Metaxa 7 Star Review and Cocktails

Today I am reviewing something I have had my eye on for some time - Metaxa 7 stars. My dad used to drink this when I was a kid, but I didn't bother to try it until now. The local LCBO stores carries both the 5 star one and the 7 star one, whose only difference is the aging period and the bottle. The number of stars symbolizes the number of years the spirit has been aged. The 7 star one is not very expensive at $29.95 for a 750 mL bottle.

The Metaxa has a medium to dark amber color with a little bit of greasiness when swirled in a glass. Being a blend of brandy, herbs and muscat wine, the aroma is very intense and could easily fill a room. I was able to detect herbal tones similar to those in Jagermeister, with orange peel hints. On the tongue, the spirit is not as oily as whiskey. The orange hints become more apparent in the taste and a touch of the herbal bitterness can also be easily detected. The end is on a sweeter note with hints of vanilla and perhaps maple syrup. The finish is long lasting and very intense with subtle herbal and orange notes. This is definitely a unique spirit, but I cannot say that I enjoyed it very much which is why I tried mixing it.

Cocktails

The first cocktail that I made was with ginger ale from the local convenience store in the following proportions in a tall glass:

• 1 part Metaxa
• 5 parts Ginger Ale
• handful of ice

The ginger ale complimented the Metaxa quite nicely and the mix resulted in a very enjoyable cocktail. Next came the soda water. I only tried this because earlier that day I was having some scotch sodas. I substituted the ginger ale with club soda and kept the same proportions. The resulting mix was not very good and I would not recommend it.

Next was Coke:

• 1 part Metaxa
• 5 parts Coke
• handful of ice

The sweetness of the Coke was great with the Metaxa, but underneath the sharp alcoholic taste came out and killed the overall enjoyability of the cocktail.

Later that night we decided to make some iced coffee and try it with the Metaxa. Here is what we made:

• 3 oz of Iced Coffee
• 1 splash of Metaxa

The iced coffee was not made with a lot of sugar and was still a touch bitter so the overall taste was quite unique, but enjoyable. The slight bitterness of the coffee clashed with the touch of vanilla/maple syrup sweetness of the Metaxa to create a subtle taste. The milkiness and the overall coldness of the cocktail managed to subdue the sharp alcoholic aroma and taste of the Metaxa. I would say that this mix was also successful.

Scores:
Cost - $29.95 CAD for a 750 mL bottle
Taste - 6.9/10

Overall - 6.9/10...herbal aroma and taste with notes of orange peel and vanilla/maple syrup. I did not enjoy this spirit very much, but I think some people might