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Whisky and strawberries?
I thought it might be fun if I occasionally had a look at something a little different here on whiskyreviews.net. Things are getting festive at this time of year and the tipple I’m about to review screams out Christmas day to me so this seemed an appropriate time to check it out.
For the first time, I shall be avoiding whisky and looking instead at Fraiser of Scotland, a liqueur made from Blended Scotch Whisky and Wild Strawberries that first caught my attention at a tasting back in January. It later crossed my path for a second time at the Falkirk Whisky Festival in August, at which point I resolved to get my hands on a bottle. That took a bit longer than expected – so much whisky, so little time – but I finally got round to it a few weeks ago, just in time for the holiday season.
Fraiser was created by John Smith, a man with some 35 years experience in the whisky industry including, most recently, a stint as Head Blender at Glenmorangie. Upon his recent retirement Smith’s interests shifted from working with single malt to creating a new, unique drink experience for new and old whisky drinkers alike – something which he has certainly achieved here.
If anything, Fraiser is so unique and unlike anything else on the market that you wonder quite where it fits in. It seems to do very well and sell in great numbers at Festivals though – and that in itself tells you something. Not many whisky festival attendees set out in the morning expecting to come home with a bottle of strawberry liqueur but believe me, try Fraiser once and you’ll want more.
When I sampled Fraiser on those two occasions in January and August, I tried it both neat and as the key ingredient in a spritzer with Ginger Ale, Ice and Strawberry. While it makes for a very pleasant sipping drink on its own it was the spritzer that really brought it to life and I suspect that is how it will be enjoyed round these parts in future. For the purposes of this review though, I’m tasting neat so as to maintain continuity with my other reviews.
The Liqueur
Smell: Beautiful Almond and Cherry notes with Vanilla, Honey and Eucalyptus.
Taste: Glides over the palate like silk and despite being reasonably strong at 27.5% there’s no trace of spirit heat. Vanilla, Strawberry, Caramel and Almond notes.
Thoughts: I’ll be honest, at first I thought it a little overpriced at £30. Especially given the price of some other whisky liqueurs but that’s the thing, Fraiser is nothing like other whisky liqueurs. It’s completely in a world of its own and I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed after taking a bottle home.
Altogether a lovely wee package that offers even experienced whisky drinkers something completely new and as an added bonus, fits right in at this time of year. Cheers!
*If the liqueur reviewed in this article has caught your eye, you can buy it from Master of Malt here. Please be aware that as an affiliate I can be paid a small commission on any purchases you make after following links from my page. The whisky is also available from several other excellent retailers.
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