Skinos Mastiha Spirit

Appearance: Clear. Aroma: Resinous, fragrantly herbal incense. The usual gum mastic aroma that is a subtle amalgum of pine, cedar, incense, mint, anise, bark, etc. There is something almost metallic in the background that becomes intrusive over time. Flavour & Texture: Sweet with a crisp and clean presence of floral pine. A minty touch and very faint lemon. There is a curious medicinal note to this mastiha - not medicinal like Islay whisky iodine aromas but medicinal like hospital grade ethanol swabs. It's an industrial tinge. Mastic is a primary reference scent, like sandalwood, frankincense, lemon and rose. It’s one of those aromatic substances that possesses a personality all its own and so cannot adequately be described by comparison to other aromas. It is a little like incense, a little like pine, a touch like anise, and so on but none of these comparisons properly conveys a sense of its aroma and taste. When steeped in alcohol it produces a liqueur that is simultaneously complex and simple. Mastiha is not produced from secret recipes devised by medieval monks and containing 47 closely guarded ingredients. It is a pure expression of the essence of one substance. Skinos mastiha spirit (“skinos” is the ancient name for mastiha) is a crisp and direct version but I felt that it lacked subtlety. Mrs Cascode thought that 30% abv is too high for this liqueur as the alcohol presence was too easily detected and covered the mastic. Whilst I thought it was enjoyable I have to agree – 24% seems to be the magic point at which there is just enough alcohol to carry the profile but not so much as to be intrusive. A OK mastiha, but not our favourite. “Average” : 78/100 (2.75 stars)

A Greek liqueur crafted with the resin from the Mastiha tree on the Greek island of Chios. The resin is harvested by making small cuts in the tree, bringing out drops of the resin that are said to look like tears. It has an aromatic birth with root, earth, vegetal, herb & spice notes; while a complex life adds notes of carrot, juniper & resin; that led to a semi-sweet & slightly bitter death of medium length. March / April 2025

Sweet, aloe, complex liqueur from Greece made from Mastic tree bark crystals. The mastic is steeped in neutral grain spirit and 17% sugar is added.

A beautiful mastiha. Captures the pine and the sweetness thoroughly, yet has some earthiness on the finish. Complex and enjoyable for dessert

Very sweet, very floral, might only for small quantities

Floral, with pine and cedar ... very fragrant .