Villa Massa Limoncello

Appearance: Clear but a little hazy. Bright yellow color with some particles floating within. Smell: Zesty lemon, lemonades, and hard candy. Taste and Feel: A thick, sweet fluid with a strong lemon flavor. It's clear this comes only from lemon peel, without any artificial elements. However, it's a bit too basic and has a very subtle oily metallic hint. Limoncello is quite simple to make (I've done it myself) and homemade is always the finest, but achieving perfection is difficult. It's just lemon rind steeped in alcohol, then sweetened with sugar syrup and diluted to the desired alcohol level with distilled water (if needed), but you must be careful to avoid a bitter, oily aftertaste. This is a standard limoncello, produced since 1890, and it's a decent one. Villa Massa uses only PGI-certified Sorrento lemons and their method minimizes contact with the fruit's pith. The result is a liqueur tasting of pure sweet lemon essence and alcohol. My main critique is its lack of vibrancy, and the lemon oil taste is a little too dominant. There's also very little lingering flavor. Enjoyable on its own in a small glass or over ice, with tonic, or with soda water. A splash adds a sweeter lemon note and body to a gin & tonic. "Good": 84/100 (3.75 stars)

An Italian lemon liqueur, its aroma starts with lemon, and its full, rich body concludes with a long, thick finish. December 2016 / January 2017

This one's sweetness feels quite real. It presents like it's been sweetened with cane sugar, yet the lemon's tartness persists.

It's enjoyable and very smooth, though not quite as flavorful as I had hoped.

Very well made. Perfect thickness. Just a little too sweet.

A limoncello should be exactly this: soft yet sharp.