Amaretto is a traditional Italian sweet almond-flavored liqueur. Amaretto was developed in Saronno, according to legend, in 1525. Disaronno Originale was formerly known as Amaretto di Saronno. It began to be manufactured in early 1900 in Saronno, by a company called Illva Saronno. Disaronno is made from apricot kernel oil, caramelized sugar, neutral alcohol and a secret blend with a total of 17 different herbs and fruits. Although amaretto usually has a strong almond flavor, it may be made completely without almonds or nuts. According to the manufacturer, no artificial essences or additives are used. Disaronno is easily the most expensive amaretto in Estonian stores, a 50 cl bottle costs about 15 euros.
Nose is sweet and rich. Almonds, apricots, cherries, toffee and maple syrup. When the drink is spun in the glass, there are long and thick traces, which means there is a rather high sugar level on it. The mouthfeel is thick and the liqueur is sweet with a strong almond and caramel taste. In addition to almonds, there are dried apricots and dried fruit like dates. The 17 herbs mentioned by the recipe do not feel any way, the almond flavour is so strong. There is enough bitterness that the sweet-bitter combination is quite well balanced. The alcohol level, which is clearly higher than the normal 21% used in liqueurs, is easily felt, but just in a positive way. Due to its abundant sweetness, the alcohol doesn’t bite, but it gives the drink a good body. With a lighter alcohol content, Disaronno would certainly be just a pure syrup. The aftertaste is soft almondy and oily and has no bitterness.
Disaronno is a rich and very sweet liqueur. It’s easily the sweetest amaretto liqueur I’ve tasted. Because of its syrupy sweetness, Disaronno is on the edge, could it be sipped neat at all. Ice cubes in a glass are a great help However, Disaronno is at its best in cocktails. There are very few bars where a bottle of Disaronno does not appear on the bar shelf. If you haven’t tasted amaretto yet, you might want to start with Disaronno. Especially if you want to make classic cocktails like Godfather, French Connection or Amaretto Sour.
85/100
