Zwack Unicum Barista

Zwack Unicum Barista is a coffee led take on Unicum, the Hungarian herbal liqueur, produced at the Zwack distillery in Budapest, which has worked from a secret herbal recipe since 1790 and is now run by the sixth generation of the Zwack family. It keeps the Unicum base of over 40 herbs and roots, first macerated in alcohol and then matured in oak barrels to build the typical bitterness and depth, and adds a coffee flavour over the top. The result is bottled at 34.5%, sitting between a digestif herbal and a coffee liqueur.

The nose carries spicy herbal aromas with a distinct coffee note, cocoa and a fine sweetness. The palate is harmonious, with bitter herbs, roasted coffee and chocolate balanced by a pleasant sweetness, and the finish is long and warm with lingering coffee and a spicy, bitter aftertaste. In a mix it brings a bitter herbal backbone and roasted coffee depth that can stand in for a plain coffee liqueur where more complexity is wanted, adding colour and a dry, spiced edge. It is at its best slightly chilled or over ice, and sits well with chocolate cake, tiramisu, creme brulee or an espresso alongside.