Halti is the highest fell (1324 m) in Finland, but the alcohol brand named by it is made by Estonian Apricot Distillery. This product series also has a vodka, which have both traditional 40%, but also 80% strength versions. Halti Salmiakki must have been made for Finnish tourists which are visiting Estonia. Salted liquorice is very popular in Finland, but I haven’t seen Estonian people so interested in it. It can be found on sale in a few stores all over Estonia, but the biggest sale is probably in the stores near the port of Tallinn. Halti is of the same strength (32%) as Koskenkorva’s legendary salted licorice schnapps. I couldn’t find the raw materials used or other product information anywhere. As is typical of Apricot, no money is used to promoting the products, the low price works as their best sales promoter. A 50 cl bottle cost €7.99.

The dark gray, cloudy drink pours smoothly into the glass, and it doesn’t feel very sugary. A light licorice aroma can be found from the smell. The taste is soft, suitably sweet, but surprisingly without strong licorice aroma. Some b-class licorice powder or similar must have been used in the production, because it does not have the same salty licorice taste as in Koskenkorva’s liqueur. There is a light saltiness and it gives a nice contrast with the sweetness, but the saltiness is anyway rather light. The product is really not what it looks like and should be, the first expression is very bland. Halti Salmiakki continues Apricot Distillery’s familiar product line; cheaply produced and sold poor copies of other manufacturers’ products. Taste is not anything bad, but it’s not what I expected salted licorice schnapps should be. It’s not worth buying, even if the appearance of the bottle and the price are attractive.

75/100