Galliano Ristretto is Galliano’s version of a coffee liqueur, utilizing the branding “ristretto”, an Italian espresso. Pour the dark liqueur into a glencairne glass and take a little nosing off the top of the glass. You’ll find an odd, pungent aroma coming off this liqueur that is definitely coffee on the herbal spectrum and a dark roast without the bitterness.
The flavor, however, is much more smooth and sweet, subtle and coffee-based with a light herbal flavor that ends with muted fennel notes. Galliano Ristretto brings a bit more coffee bean flavoring compared to other popular coffee liqueurs like Kahlua. While it has coffee taste, it is a much more robust and dark flavor compared to the lighter coffee flavor of Kahlua and definitely has more herbal complexity than its competitors but that could be both a good thing and a bad thing.
If you’re looking for a very direct coffee liqueur to use in your drinks, Galliano Ristretto Liqueur may be a bit overkill. However, if you want something more espresso based with that herbal complexity, you’re in good hands with this coffee liqueur… unless you’re not impressed with its variety of herbs. If that’s the case, Patron XO may be the next thing with the bean driven action.
Price wise, Galliano Ristretto Liqueur will set you back 18.99 at DrinkUpNy, for a 375ml bottle–a bit pricy considering Kahlua is around $22 for a 750ml bottle. But, with the added complexity and espresso essence, this is definitely a bottle utilized for someone looking for something a bit more exciting in their coffee liqueur selection.
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