Today, in the heyday of the cocktail renaissance, there is probably more adored spirit than the Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur. This liqueur is it’s baby brother and while the two share the same DNA with the use of the sour marasca cherry, they are very different. The Luxardo Cherry Liqueur is similar to a cherry brandy. The juice of the marasca cherries are fermented and then aged in oak barrels, which gives the Cherry Liqueur a very different flavor profile than the Luxardo Maraschino.
In addition to its shared heritage with the Luxardo Maraschino, the Luxardo Distillery, itself, has a very interesting story. It was founded in 1821 in Zara, a city on the Dalmatian Coast by an Italian diplomat. The company continued along, producing high quality spirits and liqueurs until World War II. After the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I, the area around Zara became part of Italy as most of its citizens were Italian. During World War II, the Germans invaded this area and after their withdrawal, the area came under the command of Tito. Tito wasn’t kind to the Italians and the members of the Luxardo family with a number of the men in the Luxardo family being executed. The lone remaining brother moved the distillery to Italy. The rest is history.
The tasting note for the Luxardo Cherry Liqueur:
Appearance: Clear with a medium plus red color with brown hues and viscous legs.
Aroma: Clean with medium, matured aromas of sour cherry, orange peel and vanilla.
Palate: Medium sweet, medium plus body, medium intensity of sour cherry, orange peel, cloves and vanilla. Medium finish.
Rating: Good. Clean, sour cherry aromas and flavor. The body borders on viscous but restrains itself. Mixes well with others.
