Bottega is an Italian winery whose roots are already in the 17th century in grape cultivation and wine production. However, the Bottega family started the actual business in the beginning of 1900, when in addition to exporting wine, they also started producing grappa and other alcohols. Later, Bottega merged with another similar company, Alexander, and now products sold under both Bottega’s and Alexander’s names can already be found quite comprehensively all over Europe. The main part of the group’s production is still in various wines and grappas, but the selection also includes the gin, vodka, bitter, vermouth and a few liqueurs. Limoncino is made from lemon peel that is macerated in strong alcohol for 30 days. After maceration, the mixture is strained and sugar, water and a little grappa are added to complement the taste. A 20 cl bottle of Bottega Limoncino cost around €6.

The color of Limoncino is natural, yellowish and the liqueur itself is slightly cloudy. The nose is exactly what you would expect; pleasantly citrusy, slightly sweet. Like rolling a lemon in your hands and smelling its peel. The taste is soft, quite thick and sweet. However, the tartness of the lemon and the sharpness of the alcohol balance the taste perfectly. Apart from the lemon, no other nuances can be distinguished from the taste, not even the grappa added at the end of the process. The sweetness and the tartness and acidity of the citrus are perfectly balanced. The aftertaste has a bit of lemon peel bitterness, but still enough sweetness. The taste is completely natural, and there is no essence or other industrial nuance that is typical of inexpensive limoncellos. An excellent and well-balanced lemon liqueur that I can’t find anything to whine about.

93/100