Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington
Bénédictine
Herbal/Spice Liqueurs — France
Reviewed
July 22, 2022 (edited January 6, 2023)
While I usually think of the yogurt and cucumber based spread with fennel when I hear Benedictine, @cascode changed my perception - for the better.
This is an odd liquid. Rich golden color, syrupy viscosity. The nose is that of fennel, cedar, pine, oak, peppermint candy, mild tobacco, agave, dark chocolate, espresso and a bit of juniper.
Thick, rich, sweet, spicy, earthy and woody. Wow. Many of the notes from the nose are there and in excellent balance, with the one exception being that some might find it to be overly sweet. Personally, I think they got it just right. There are no bitter, overpowering notes (ie. Campari, Aperol, etc). Something to be savored and could be paired with a dessert or cigar. Frankly, I think it is a head above Green Chartreuse but I could be premature in saying that.
This, stand alone, is excellent and almost shouldn’t be mixed. What I do wonder is how this would cocktail and I see myself pairing this with mezcal joven or rye whiskey but could even complement an Islay (I’m looking at Lag 16 and Uigeadal, blasphemous but also fantastic potential) to bring out the richly sweet side of a smokey single malt. Could also go with brandy, but again, this is quite stellar on its own and unlike much else that I’ve tried. At the risk of sounding demeaning, I would reach and say this is not entirely different Jäegermeister, except that this is better in every way (unless, perhaps, mixed with RedBull - if people are even still doing that).
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@skillerified I don’t know how many cigars really pick up Spanish cedar notes but those seem like they could meld brilliantly
I did grab a bottle. Big cigar smoker, so I paired it with big Cohiba Nicaragua (6x60). It's a medium smoke and not so spicy. I think a stronger smoke would be better. The sweetness and citrus of the Benedictine overpowers quite a bit. With my smoke, they never played nice together - it was all one then the other. No melding of flavors. It's a starting point.
@Scott_E B&B is “Bénédictine & Brandy”, so just this and cognac. I drank it as a chaser after a pint of dark ale when I was a student and had more brain cells, but less sense.
I know soooo little about cigars, but can say that an aromatic bowl of pipe tobacco would be way too sweet. I’m kind of maduro or bust on cigars so far, but my take is that a lighter, spicy cigar would work better here?
You all make it sound like I need to go grab one of these asap.
@PBMichiganWolverine @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington @cascode I will have try this alone and mix with a smoky. Cigar pairing? I have only tried B&B which is something my father enjoys and will share that with him on family occasions. How much different is the Benedictine than B&B?
@cascode @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington great idea….I love the thought of sweet /smoky combo of this and an Islay. I’m going to attempt with an Ardbeg 8 with this
Also, I've never heard of Benedictine dip before - had to Google it :-)
It absolutely has a time-proven affinity for cognac - it's a classic combo - but your mention of Uigeadail, oh, that could be very good. I'd never thought of a smoky addition to this. Now you have me wondering what it would be like with a big sherry bomb like Dalmore Cigar Malt. Hmm ... off to the liquor store tomorrow.