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Liquor Review: Galliano

Published on February 28th, 2008 in Liqueurs, Liquors of the Month by Dan

Galliano Liqueur You know you’ve seen the bottle a thousand times but were too afraid to buy it. Well, have no fear! The crew here at BoozeBasher are always up for trying new things once, twice, well…until we can remember what actually happened. Now we are branching out to bring you that radioactive yellow-colored liqueur review that you’ve been craving. Not only does Galliano have an eye-catching color, but it also comes in a very distinct-looking bottle. It’s tall and slender with flat edges, very much like a Roman column. It’s a fitting look for an Italian spirit.

Galliano is an herb liqueur made from a variety of herbs, spices, berries, and flowers. Sources say it contains at least 30 different ones; that in no way rivals Jägermeister’s 56, but it’s still a lot! The original recipe dates back to 1896, as stated on the bottle, from a brandy producer named Arturo Vaccari. He named his creation after Maggiore Galliano, hero of the East African wars of the 19th century. There is surprisingly little information available out there on this unique liqueur.

When cracking open the seal and taking a sniff, you pick up right away on the anise, licorice, and alcohol smells. If you back off a little, you will notice the sweet scents of berries and vanilla. To tell the truth, I was not prepared for what was to follow. The taste hits you up front with a sweet licorice flavor that lingers for a few seconds. The taste dissipates nicely after a couple seconds into what can only be described as “ooooh!” I think that was the same reaction from everyone who tried it. It was surprising with its sweet, refreshing, candy-like finish. Galliano really is like nothing I’ve ever tasted. Hell, even the ladies loved it!

We had a hard time trying to decide what to mix with this delicious liqueur, so we went with the old Sprite stand-by. Wow! Now that’s a tasty beverage. The carbonation and citrus of the Sprite really add to the variety of licorice and berry flavors. The mixer cuts down a little on the licorice flavor and leaves you with a fantastically refreshing drink.

I had no problem putting down four of these in a hurry, and I doubt anyone will. Galliano is the godfather of delicious. Plus, at a 30% alcohol content, this liqueur is no slouch, and it proceeded to give me a nice buzz. I felt great, and the buzz carried through for a good while. The only downside to the whole experience was the next morning. I woke up with quite the headache. I blame it on the high sugar content and the crazy combination of herbs and spices.

Galliano rings up at $36 for a 750mL bottle. While this might seem a little pricey for a liqueur, I guarantee it’s worth every penny. If you’ve never tried Galliano, I highly recommend you and your nearest lady friend (or random girl/guy in a nearby bar) do so immediately. You will really impress that lucky person with your sophisticated taste in imported liqueurs. He or she will love the taste, and who knows, maybe you by assoication. There is the chance your drinking buddy may just walk off into the sunset with the bottle, but that’s just something you are going to have to risk.

Sipability – 7.0

Mixability – 8.0

February 08 Drunkability – 6.5