Metaxa Grande Fine...

Metaxa Grande Fine (40.0%): I basically grew up with Metaxa. I remember my father who was born and grew up in Greece pouring it into tiny stemmed liquor glasses for his guests to be sipped with  after dinner coffee. It is a very popular liquor in Greece made by blending aged brandies which are distilled from white wines made both from fresh grapes and raisins with a small amount sweet muscat wines and a mix of herbs and floral extracts famously containing rose petals. Although I reviewed the 7 Star on the blog some years ago and had 3 and 5 Star expressions many times I never had Grande Fine before. It's supposed to contain older brandies in the blend compared to other expressions in the line-up.

Color: Metaxa always admitted that they use caramel coloring. It is in dark amber, chestnut color with pretty oily and slow legs.

Nose: Milk chocolate, rose jam and paper glue. Maple and raisin scones, Marsala wine and rose water. Dusty and old magazines and bruised table grapes.

Palate: Very sweet... PX sherry, golden raisins and strawberry jam. Baklava syrup, cinnamon sugar and ground cloves.

Finish: Long and sweet with residual sugar, buckwheat honey and rock candies.

Overall: It is generally too sweet just to sip it by itself but an amazing companion to any unsweetened coffee based beverage. The darker and more bitter the coffee the better is the experience. It's a cliche but I admit that Greek coffee and Metaxa are really meant to be together... It also handles a small cube of ice very well despite its low abv. which actually helps a lot during hot and long Mediterranean nights.

Price: $50

87/100

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