Alongside the traditional Unicum Zwack herbal bitter, the Budapest-based Zwack distillery has also produced a few slightly lighter versions. Szilva, which means plum in Hungarian, a fruit grown in abundance in the country, has been chosen to bring a new aroma to this most famous Hungarian herbal spirit. In the preparation of the liqueur, Unicum Zwack has been taken and placed in oak barrels with dried plums to macerate for six months. After filtering and equalizing the alcohol level with water, the liqueur is ready to be bottled. According to the manufacturer, no sugar has been added to the liqueur, all the sugar it contains comes from the fruit itself. I have not seen Unicum Szilva available in the Baltic countries, but in Hungary it is sold in almost every grocery store. A 10 cl small bottle cost €5.20 at Budapest airport.

In the glass, the liqueur is slightly lighter than traditional Unicum, but the smell is almost the same. The bitter nuances come through well in the smell, with something sweet in the background. The taste is softer and lighter than Unicum Zwack, also a bit sweeter. The plum aroma only comes through slightly when carefully analyzing it in the mouth. The softer mouthfeel reveals that something has been added to the liqueur. The bitterness also doesn’t attack so harshly, although there is quite enough of it. Unicum Szilva is actually an excellent herbal liqueur. It has all the ingredients in a very good balance. There is sweetness, bitterness, a touch of fruitiness and the flavor has a lingering depth from barrel aging. Now I slightly regret not bringing a bigger bottle of Szilva from my trip to Hungary. The price of a large bottle in local grocery stores was really decent.

87/100