Metaxa, 5 Stars, The Original Greek Spirit, 70cl, Pack of 1

Product Information

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. In addition to her role as a DelightedCooking editor, Niki enjoys educating herself about interesting 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. 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 other two Metaxas in their regular range are 5-Star and 7-Star, so you can figure out that they contain spirits aged for at least five and seven years respectively. So while the number of stars isn’t a comment on how ‘good’ the spirits are, you would naturally expect the 12-star to be richer and more complex, thanks to the extra time in the barrel. More About the Metaxa Stars

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. 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 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.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. 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.

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. A quantity of wine is blended with the aged distillate and casked at a 50% ABV for three to four additional years in Limousin oak casks.

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!) 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.

Metaxa is a distilled spirit made in Greece from brandy and wine from sun-dried grapes, blended with Muscat wine. Add granulated sugar to a small plate. Dip the rim of your glass into some lemon juice and then dip glass into the sugar. Napacabs has the special reserve Metaxa brandy which is a 30 year old blend for a reasonable price. Although Metaxa was originally compared to a Cognac and subsequently to a brandy, it is actually not classified as either of these spirits. Brandy, by definition, does not include wine. Metaxa has the presence of very fine muscat wines from Samos, an island in the north east Aegean, and Mediterranean botanicals. As such, Metaxa is a spirit in a category of its own. 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.

The 5 Star Metaxa uses a blend of wine from Samos and Lemnos, while all the other expressions use only Samos wine.