Product: Casoni Limoncello Producer: Casoni Approximate Retail Value: $23.99 for 750 ml Category: Liqueur Country of Origin: Italy Reviewer: D. Kearney Sparano The F Words: Flavor – Tart and sweet. Feel – A little syrupy. Finish – Fairly smooth with a small alcoholic bite in the throat.

Rating:

It is no secret that I love limóncello. So to say I was happy to recently have received a bottle of Casoni Limoncello would be a gross understatement. Limoncello is a treat, something to be had on special occasions that by association make the liqueur special. As I think of all the times that I have enjoyed it, there is always a happy memory to go with it, whether it was in Italy, or New England where I had it after a gallery opening. Limoncello has been an excellent way to cap off pleasurable meals, good evenings, and great experiences.

Casoni Limoncello is old. Not the bottle that I am sampling, but the company itself. Like so many spirit companies, particularly European spirit companies, they go back centuries. Founded in 1814 by Giuseppe Casoni, the company is now being run by the sixth generation. They have grown to become one of Italy’s largest spirit manufacturers. They currently hold 51 percent of the market share in Italy. Since fall 2007, Casoni Limoncello has been imported into the U.S. by Laird & Company.

Today, I am sampling from a beautifully designed 750 ml bottle, whose dark blue label strikingly contrasts the neon yellow color of the limoncello. Casoni is also available in 50 ml, and 375 ml and 750 ml gift sets. According to Laird, “Casoni Limoncello is produced following traditional methods using only the peels of the best lemons from the Sorrento region.” The lemons from that region are known for their fragrant and juicy, acidic flesh, whose characteristics are ideal for making this particular liqueur.

I start by trying the limoncello straight. It had been sitting in the freezer from the night before. Limoncello is always recommended to be drunk cold, very cold. Casoni’s Limoncello is very tasty this way. It has a good mix of sweetness and tartness. As I sip, it moves over the tongue well, but does have a slight syrupy feel, which is common for limoncello. I only felt an alcohol burn in the back of my throat, but it was slight and did not take away from the experience. On ice, the limoncello changes a bit. The ice releases a slightly medicine taste, which hurts the overall flavor, though overall the limoncello works best as it is supposed too—as a digestivo.

As a cocktail, I recommend a recipe from the Laird site called “Italian Sun Tea.” It is simply made using 2 oz of limoncello and sweetened tea. It is a drink that tastes like ice tea with extra lemon. It could be quite refreshing, but as always with a drink like this I recommend caution. Casoni Limoncello is one of the best limoncellos I’ve tasted. It is excellent over ice and good in the iced tea cocktail. I just wouldn’t recommend it over ice, but then aside from this one time I have always had it straight—the way it was meant to be drunk.