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On the nose it’s like a brandy, but a brandy with a subtle difference. There’s a floral sweetness in there but it’s a really rich floral sweetness, not the subtler notes you might get with a Scotch or a brandy. That’s because Metaxa also has botanicals in it, including rose petals.
The final blend is then aged for at least two years, although Metaxa has blends that have been aged for as long as 30-40 years. The maturation occurs in large, 3,500-liter butts of neutral wood. Some of the butts used by Metaxa are more than a century old. The spirit is casked at an ABV of 40% and 46%. The original first two butts are still in use at the distillery, although they have been repaired many times. The Seven Star expression is very similar to the Five Star. It’s more concentrated and a bit less floral on the nose. The rose petal notes, in particular, are less distinct. Overall, it’s more brandy-like than its younger sibling. Add granulated sugar to a small plate. Dip the rim of your glass into some lemon juice and then dip glass into the sugar. Generally speaking, the older Metaxa expressions show more dark, dried fruit elements and a more significant spiciness and pepperiness. Younger expressions are more floral, with more noticeable rose petal aromas and fruit notes that lean more toward stone fruit, like apricot and peach, and less toward dark dried fruits. Metaxa 12 Stars is a smooth, premium Greek brandy that is perfect for sipping on its own or enjoying with friends. It has a rich, complex flavour that makes it perfect for after-dinner drinks or enjoyed neat.
On the palate, it’s very smooth and honey sweet, with notes of dark dried fruit, chocolate, and dried and candied orange zest. It’s more peppery and exhibits a substantial palate weight and a viscous, oily character. We referenced bon appetit to learn how to make a lemon peel garnish here. WHAT TYPE OF METAXA SHOULD I USE? On the nose, it’s very floral, with distinctive notes of rose petals, lemon blossom, and jasmine. There are additional notes of candied orange, assorted wood spices, and vanilla. Metaxa is a Greek brandy that has been around for over a century (founded in 1888, to be precise). It's made from a blend of different wines, and it has a distinctively smooth and sweet taste. Metaxa is generally held to be fruity, sweet (with honey notes) and floral. Metaxa sources its wine from vineyards in the center of the 11.3-mile-wide island. The vineyards are typically located on mountainous ledges that receive good sun and wind exposure.
On the nose, it has more spice, particularly cinnamon, and less stone fruit. There are more pronounced dark, dried fruit notes of raisin, fig, and prune; dark chocolate, and the classic rancio aromas of cigar box and new leather. However, one of the known ingredients is rose water made from the May rose. Also known as Provence rose, it is a very aromatic hybrid rose developed by Dutch breeders sometime after the 17th century. May rose is also a component of Chanel No. 5 perfume.
Metaxa is a distilled spirit made in Greece from brandy and wine from sun-dried grapes, blended with Muscat wine.
The third ingredient used in crafting Metaxa is an herbal extract. The complete list of elements in the extract is known to only a handful of people. The rose petals are gathered from bushes grown at an altitude of around 2,500 feet. They are macerated in a solution of water and alcohol for up to one year. All the ingredients in the herbal elixir are macerated separately and then combined. The mixture is unaged. A small quantity of the herbal elixir is blended with the aged mix of spirit and wine. Later, when cognac became strictly defined Metaxa and other drinks had to redefine themselves, and Metaxa became a brandy. For years it was regarded as the Greek brandy. But then the spirits world defined what a brandy was, and brandy was a drink that, amongst other things, did not contain wine. I have to admit that I’m biased. I’ve been enjoying Metaxa for years on my many visits to Greece, including lots of trips while researching this book when I felt I deserved a reward at the end of a long day. There’s a hint of violets in there too, probably a spin-off from the roses. Perhaps figs as well, another sweetness, and a hint of dark coffee richness. It’s certainly an interesting aroma and not quite like anything else while resembling both brandy and whisky.Out of curiosity I tried it simply with a splash of soda, as I had a bottle of soda open in the fridge, and it worked really well. The Metaxa Master did say this was a versatile spirit, and he’s absolutely right. (Well, of course he is, that’s why he’s only the 5th Metaxa Master since the company was founded in 1888!)
Metaxa is made using aged wine distillates, Muscat wines and botanicals sourced from the Mediterranean. Hi and WELCOME to Cook Like a Greek! We’re Lizz and Stephanie, a mother-daughter team living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Living under the same roof again, after many years apart, we noticed how much we enjoyed being in the kitchen and cooking together. It has brought us even closer, and we saw it as an opportunity to create and share traditional Greek family recipes with our family and friends.This is a picture of grapes of the variety muscat. They are used to produce the famous sweet Vin ... [+] Doux wine on the island of Samos. getty The Metaxa 12 Star is richer on the palate and offers more layered complexity. The Muscat wine that goes into the blend is more concentrated and oxidized and is made with grapes grown at higher altitudes. Metaxa’s core line consists of 5 Star, 7 Star, 12 Star, and Private Reserve bottlings. There is also a 3 Star expression that is only available in Greece. None of these expressions carry an age statement. The different numbers are meant to convey quality levels, with Metaxa 12 and Private Reserve being the highest rated rather than maturation length. Generally speaking, the higher the number, the more aging it has received and the greater the percentage of Samos wine in the blend. I never cared much for the taste of it myself so I've come up with my own Metaxa drink by adding sugar syrup, water and lemon in a tall glass of ice with mint leaves. It's very cool and refreshing. In addition to her role as a DelightedCooking editor, Niki enjoys educating herself about interesting
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