David Melia aka @speakeasieruk

I’ve had this bottle for a while now, but this is the first time I’ve cracked the lid.
So I also look a sip, neat.

Then I went to the LIMIE Aquavit homepage.

Their tasting notes say An intriguing combination of caraway, aniseed and orange peel is prominent in the aroma, followed by a delicate hint of vanilla. PALATE: Oak combines with the caraway and aniseed to give great complexity, while old sherry notes give a rich, well-rounded flavour.

I agree.

LINIE is the oldest aquavit brand in the world. It all started back in 1805, when the Norwegian trade family, Lysholm, shipped potato aquavit to the East Indies. Here people were totally uninterested in buying it, so the aquavit was sailed back to Norway. On its arrival in 1807, it was discovered that the sea voyage had vastly improved the taste.

Since that day, every drop of LINIE has been sent on a sea journey across the world to mature, crossing the Equator twice.

David has created a cinnamon forward riff on an Old Fashioned, using chocolate and cinnamon to complement the captivating flavour of the Linie.

60ml LINIE Aquavit
10ml Cinnamon Syrup
3 dashes Chocolate Bitters
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Add all your ingredients to a mixing glass, and stir with ice for 30 seconds.

Strain over a fresh rock of ice. David says clear rock ice, but my freezer isn’t big enough to allow me to make clear ice. That would be a luxury for me, to have the freezer space to dedicate to making and perfecting clear ice. But alas, no.

Garnish
A smoking cinnamon stick.