Skinos Mastiha Spirit

Appearance: Clear. Aroma: Resinous, fragrant herbal incense. The typical gum mastic scent, a subtle blend of pine, cedar, incense, mint, anise, bark, etc. There's an almost metallic undertone that becomes bothersome over time. Flavor & Texture: Sweet with a crisp and clean floral pine presence. A hint of mint and very faint lemon. This mastiha has a peculiar medicinal quality - not like the iodine of Islay whisky, but like hospital-grade alcohol swabs. It has an industrial taint. Mastic is a primary reference aroma, like sandalwood, frankincense, lemon, and rose. It's an aromatic substance with a unique character that can't be fully captured by comparing it to other scents. It's somewhat like incense, somewhat like pine, a bit like anise, and so on, but none of these comparisons truly convey its aroma and taste. When infused in alcohol, it creates a liqueur that is both complex and simple. Mastiha isn't made from secret ancient recipes with 47 guarded ingredients. It's a pure expression of the essence of a single substance. Skinos mastiha spirit (“skinos” is the ancient name for mastiha) offers a crisp and straightforward profile, but I found it lacked subtlety. A friend thought the 30% alcohol content was too high for this liqueur, as the alcohol was too prominent and masked the mastic. While I found it enjoyable, I have to concur – 24% seems to be the ideal level where there's enough alcohol to support the profile without being intrusive. An acceptable mastiha, but not our favorite. “Average”: 78/100 (2.75 stars)

A Greek liqueur made from the resin of the Mastiha tree from the island of Chios. The resin is collected by making small incisions in the tree, yielding drops of resin that resemble tears. It has an aromatic start with notes of root, earth, botanicals, herbs, and spice; while a complex middle adds notes of carrot, juniper, and resin; leading to a semi-sweet and slightly bitter finish of moderate length. March / April 2025

A complex liqueur from Greece, with sweet aloe notes, made from Mastic tree bark crystals. The mastic is steeped in neutral grain spirit and 17% sugar is added.

An excellent mastiha. It fully captures the pine and sweetness, while still offering some earthiness in the finish. Complex and suitable for a dessert beverage.

Very sweet, very floral, perhaps only for small quantities

Floral notes, with pine and cedar... very aromatic.