Ouzo of Plomari Adolo

Appearance (neat): Water-clear. Appearance (watered): Cloudy white. Aroma: Liquorice and anise are the primary aromas, which is to be expected. There is a fragrant top-note but surprisingly less so than on the standard Ouzo of Plomari - this seems to have less complexity. Taste and Texture (neat): Strong anise and liquorice but once again less complexity than I would have expected. The palate is more austere than the standard version. Taste and Texture (watered): Curious. Still sweet (more so than most other ouzo) but also somewhat aloof with that same austerity as the neat palate. The texture is unremarkable but it should be noted that the finish is sublime. There are no harsh notes whatsoever and this is a glacially clean, crisp distillate right up to the final echoes of the aftertaste. I was impressed by the standard Ouzo of Plomari when I first tried it a few months ago, sufficiently so that I bought another bottle (which was just as good) that I’ve only recently killed off. To replace it I bought this “Adolo” expression which is marketed as the “heart of Plomari” as it is triple distilled and presumably taken from a narrow heart cut. I was expecting the familiar Plomari profile but with more delicacy and nuance however it is not quite like that. What you have here is something that I can best describe as the standard Plomari cut 50/50 with an excellent grain vodka. It has a crisp, crystalline character that is certainly elegant but I can’t help missing those big hefty Plomari sugars and aromatics. The standard Ouzo of Plomari is easily sippable neat as a liqueur, and with dilution its almost gin-like nose is very pleasant. This one, however, just doesn’t grab me as much. However to be fair, this is probably a better ouzo to match with food. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)