Amaretto Liquore

Esplanda Amaretto Liquore is an amaretto, which is a sweet, almond-led liqueur rather than a straight whiskey. It is shelved here with the bourbon category because its best use is alongside bourbon. No ABV, origin or ingredient list is given for this bottle, so what follows is what amaretto of this kind typically delivers. Expect marzipan and toasted almond up front, a note of cherry-pit bitterness, and a syrupy sweetness that is closer to dessert than to the dry, oak-driven profile of a whiskey. There is no char, smoke or grain spice here unless the label says otherwise. Served neat in a small glass, amaretto is a slow after-dinner pour. Over a large cube in a rocks glass, the chill tightens the sweetness and brings out the almond skin and light bitterness. A Glencairn is not needed, since there is little rye spice or oak to separate. Keep the liqueur at cool room temperature or lightly chilled, and skip the splash of water that you might add to a cask-strength whiskey. The classic use is the Amaretto Sour. Shake about 1.5 oz amaretto with 1 oz fresh lemon juice and a dash of egg white or a spoonful of aquafaba, then add a short measure of bourbon to cut the sweetness. A common ratio is 1 oz amaretto, 1 oz bourbon and 1 oz lemon. For a stirred drink, an Amaretto Old Fashioned uses 2 oz bourbon, ½ oz amaretto in place of sugar syrup, and two dashes of aromatic bitters, served over ice with an orange peel. The Godfather is the simplest pairing, with equal parts amaretto and whiskey over ice. For food, amaretto suits biscotti, dark chocolate, vanilla ice cream (poured over it as a topping) and baked stone fruit. It also works in coffee in place of flavored syrup. Because it is sweet, measure it into cocktails rather than free-pouring.