Mavrakis Mastiha Liqueur

Appearance: Clear. Thick and viscous, leaving wide slow-running legs when swirled, with liqueur beads clinging to the glass. Aroma: Quite earthy and resinous, more so than other mastiha I've encountered. Distinct notes of fresh gum mastic and red soil are present. It's less piney or minty than typical, resembling frankincense resin. Flavor and Texture: The initial taste mirrors the aroma – earthy, woody tree resin with incense undertones. There's minimal evolution on the palate, which is common for mastiha. Over time, an intensely sweet icing sugar flavor emerges, becoming dominant. This is the sweetest mastiha we have sampled. Mastiha is an intriguing liqueur, essentially the essence of a single ingredient – mastic gum – steeped in alcohol and sweetened. Each bottling is a solo performance, but the notable aspect is the wide variation among brands, rather than inherent complexity. I've tasted mastiha that were floral with notes of frangipani and honeysuckle, others heavily featuring pine needle and peppermint, and some that were herbal, woody, and earthy. This specific one is intensely earthy, with a powerful aroma and taste of the raw tree sap. The nose is among the best I've experienced, possessing a warm, deep character. If only the taste were as fine, I would confidently award it 4 stars. Unfortunately, while the flavor is indeed very good, the palate is overwhelmed by a powdered white sugar presence to an almost jaw-clenching degree. After a small glass of this, one desperately needs plain water to cleanse the palate of the sucrose. It's the sweetest liqueur I've ever tried, rivaled only by Licor 43. “Above Average”: 82/100 (3.25 stars)