Russo Arancello di Sicilia

Appearance: Cloudy orange. Aroma: Intense orange, similar to the aroma of orange juice concentrate with a hint of added orange zest. Flavour and Texture: Sweet, strong orange with a little alcohol heat. Bittersweet in the aftertaste. Syrupy texture at room temperature, viscous when chilled. A straightforward but well-made orange liqueur. Cellos are not noted for their complexity, the artistry being to capture the uncluttered essence of the featured fruit. This is one of a range of Sicilian liqueurs that has recently appeared on our shelves. The Russo Distillery dates back to 1870 but both production and distribution have recently been expanded. They produce a wide range of grappa, amari, and liqueurs using in-house distilled neutral spirit. Like limoncello and other traditional citrus liqueurs, arancello is produced by steeping peel in alcohol. In this example local Sicilian oranges are used and the peel is steeped for 8-10 days and once the maceration is complete the liquor is diluted to 30% abv with sugar syrup. It’s fair to say that there are only three “grades” of cellos. The great majority (and almost all home-made ones) are OK and broadly similar. However a few are truly awful, and a very few are excellent. This particular arancello, whilst not outstanding, is on the higher side of average. It is a pleasant digestif that is best served neat straight from the freezer in a chilled glass. I imagine it would also work well as a substitute for triple sec, in which case it would lend a more rustic, crisp and fruity character to a cocktail. It was certainly good enough to make me want to explore more of their range. “Above Average” : 81/100 (3 stars)