Metaxa is one of the most famous Greek alcohols. Metaxa was developed by the Greek silk merchant Spyros Metaxa at the end of the 19th century. Because of his work, Spyros traveled a lot and encountered different alcohols and wines. He thought that too many distillates were too strong and he wanted to create a new, smoother drink. Metaxa was published in 1888 and quickly gained great popularity in the Mediterranean countries. Today, the Metaxa brand is owned by the French alcohol giant Remy Cointreau.
Metaxa is a mixture of three different ingredients. 1) Brandy distilled twice in a copper still, made from different Greek grape varieties. 2) Matured and aromatized Muscat wine made on the Greek islands 3) Extract made from Mediterranean herbs and rose petals. These three ingredients are mixed together and matured in French oak barrels.
The different star versions of Metaxa do not indicate the maturation time of the distillate, but the amounts of different wines and distillates in the mixture. According to the manufacturer, the amount of Muscat wine in the 7-star version is the largest in the range of star versions. Due to the added wine and spices, Metaxa cannot be called a brandy (it is reserved only for distillates made from wine), but it is almost always listed in the same list with brandies. A 50 cl bottle of Metaxa 7 Star cost 17 euros.
The nose is very aromatic, sweet and fruity. It’s not as intensely perfumey and floral as it was in the 5-star version, but more balanced and mature. The taste is soft and sweet. The fruity taste of muscat wine is felt, but not at all as strong as in the younger Metaxa versions. The taste is quite deep, raisin and slightly floral nuances balance with the mature aroma of the oak barrel. The aftertaste has herbal aromas that linger on the tongue for a long time. While the 5-Star version was quite original and different, the 7-Star is already more like traditional brandy. Metaxa 7-star is clearly the big brother of its younger versions. It has a lot of the same as the 5-star version, but more mature and balanced. Due to its smooth and quite sweet taste, it is very easy to sip. Metaxa 7 can be recommended to all brandy lovers.
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