Mavrakis Mastiha Liqueur

Appearance: Clear. Thick and viscous, when swirled it leaves wide slow-running legs and beads of liqueur remain on the empty glass. Aroma: Very earthy and resinous, more so than other mastiha I’ve tried. You really smell fresh gum mastic and red dirt in this one. It’s less piney or minty than usual and very similar to frankincense resin. Flavour and Texture: The initial flavor is like the promise from the nose – earthy, woody tree resin with incense overtones. There is little development on the palate but that’s not unusual for mastiha. What does emerge over time is an intensely sweet icing sugar flavor that comes to dominate. This is the sweetest mastiha we have tried. Mastiha is an interesting liqueur in that it is just the essence of a single ingredient – mastic gum – which is steeped in alcohol and sweetened with sugar. It is necessarily a one-man band, but the interesting thing is not so much the complexity shown by any specific bottling, but the wide variation between brands. I’ve tasted some mastiha that are floral and have frangipani and honeysuckle notes, others that are very pine-needle and peppermint dominated, and others that are herbal, woody and earthy. This particular example is intensely earthy with a strong aroma and taste of the raw tree-sap. The nose is one of the best I’ve experienced and it has a warm, deep character. If only the taste was as fine I’d have no hesitation in giving this 4 stars. Sadly although the flavour is indeed very good the palate is also swamped with a powdered white sugar presence to a degree that almost makes you clench your teeth. After a liqueur-glass of this you crave a jug of plain water to clear away the sucrose. Next to Licor 43 this is the sweetest liqueur I've ever tasted. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)