In 6 years of Drinkhacking, this is actually our first review of an aquavit. I say that to illustrate a couple of things: 1) that I’m hardly an expert in aquavit and you should consider this an amateur review of the stuff at best, and 2) no one drinks aquavit.

If you’re a novice, here’s a lesson in the stuff. Aquavit is a Scandinavian liqueur flavored with a variety of herbs but predominantly with dill or caraway. Many of the same ingredients used in gin are also used in aquavit. There are as many variants in aquavit as there are in gin, with many of those tweaks coming from the way the spirit is aged. Some aquavits aren’t aged at all. Some can be aged for more than a decade. Different types of casks are used, too, making things even more complex.

Linie’s story is this: It hails from Norway. It is distilled from potatoes. It is mainly flavored with caraway, plus dill, anise, fennel, and coriander (among others). And it is aged in oloroso sherry casks (fairly unique for aquavit) for one year. And during the aging, it is shipped overseas — from Norway to Australia and back — a lengthy trip that takes the spirit across the equator (“the linie”) twice over the course of 4 1/2 months. Why? Because the motion of the ship and the exposure to the salty sea air is supposed to do great things to the aquavit. Caramel color is added.

So there you have it.

Linie has a nose somewhere between gin and Jagermeister, heavy on licorice notes and, yes, caraway. The body is milder than you might expect, a lighter take on licorice with a strong caraway flavor. The sherry casks provide some sweetness (as does the caramel, I believe), but not a whole lot. This is still a moderately bitter spirit best experienced as a digestif. The finish is long and lasting, with a spice rack full of bitter herbal character that lingers for quite some time. Fair to good, but not something I’d turn to on a regular basis over an amaro or Fernet.

83 proof.

B- / $30 / linie.com

Lysholm Linie Aquavit

$30

7

Rating

7.0/10

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