I bought the German liqueur Schwartzhog by accident, even reluctantly. But he pleasantly surprised me. With the first sip, a multi-layered bouquet of aromatic herbs and fruits was revealed, with predominant notes of citrus and walnut. And in the long, pleasant aftertaste, subtle shades of coffee were felt.
Spontaneous purchase
This herbal liqueur will definitely appeal to lovers of complex, delicate bitters.
I heard about this brand before, but I didn’t want to try it. From herbal bitters, I have long chosen Jägermeister for myself.
But this time, in preparation for the arrival of a friend, I discovered that the supply of my favorite liquor had come to an end. I hurried to the nearest mall. My favorite was not on the shelves.
On the advice of the manager, I bought a Schwartzhog. As he said, this German drink is loved by many. In terms of taste, it is not inferior to Jagermeister, it is even considered a direct competitor. I was tormented by doubts, but there was nowhere to go and there was no time to look for something else.
The big surprise for me was the complex and very subtle combination of spicy shades – a unique taste and aroma. Now Schwartzhog is included in the rating of favorite liqueurs.
A bit of history
Bitter has an interesting history that began in medieval Germany. It is known that at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, the monks developed a recipe for a unique infusion of bitter herbs to treat the stomach.
I did not find details of how the monastery recipe ended up in the hands of the noble family of Hardenberg. But in 1700, aristocrats mass-produced the herbal liquor called Schwartzhog. Since then, the monastery recipe has been passed down through the Hardenberg family.
The name and image on the label is associated with the legend. The black boar saved the Hardenberg family during the internecine wars of the German principalities of the XNUMXth century. The screech of the animal woke the warriors, warning them of an enemy attack. Grateful Hardenbergs immortalized the savior on the family coat of arms.
Bitter Schwartzhog is loved not only in Germany. In 2008, he received a high quality rating (94 points) from the specialists of the Beverage Testing Institute. In 2014 he became a silver medalist at the World Spirits Competition in the USA.
Composition
The strength of the drink is 36,7%. Color – dark brown. It is prepared on an alcohol basis, into which bitter orange distillate is introduced. Also included are bitter herbs, spices, fruits and medicinal roots. The exact recipe and production method are kept secret.
I tried on the role of a taster, trying to identify the ingredients by taste, and then – to find information about the composition. I was able to accurately guess orange, cinnamon, mint and walnut.
The list from professional tasters also includes gentian, galangal, clover, wormwood, star anise, saffron, ginger, lemongrass, licorice, pomegranate, lovage, boar root.
My Liquor Experience
Rich balanced taste. Mild but not too sweet. The aroma is subtle, nothing like pharmacy medicines. Although initially the drink was created precisely as a medicinal one.
The first layer of shades that is immediately felt are citruses, nuts, vanilla. The aftertaste reveals notes of candied fruits, coffee and chocolate.
The liqueur is very soft and pleasant. To the pluses I will add the absence of a hangover and the fact that it is easy to drink even in its pure form. That’s how we drank.
Some advise adding ice or preparing mixes with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. I think Schwartzhog is good on its own and nothing should be added to drown out its astringency and flavor.
This bitter has one drawback – it is difficult to buy. In Russia, it is not yet very common.