Hofland Meesterbitters

Let's be clear here, Meesterbitters is extremely similar to Jagermeister to the point that if you don't want to be charitable, you can almost think of it as an off-brand Jager substitute. But I'll be honest, I think there are enough serious distinctions here that there's reasons to favor one over the other depending on the situation. Let's begin with the aroma. Meesterbitters smells much earthier, somehow "murkier" than Jager. There is still a distinct anise smell but whereas Jager smells like a botanical sweet syrup, Meesterbitters smells more like a bitter liqueur. It's decidedly less sweet and more grounded. Perhaps even rougher around the edges, emphasizing it's medicinal and root-based notes. This translates into the palate as well. Whereas Jager packs a sweet punch, Meesterbitters is more upfront with a spicy ginger, anise and earthy root taste. The bitterness comes from the very start and lingers. It isn't as well balanced as Jagermeister is but on the other hand the sweetness helps ameliorate the herbal, root and medicinal notes rather than packing the sweet punch of Jager. Whereas one can describe Jager as being syrupy, Meesterbitters almost reminds me of angostura bitters. Even the finish feels like the tannic from a more bitter wine compared to Jager's smoother finish. So here's the deal: for those that find Jagermeister to just be too sweet, syrup like and overly medicinal, Meesterbitters is a fine alternative focusing more on the earthy and root notes with more subdued medicinal tastes. Personally I'd drink Meesterbitters as a digestif after a heavy meal and experiment with it on more muted cocktails were I don't want to make it overly sweet. For more casual drinking where I'm focused on the flavor, Jagermeister has a lot more to offer and in the right hands it can do more work in a cocktail requiring subtlety and sweetness.