Licor 43 Baristo

Appearance: A pale transparent bronze colour, gold towards the edges. Aroma: Cold-pressed coffee with maybe just a zephyr of vanilla. Flavour and Texture: From the first instant this is a solidly coffee flavoured liquor. There is sweetness but it's not as thick and syrupy as some liqueurs so I'm assuming the sucrose content is moderate. The texture is pleasing and certainly not heavy or clinging. It remains sweet with no bitterness in the aftertaste but that's not just due to sugar. It's uncomplicated by extraneous vanilla or spices and is basically just a very palatable coffee extract added to a liqueur base which is subtle but just vaguely noticeable. It's well crafted. This reminds me a little of Meukow Xpresso, which is a coffee liqueur based on cognac. It is notable among coffee liqueurs for having a discernable brandy spirit base instead of the usual neutral grain alcohol. Similarly, you can sense the base of Licor 43 at the back of this coffee liqueur and it's pleasant, contributing complexity. I've tasted more intensely up-front coffee liqueurs (Mr Black from my hometown of Sydney springs to mind) but there is a subtle and relaxed quality to this drink which is very pleasing. We purchased it as a TRE and I've not seen it available locally in the shops. Mrs Cascode & I enjoyed it neat, over ice, mixed with milk and with cream. It's also very good over ice-cream as a dessert topping. My favourite use so far is to mix an equal measure of this liqueur with Liquor 43 Orochata over some crushed ice. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)