Production
Master distiller, Dr.John Walters starts by distilling, from scratch, an elderberry eau de vie in a copper pot still. This is a smooth base spirit with exactly the right profile we need before moving onto the next step: co-distilling with star anise. With no need to mask a fiery base spirit, they add just the right amount of star anise into the still: which means extracting all the flavours, without going so far as to leech out the undesirable bits like tannins and bitter oils. To top it off, John gives a nod to traditional sambuca by adding a touch of English sugar: not so much to make it sticky and oversweet, but just enough to enhance the intrinsic flavours and bolster the luscious mouthfeel. And there you have it: a handcrafted English Sambuca that will revolutionise the way you think about aniseed.
Tasting notes
Lush, fragrant layers of mouthwatering aniseed from start to finish. A silky, smooth mouthfeel with no harshness or burn: a world away from the fiery, sticky sambucas usually found on the back bar.
Food match
The Perfect Serve - Simply chilled in a cold glass after dinner as a digestif or serve in a tumbler, over ice, as the melting ice dilutes the drink and results in the lovely pearlescent haze.
