Limoncello Taste Test

I absolutely adore limoncello. It probably helps that lemon is one of my favourite flavours and that I like sugary cocktails. It feels quite classy drinking a few fingers worth neat from a glass tumbler (like whiskey, but for those of us who prefer fruit-based alcohol).

Like normal human beings, the checked luggage Mr BFWT and I had was empty going to Sicily and completely filled to the weight limit with food and alcohol on the way back. (Please tell me we are not the only ones who do this!)

We ended up buying a few bottles of limoncello when we were there, and I decided it was only fitting to do a taste test.

The three contenders are Limoncello Golfodoro, Limoncello Riviera, and Limonce. I also decided to sample the mandarinetto we bought back, which was produced by Distillerie F.lli Russo.

I had never seen any of these brands before aside from the Limonce, which I was actually quite excited to see on the shelves in Sicily, as this is the brand of limoncello most commonly found in the UK.


Limoncello Golfodoro

Colour: Bright, neon yellow
Burn: Severe burn on the lips and towards the front of the mouth, rather than in the throat. Slight feeling of nose clearing akin to wasabi.
Flavour: I was disappointed to find that this limoncello wasn't particularly lemon-y. The first flavour I was hit with was a sickly sweetness, followed by a burn, both of which faded out without leaving much flavour in their wake.
Cost: Cheapest
Raking: 2/5


Limoncello Riviera

Colour: Soft yellow colour, the lightest of all tested. There was also a slight fogginess not present in the others tested which reminded to freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Burn: Very slight burn, again towards the front of the mouth rather than the throat.
Flavour: While still sweet it isn't sickly. It almost has a fresh squeezed lemon flavour to it, standing in stark contrast with most limoncellos I've tried which tend to taste a bit artificial.
Cost: Second cheapest
Ranking: 4.5/5


Limonce

Colour: Medium colour, bright yellow but not quite neon.
Burn: Very slight burn, just edging out the Riviera to have the least burn of all tested. Again, the burn was nearer to the front of the mouth rather than in the throat.
Flavour: The sweetness level was much higher than the Riviera, nearly at the same level as the Golfodoro. The flavour was a bit more artificial than the Riviera but again, not quite to the same extent as the Golfodoro.
Cost: Second most expensive
Raking: 4/5 


Mandarinetto di Sicilia

Colour: Bright neon orange.
Burn: Worst burn, burning throughout the mouth and the throat.
Flavour: I have to admit I was extremely disappointed in the mandarinetto despite being quite excited to try it. It's moderately sweet. Unfortunately there was little to taste beyond the sweetness and the extreme burn. Strength of flavour wise it was the worst of the lot, it barely tasted of anything.
Cost: Most expensive
Ranking: 1/5


Overall I'd probably choose the Limoncello Riviera due to the freshly-squeezed flavour, with the Limonce as a close second (which is a good thing, seeing as it's the only brand available in the UK AFAIK).

I was incredibly disappointed with the mandarinetto, and I imagine it'll be sitting untouched in the liquor cabinet for quite a long time.