Escubac

They've definitely created something unusual here. I haven't tried that many liqueurs but I couldn't easily match this to any of the ones I've had. At the same time, it's not outrageous or weird. Rather, it seems to have found an unoccupied spot in the middle of flavor space that has some similarities to various other categories of liquor. The aroma is full of deep, soft spices. Caraway, nutmeg, and cardamom are all listed as among the botanicals used, and they come through prominently. There's a faint honey-like sweetness and a bit of vanilla as well. In the flavor the sweetness comes first, then a bit of alcohol burn, and then some other flavors, now more herbs than spices (maybe a bit of mint). The thicker spices from the aroma come at the end to meld with the sweet vanilla in a fairly long finish. It's quite enjoyable. The marketing info seems to be trying to position this as sort of a "gin without juniper" and I think that's fairly accurate. The spice botanicals wouldn't be out of place in a gin. At the same time, those spices are quite deep and powerful here, giving this a much "heavier" feel than I typically associate with gin, and moving it closer to the "body" of a whiskey. They say that only "a small amount of sugar" is added and that jibes with my impression. The sweetness is mostly a backdrop against which the other flavors are set, as close to the fruity sweetness of a Scotch as to a typical liqueur with lots of added sugar. It's quite cool that they've managed to create something like this, with its different aspects having similarities to liqueurs, gin, and whiskey. The main drawback for me is that that intermediate flavor space it occupies doesn't have quite the same appeal as the other categories it draws on. It's definitely got enough complexity that I like drinking it neat, but I don't reach for it often because usually if I want something light I reach for gin or rhum agricole blanc, and if I want something a bit more weighty I'm leaning toward something aged in a barrel. This certainly isn't something that blew me away with its deliciousness, but it's quite tasty and it's unusual enough that I'm glad I gave it a try. I won't be rushing out to replace this when it's gone, as its neither-here-nor-there flavor profile doesn't leave a gap I feel an urgent need to fill. But I could see circling back to it eventually. It was a bargain at $20.