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.

: 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.

: 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.

: 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!