geologyjane
St. Elder Natural Elderflower Liqueur
Floral Liqueurs — USA
Reviewed
February 20, 2020 (edited January 25, 2023)
This review for St. Elder Natural Elderflower Liqueur follows my previous review for the original, St. Germain. Let’s see how it stacks up in comparison:
Country of Origin: United States
ABV: 20%
Price: $16.99
Nose: Sweet, with a dulled brightness. This quite a bit lighter than St. Germain. Fruity and floral, but lacks depth, density, and the green, “leafy” note of the St. Germain. This has a sweetness reminiscent of a light agave syrup and leans more towards canned peaches and faint citrus.
Palate: Sweet, bright, and fruity, with more muted floral notes. Where St. Germain feels silky and syrupy, this has a soft and velvety mouthfeel. I don’t know what the base spirit is, but I detect a bit of dull graininess. As with the nose, this has more agave-like character rather than honey. It’s not as dense nor layered as St. Germain – it’s a fairly one-note peachy-citrusy-floral affair.
Finish: Short and sweet finish, with the faintest bit of citrusy bitterness as it trails off.
Verdict: Not bad by any means but St. Elder doesn’t quite rise to the same level of greatness as St. Germain. I find myself missing the depth and richness of St. Germain as the St. Elder doesn’t have as many facets to display. I think this would make a fine stand-in for St. Germain as a mixer, and it would save you about $10 as well. That said, it’s really no contest between the two, particularly when tasting neat.
3.75 ~ Very Good
17.0
USD
per
Bottle
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So this is cheaper, knockoff St Germain? Will keep that in mind next time I'm setting up a bowling alley bar.. (wink, wink)
I find Naples, FL the best remedy for a cold. Whisky and sun oxidized mine in about 24 hours; however, the treatments can be expensive. :)
@Scott_E @jonwilkinson7309 @geologyjane i don’t know...I think there is something to these natural remedies. The ex-scientist in me is of course dismissing it without clinical studies....but the old Ayurvedic practices do hold time proven anecdotal evidences.
@Scott_E - those sound similar to what I have been trying. If they are working for you, that's more anecdotal evidence that it's worth it!
@jonwilkinson7309 @PBMichiganWolverine - that is incredible! 20 years?? I need to try that!
@jonwilkinson7309 @geologyjane @PBMichiganWolverine my wife just purchased this winter elderberry gummies to help fight colds. Can’t say if it worked or not (speed recovery), but they are tasty. Maybe St. (Anything) is the better choice. Will have to try this for a simple pleasure.
@jonwilkinson7309 i think I was last sick 20 yrs ago...when I was still in college. Haven’t been sick since...the only thing I’ve had regularly is either raw unfiltered honey or manuka honey
@PBMichiganWolverine. That's impressive! It's one natural remedy that I haven't tried, but I'll have to give it a shot.
@geologyjane @jonwilkinson7309 i take a spoon of Manuka honey everyday. Going on over a decade without getting sick (looking for something wooden to knock on...)
@PBMichiganWolverine @jonwilkinson7309 - oh I totally forgot about the plant being toxic! I use elderberry syrup and “gummies” quite frequently in the winter time since they say it helps boost your immune system. I don’t know how true that is but I haven’t caught the office bug yet this cold and flu season.... (quickly knocks on wood)
@PBMichiganWolverine. Fascinating! I just looked it up, and colds and sinusitis are two conditions that elderflower is used to treat. I'm on day 7 of a cold that has turned into sinusitis, so maybe I need to pour myself some St. Germain...
Actually had to look up what is elderflower...was surprised to read the plant is toxic, but the flowers are medicinal