By SOMDATTA SENGUPTAIt was first made by monks in the Piedmont region of northern Italy about 300 years ago, according to the official Frangelico Web site.
In the Piedmont hills where wild hazelnuts were abundant, the monks used their skills at distillation to produce one of the world’s finest hazelnut liqueur. The modern Frangelico carries on that tradition in looks, presentation and quality.
The name is reportedly an abbreviation of Fra. Angelico, a hermit monk believed to have inhabited the magnificent Piedmont hills during the 17th century, according to the Web site.
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The liqueur is produced through a four-stage distillation process. After the hazelnuts are shelled, toasted and crushed they are then infused in a solution of alcohol and water. Next, the infusion is distilled to produce a natural hazelnut distillate. In the following step, a number of natural extracts including cocoa and vanilla are blended with the hazelnut infusion and hazelnut distillate to create the Frangelico concentrate. Finally, the concentrate is blended with pure alcohol, sugar and water to achieve the required bottling strength. It is then laid down in vats for 6-8 weeks to allow the blend to marry together and mellow.
Produced with such care the resulting liqueur tastes of toasted hazelnuts combined with cocoa, vanilla berries and a host of other natural extracts that make up its complex flavor.
The color is pale gold, the smell has intense hazelnut aromas in it, while on the palate it makes it mark with pronounced but delicate hazelnut flavor and hints of vanilla and dark chocolate. Smooth, long finish with fragrant back-note, the Web site says.
Try this over ice, in coffee or in cocktails.
For more information visit: www.frangelico.com.
Spirits Unlimited sale price: $19:99 (750 ml)
