Review: St. Elder Espresso Liqueur
Is it, perhaps, too easy to make a good coffee liqueur? The market is flooded with high-quality coffee liqueurs these days, each with more street cred and authenticity than the last.
The latest on the market comes from Boston-based St. Elder, which got its start making an elderflower liqueur but which is increasingly misnamed thanks to its extension into other categories. The new St. Elder Natural Espresso Coffee Liqueur is made with natural espresso coffee from a New England roaster and includes no artificial flavors.
The nose is bold and powerful, showcasing authentic notes of ground espresso beans, very dark roast. Lightly nutty, and far from a detraction from the otherwise straightforward, coffee-infused nose.
The palate surprises as a fruitier expression of coffee, moderately sweet thanks to what comes across as a swirl of raspberry coulis in the glass. Some toasted coconut emerges from there, then a rather chocolate-laced finish, featuring some of the telegraphed, nutty notes evoking toasted almond. It’s a well-built expression but it does arrive in a busy, competitive category. That said, it’s definitely one to consider if the fruitier qualities sound appealing.
53 proof.
A- / $18 / st-elder.com
St. Elder Espresso Liqueur
$18
