Fichera, Fuoco Dell' Etna

Comm. Alfio Fichera Distillery, in Santa Venerina, Catania Metropolitan Area, Sicily, Italy. Www.distilleriefichera.it Located on the slopes of the active volcano Mt Etna, this distillery produces (among other things) Fuoco dell' Etna, "Fire of Etna." Contains alcohol, water, sugar, natural flavorings, and coloring agents E121 and E124. Bottled a flaming red lava color at 70% ABV and sold to visitors of Mt Etna National Park as a spicy herbal remedy for all that ails you. Or maybe, in large quantities, it becomes what ails you. 30ml mini bottle for 3 Euros. Tasting neat. Nose is cherry cough syrup sweet, with a light herbal citrus in back. On the palette, fruit syrup sweet and a blast of ethanol. Aggressive herbal tingle, with anise, mint, thyme, cinnamon, cherry, and citrus notes following. Thick, sweet, and coating mouthfeel. Finish follows those flavors. Herbal tingle continues as medicinal sweet/sour flavor lasts a long time. An ice chip cools and thins the mouthfeel, but doesn't tame the sweet, herbal, and ethanol flavors. I see why they bill this as an herbal remedy to cure illness--that cough syrup color and flavor, and the alcohol content, is familiar to anyone who has swigged Robitussin straight from the bottle. It doesn't numb your mouth like Robitussin, but the rest is there, and a few of these will make you feel better... if not well. Fire of Etna, indeed. Ciao bella.