For a tropical country filled with hard-livered drinkers, I find it odd that we haven’t come up with more combinations of fruit-based spirits. After all, with the wealth of flavors that come from our mangoes, melons, and citruses, we can potentially give Midori and Grand Marnier a run for their money.

It’s a shame really that the market is, instead, filled with poor substitutes of anything-flavored beers and alcopops. I will admit, though, that not all of them taste particularly vile. Still, I do feel that these drinks miss the whole point when they use fruitiness to mask the flavor of the alcohol.

When I first heard about Manille in the local news, I was excited at the prospect of an honest-to-goodness local liqueur, a true local product. You can’t get more local than a calamansi liqueur making use of actual fruit from the farms of Mindoro. It’s our own take on the Italian limoncello, and is also meant to be a palate cleanser. With its wide availability in groceries and department stores, I thought the product was novel enough for me to give the liqueur a try.

Cost

A regular sized bottle (480 mL) comes in at around PHP 320, but they also sell 50 mL portions that cost around PHP 90. It’s more expensive than most of the local toddy we have, but I would say it’s a fair price considering they make it from real calamansi rinds, instead of going the cheaper route of adding artificial flavors.

Appearance

From the typeface, to the bottle design, it looks like they were going for old-fashioned Manila on the product. It’s simple and it’s pretty without trying too hard. The liqueur itself is a pale yellow color, and at first glance, you’d easily mistake it for ordinary calamansi juice.

Bouquet

The smell of alcohol comes in strong and clean, making the presence of vodka obvious right off the bat. You then get a whiff of fresh calamansi right after the alcohol scent fades away. Both are  pleasant and refreshing, two things which are always welcome in a digestif.

Taste

Following the usual serving style of limoncello, I chilled the bottle before I took a shot. I was surprised at how strong the alcohol taste was. For a 55 proof drink, it’s got a pretty good kick. The taste isn’t offensive though, and the alcohol dissipates quickly, making it smooth as you drink it down. There’s also some bitterness but it is quickly washed away by the other flavors.

The calamansi taste comes out at the very end. Interestingly, it tastes the way the calamansi fruit smells, giving you all the zest without the sourness. It’s a pleasant aftertaste to have.

The Verdict

I found it just a bit too sweet, and I would have preferred a tiny amount of tartness just to drive home the point that it’s made from calamansi.  However, it’s still really refreshing and would be more than welcome after several servings of your favorite Filipino dishes.

The post Manille Liqueur de Calamansi Review: A Sip of Homegrown Goodness appeared first on Pepper.ph.