Aquavit (Akvavit, Akevitt) is a traditional spirit in Scandinavian countries. It is also popular in northern Germany. Aquavit is usually made from grain or potatoes, flavored with various spices. Caraway, dill and anise are the most typical spices, but every manufacturer has their own spices and spice combinations. Aquavit has been produced since the 1600s.
O.P Anderson is Sweden’s oldest and best-selling aquavit, it is produced in Sundvall in central Sweden. The spirit was developed in 1891 by Carl August Anderson, who named it after his father, Olof Peter. The drink is flavored with cumin, anise and fennel. After seasoning, it is aged for 6 months in an oak barrel, which also gives it a slightly yellowish color. A 50 cl bottle of the product cost €14.
Caraway appears strongly in the smell. There is also other spiciness in the background, at least fennel, which is one of my favorite tea spices. The taste is sweet and very smooth. Organic sugar was mentioned in Akvavit’s list of ingredients, and there is indeed so much sweetness that it doesn’t just come from spices. The flavor has caraway and a bit of licorice-like anise. However, the spiciness is very moderate, not any spice disturbs and does not even stay in the mouth for so long. Due to the smooth and matured taste and light spiciness, OP Anderson is very easy to sip on its own. However, a bit of overkill sweetness starts to bother me quickly. OP Anderson is my first aquavit, so there is nothing to compare it. I imagined akvavit is much spicier, maybe you can find less sweet and stronger products from other producers. OP Anderson feels a bit like “coca-cola of aquavit” so easy, soft and suitable for all. It is certainly a good purchase for the first aquavit, to give an idea of what type of drink style it is. It suits well also for those who have something against caraway or fennel. However, it is an interesting spirit genre and OP will certainly not be the only representative of it. Too bad these products are not so widely on sale in the Baltic states.
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