Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

Still owned and operated by the sixth generation of the Luxardo family, it is one of the oldest European liqueurs. People have identified Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur by its straw-plaited bottles. Originally it was used to avoid breakage during sea travel. Obtained from the marasca, a sour cherry variety exclusively cultivated by Luxardo, it is one of the very few liqueurs in the world produced by distillation. The distillate is allowed to mature for two years in Finnish ash wood vats and is then diluted and sugared. For a nice touch, they leave the cherry pits in with the fruit, which adds a fabulous almond-like flavor.

The up front flavor is very floral with a handful of pine and tree bark. The mild nutty mid palette comes from the cherry pits and is very subtle. Luxardo finishes out with a peppermint candy freshness that cleanses the palette nicely. The texture is dense and syrupy, coating the mouth.