Inderøy Den Gyldne Aquavit

Aquavit tasting, December 17, 2022, aquavit #4 Smell: Woody, with scents of pine needles and newly cut pine wood. Aromatic citrus (orange, lemon), anise, caraway, and peppermint. Taste: A spicy start with many baking spices, juniper, coriander, and curry leaf. The taste is a bit fiery and harsh, with a somewhat unrefined character. Aftertaste: Medium/long. Spicy and woody notes carry into the aftertaste. This aquavit had the most intriguing smell of the tasting selection, with an almost overwhelming amount of herbal and pine-forest scents. We were informed it comes from a farm distillery and that local caraway, dandelion, fir shoots, watercress, and meadowsweet are used in the recipe, and it's sweetened with honey. However, as much as I enjoyed the striking smell of this one, the taste was the least balanced and polished for me in the lineup. I found it had a hot and almost severe character, even though at 38% alcohol by volume it was the lowest proof spirit. It gave me the impression of being very young and unsettled. It was certainly an interesting aquavit to try, but not one I would purchase. "Above Average": 81/100 (3 stars)