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Liquor Review: Disaronno

Published on April 30th, 2008 in Liqueurs by Kevin

Disaronno Everybody wants to be the favorite. Maybe you want to be the favorite guy at the office always getting the promotions. Maybe you want to be that hot chick you know’s favorite booty call. Maybe you want to be the bartender’s favorite patron always getting the free drinks. These are all noble desires, and Disaronno is no different claiming to be “The World’s Favorite Italian Liquor”. While we cannot validate that, we can determine if it is Boozebasher’s favorite Italian liqueur, and it has some stiff competition considering how much we like Galliano.

The origins of Disaronno Amaretto reach all of the way back to 1525 during the Italian Renaissance when Bernardino Luini was commissioned by the Santa Maria delle Grazie to paint a fresco of the Madonna. Needing a model of appropriate beauty, he called on an innkeeper he had met on a previous trip to Saronno Italy. I hardly think I need to mention that their relationship was a bit more than business. Once the “Adoration of the Magi” fresco was complete, she presented him with a concoction to express her gratitude and affection. This elixer contained brandy, apricot kernels and her own recipe of spices. It is that same recipe used in every bottle of Disaronno Amaretto on the shelves today. Disaronno is a time capsule reaching back almost 500 years, and you don’t even have to be a famous dead painter to get your hands on it.

ILLVA, the producers of Disaronno, combine burnt sugar, alcohol, apricot kernel oil, and a secret recipe of 17 herbs and spices to produced this almond liqueur that is loved worldwide. It does not take a real Einstein to figure out if you will like Disaronno. Do you like almonds and apricots? If so, then you are probably going to like this almond-apricot flavored liquor. If you think almonds and apricots are best used for flinging at the neighborhood children playing on your lawn, then I suggest you look elsewhere. The initial flavor is dominated by smooth almond and fades into a hint of bitterness before the sweet apricot takes over and lingers for an exceptionally long time. Beware, this is one sweet liqueur and the first 3 drinks on the rocks are quite enjoyable. However, I find that the fourth is just too cloying to get down with a smile on my face. Fortunately for us, some intrepid drinker invented the Amaretto sour and Disaronno makes one fine Amaretto sour.

One major drawback to Disaronno is the fact that it is only 56-proof. So, while it mixes well with a number of things, we suggest you mix it with a little more potent booze if you expect to get very tipsy. Their website has a number of cocktails if you are looking from some inspiration. Don’t get too carried away though, as the sugar content of any amaretto can leave you regretting the previous night’s consumption the morning after.

There are a variety of amaretto liquors available at your local liquor store, and at $26 a fifth, Disaronno is definitely not the cheapest. However, only one can claim they are still using the 500 year old originale recipe. If you are a fan of almonds or apricots, we suggest you give it a try. Hey, it has to be the “The World’s Favorite Italian Liquor” for some reason.

Sipability – 8.0

Mixability – 8.5

Drunkability – 3.5

Hangover-ability – 6.5

Bang for the Buck – 6.5

Overall - 6.5