I first heard about Koval Distillery of Chicago two years ago after reading about their White Rye Whisky on The Whisky Woman blog. Although I haven’t tried much in the way of white whisky, her “sugar coated eucalyptus, orange zest, and sweetened rosemary” tasting note piqued my curiosity.
In early June, I received an email from Koval Distillery with an offer from them to send us a sample of their product. Although whisky is the first thing that pops into my head whenever I see the word “distillery”, Koval is more than just a whisky maker. In addition to their five single grain white whiskies (Rye, Oat, Wheat, Millet, and Spelt), they also produce aged whisky, brandy, and liqueur. As you can see in the photo above, what they sent us was a 100ml sample of their Ginger Liqueur.
Before I get to my review, here is what the good people at Koval Distillery have to say about their Ginger Liqueur:
I pealed sixty pounds of ginger for you
listening to Callas and Cold Play
helped by Ginny and Julie.
Sip the liqueur.
It tastes of healing earth, friendship,
and devotion.
Let’s find out if this stuff is any good…
- Appearance: Slightly cloudy with a pale yellow hue. Thick, slow moving legs cling to the inside of the glass after giving it a swirl.
- Aroma: There is no doubt what this stuff is made from! A freshly grated ginger scent is front and center with a solid sugar cane sweetness coming through as well.
- Taste: Quite a thick and syrupy mouthfeel. I’m not getting much in the way of complexity here. This is a straightforward liqueur. Cane sugar sweetness with a touch of gingery spice that intensifies as you approach the finish. Sweet and tingly candied ginger finish.
- ABV: 20%
Since I was expecting Koval’s Ginger Liqueur to be either too sweet or too gingery, I thought for sure that this liqueur would need chilling or watering down. I am happy to report that I was completely wrong. Koval’s Ginger Liqueur was very smooth and easy drinking when sipped straight at room temperature, and I would definitely recommend this as an after dinner drink. The verdict: a delicious and soothing change of pace!
While I thoroughly enjoyed this product on its own, I’m really curious to see how the Koval Ginger Liqueur will hold up in a cocktail. Given it’s relatively low ABV and high sugar content, I wonder how this would work as a Simple Syrup substitute in a Daiquiri, or maybe even a Mojito. Perhaps some Cocktail experimentation is in order…
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Many thanks to Koval Distillery for sending us this generous sample!
Categories: Booze Review, Koval
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It's just the booze dancing... 
I love your tasting review formats (which I think I write every time I log in to comment on one of your posts, lol) and I always LOVE reading your thoughts and tasting notes on products! I just sampled some of Koval’s liqueurs this past Fall (ok, probably about a year ago now … where did all the time go!?) but my opinions about them matched yours in that they didn’t need any chilling or watering, all beautifully balanced and not-too-sweet. Don’t remember if I tried the ginger one per say but I’ll have to keep an eye out for it! Thanks for the kind mention & link to my blog!
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You are too kind! The truth is that this review format is more manageable and makes the writing easier, and for me, much faster. My process is as follows: have some fun with the camera, evaluate the product and write my notes as I go, and last but not least, go back and give some back story. It gets a bit tedious at times, but doing a narrative style is a bit much for me to do on a regular basis. I just hope that the finished product is a worthwhile read and that it helps some one make a buying decision.
I’m happy to hear that we have had similar experiences with Koval’s liqueurs. It’s not something that I would drink every day, but there is definite quality in the glass and it’s well worth trying. I poured a little bit into some Brugal white rum last night just to see what it would taste like. The results were very encouraging! I may have to try that classic Daiquiri that I was talking about.
Once again, thanks for the comment! Cheers Whisky Woman!
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Well, I have the mint, a couple of lemons and some Brugal. I guess maybe a cocktail could be made of it.
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Sounds good. But first, The Manhattan Project…
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My son introduced me to this fantastic ginger liquor. He shook some in a cocktail shaker with some ice. It is incredible when served ice cold. I always shake the bottle before pouring to get the full flavor of the ginger. It’s wonderful after dinner; like a special dessert to settle your stomach. Just wish it did not cost as much.
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