Liqueur de Myrte
Running low on my staple nightcaps, it was with a mixture of hope and trepidation that I withdrew a bottle of Liqueur de Myrte from the freezer. I need not have worried; the drink is delicious and does not deserve its relative obscurity.
I picked up this bottle in Nice a while back. I imagine it got there from Corsica, which along with Sardinia is where this stuff is mostly made. The blue-black berry used to make the liqueur is from the plant Myrtus communis (Myrtus/Myrtle). The colour of the berry is reflected in the ruby finished product.
The balance between bitter and sweet is remarkable, while the tannins linger, to producing a long finish. With regards to the flavour, it is quite hard to describe, but at a push I would suggest the fruit is somewhere between a blackberry and blueberry, but this description does it little justice.
All in all then, a great find. Sometimes too much drink is barely enough!