,etc.,), and about 2.5% sugar dissolved in alcohol to finish out the recipe.

First Impression: Nice mix of spice and citrus – reminds a little of poppy seed cake or a similar citrus spice cake- a more restrained and harmonious smell than most liqueurs I’ve sampled.

Appearance: Clear as a bell clarity and a pleasing patinated bronze gold color reminiscent of a brandy; gold in color. On swirling, leaves a thin coating on the glass,with a scalloped edge line then develops a few thin legs.

Taste: Thick, oily entry, sweet with some spicy dryness, with the citrus playing off the vanilla which tingles and coats the tongue with a nice spicy mix of flavor. Cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, bitter orange and some other spices provide and interesting heat and dryness to end the finish, successfully avoiding the tendency towards a cloying ending seen with so many other liqueurs of a similar profile.

Drinks: Work well in the drinks they list in the website. Seems like it would be a useful addition to your bar and worth a few experiments.Think of it along the lines of an amaretto, Frangelico, or a spicier version of a curacao all with more complexity and you get the idea of what you could do with it.

Bottle: Cylindrical clear glass bottle with rounded shoulders and slightly flared base and banded. Bottle is topped with a black and red neck foil with a gold colored signature, and finally, a real cork closure. Interesting graphics.

Final Thoughts: Decently made, somewhat complex. Not as cloying as an amaretto, Frangelico or similar liqueurs. Recommended as an alternative to the overpriced syrup their competition at Grand Marnier sells called Navan.

Website: http://www.tuaca.com

Fast loading webpage with decent graphics, drinks recipes, and information.