The reputation of the Finnish people as a hard coffee drinker is known (at least finns thought it) and now the vase has also been noticed in Altia’s product development department. Koskenkorva Espresso tries to strike to that golden vein here and it is desired to be a Finnish pet and why not a good export product. Altia’s coffee liqueur is made from Koskenkorva vodka, arabica coffee and sugar syrup. A 50 cl bottle of the liqueur costs around 7 euros in Estonia and Latvia. 

The aroma has a strong coffee smell, as you might guess. There are also slightly dark chocolate shades in the background. The mouthfeel is thinner than in liqueurs in general, and the liqueur is not as sweet as market leader Kahlua. The taste of the coffee is strong and a bit bitter, as is the case with coffee that has been waiting in the pot for a long time.

Koskenkorva Espresso is a coffee liqueur aimed at a clear Finnish taste, the taste clearly recognizes the taste of a typical filter coffee, which is familiar mainly when visiting service station bars in Finland. It is clearly a straightforward blend of coffee, liquor and sugar. The sophisticated taste obtained by soaking full coffee beans in spirits cannot be found here. I would guess that if you make a blend of strong filter coffee, liquor and sugar yourself, you will get pretty close to the same end result.

Koskenkorva Espresso is a positive surprise in the way it is exactly what it promises. Coffee liqueur with a fair taste of coffee, a sweet and fairly balanced product. It can be easily sipped neat and it’s not too sweet even after a couple servings. The manufacturer Altia also recommends making the Espresso Martini, shaken with ice, without adding anything else. The end result has a nice, tight foam, but the taste is pretty lean and a little too sweet, at least for those used to a traditional Espresso Martini. It requires at least a third more vodka to get a more kick and to be a better balanced drink.

82/100