St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

Have you ever tried elderflower liqueur? I was given this bottle of St. Germain likely due to its stunning vintage Parisienne inspired bottle and label. I didn't realize that this brand only came to market in 2007! St. Germain features flowers that are picked in the French Alps over a 4-6 week period in the springtime. My first thought when I smelled this spirit was a cross between a medicinal quality and luminous woodland faeries sprinkling their magic across sprawling land. Yes, really. St. Germain has bottom notes of earthiness and honey that later leave a vague, perfume-like aroma. My initial taste has an unexpected tanginess that hastily transitions to that dark, musty honey sweetness from the nose. Its flavour is reminiscent of lychee in syrup with a bit of floral and lemon compliments. This has a smooth, coating mouthfeel and a slightly dry, palate-matching finish. I could picture this being a fun digestif chilled, but would rather use this to compliment sparkling wine or gin well in a mixed drink. St Germain is certainly unique and seems versatile for cocktail lovers. 8/10

So versatile for cocktails. I love using this to bring out floral characteristics of gin or rye whiskey, or to add an elderflower note when desired. Not overly syrupy or sweet. FYI—this pairs wonderfully in cocktails with rosemary as a garnish.

Appearance: Pale straw. Aroma: Lychee syrup with suggestions of peach liqueur, citrus peel, jasmine and muscat grape juice. Palate: Intense but crisp sweetness based around lychees, honey-water and elderflower. The sweetness is balanced by elegant acidic notes led by grapefruit and a touch of sweet lemon. There is a light spice touch like lemon and ginger tea and the overall sweet character is more akin to honeysuckle nectar than sugar syrup. The texture is viscous but avoids being cloying on the finish. Finish: Medium/long. Lychee, peach, gooseberry and grapefruit. The nose on this is comparatively simple and very direct. I have a suspicion that all the subtle sweet notes I found are merely different characteristics of elderflower. The palate is crisp, commanding and straightforward with a character like an acidic, fruity young white wine. Complex liqueurs such as Benedictine and Chartreuse were originally created for neat consumption, either as tonics or for pleasure, although most if not all such liqueurs have now found their way into mixed drinks. In contrast, I'd classify this elderflower liqueur with other tightly focused liqueurs like triple sec and maraschino that were designed specifically as cocktail ingredients to add one sharply defined spice note in cocktails. This can be enjoyed as a neat liqueur but if you are taking it that way I highly recommend serving it chilled straight from the fridge, or even freezer. This highlights its crispness and counterbalances the sweetness. I also love the very cool art moderne bottle and it's almost tempting to give it another quarter-point just for that. "Very Good" : 87/100 (4.25 stars)

Lovely nose and adds extra floral notes when added to cocktails.