Vana Tallinn is a legendary Estonian herbal-spice liqueur, which has been made in Tallinn since 1960. Alongside the traditional liqueur, several slightly different flavored versions have been produced in recent years. The first of these is Wild Spices, which the manufacturer says is a hotter version of the original liqueur. It has less sugar, but has added a variety of fiery spices such as ginger, various peppers and star anise. The alcohol content is slightly lower than the original liqueur, ie 35%. The price of the liqueur is about the same, around € 10 in 50 cl bottles.

The aroma is not much different from the original Vana Tallinn. It is spicy and sweet, with cinnamon and citrus fruit smelling the most. The mouthfeel of the liqueur is quite lean, there is indeed clearly less sugar than in herbal liqueurs in general. The taste is perhaps less full-bodied, but a little spicier than the traditional Vana Tallinn. Especially in the aftertaste, there is more burn in the tongue than in the original version. Cinnamon, orange peel, cloves and vanilla are best featured, a peppery flavor is also present. The alcohol burns surprisingly lightly, but the fiery spices sting the tongue even more.

Wild Spices is a good variation of the traditional Vana Tallinn. However, it does not reach the level of the original liqueur, a slightly thinner mouthfeel and burning spiciness lower the enjoyment a bit. It’s still a nice variation and you can try Wild Spices if you like Vana Tallinn in general. If. the product is not familiar before, I still recommend testing the original liqueur first.

85/100