Mark Adams
Made in classical greek style with the original recipe dating back to 1888, Metaxa Amphora is the marriage of finest spirit, aged in oak for 7 years, with muscat wines and secret botanicals.
The taste is mouth-wateringly mellow – full of luscious richness and complexity. Enjoy neat, with ice or mixed.
Metaxa – Amphora 7 Star:
Aroma: Powerful, sweet and multi-layered, yet delicate. In the nose I get a slight buttery, creamy sweetness, and smelling hard I’d swear there was cream/milk essence in the mix. It also smells rich and fruity with nutty undertones, and I could swear I get some dark chocolate notes in there as well. Very luxurious.
Sight: I’m a big fan of gold coloured liquors and Metaxa doesn’t disappoint. In the glass the spirit is a rich honey-gold, with lots of carbonation and seductively slow moving legs. It reminds me a little of a fine aged nutty rum in appearance.
Taste: A multi-layered, mellow, mildly-sweet, full-bodied and beautifully balanced taste. It’s a little like Metaxa three years old, only it’s sweet and creamy, and I think it’s a bit less complex. I get a creamy, almost buttery sweetness followed by a hit of apricot, which then moves onto a hint of dark chocolate. A refreshing finish of raspberries with hints of mint finishes it off.
Mouthfeel: A medium-to-full-bodied spirit with velvety-smooth texture, nice carbonation, and very mild burn.
Drinkability: Having had the Metaxa three years old I was hoping for a more complex taste with this 7 year old. While it’s tasty, it’s pretty much all up there in the first sip. While I could happily keep drinking this stuff, I’d be surprised that it’d hold my interest for long (or at least not for as long as its three year old brother).
Garnish: A small cube of ice works well.
Mixing: Metaxa’s creamy sweetness makes it a great mixer. It combines well with juices, sodas and sweet martinis. It’s also pretty neat, and this is probably my preferred way of enjoying it.
Value for money: Less than it used to be, but I got a nice bottle for $33. This seems to be how spirits are priced these days, and well worth it.
Overall: This is a delicious and sweet liqueur, which is a bit too mellow for me to keep on the shelf for long, but it’s a great long-term investment.
Aroma: Powerful and complex with strong smoky undertones. Smells spicy with mild chocolate notes. This is a very ‘mature’ whisky.
Sight: In the glass it looks thick and oily – like really good single malt. It’s a hazy dark amber and a little darker than the picture above shows.
Taste: The taste is all smoky and peaty with an underlying sweetness. Quite dry in the mouth, but with a pleasant aftertaste of mild carbonation.
Mouthfeel: Silky and smooth, with nice complex flavor and a nice mild burn.
Drinkability: This is a beautiful solid whisky on the rocks. Easy and dangerously drinkable.
Garnish: I’d recommend a fresh single cube of ice, which will make it sweeter and more palatable to most whisky drinkers.
Mixing: Needless to say, this is an excellent mixing whisky. It goes well with Jack Daniels or Apple and Cider (see above).
Overall: Great value for money. A smooth, creamy and powerful whisky which is drinkable neat, or makes a smooth mixer.
Metaxa – Amphora 7 Star Review 1:
Matured in Spanish sherry barrels for 4 years. An opulent and sophisticated blend of Islay malts, offering a rich depth and complexity of aroma.
Tasting notes: Spicy, sweet and smoky. Complex and very easy to drink. Very smooth and drinkable. A mild burn and nice carbonation in the finish.
Overall impression: This is a serious whisky which is drinkable straight, neat or with a little water or ice. A great mixer and a great long term investment.
Woodford Reserve:
Aroma: I can’t get the nose of this quite to work, but I love the taste and mouthfeel..
Sight: Dark in the glass, with a slow moving legs. A little gold in there too.
Taste: Mildly sweet, very smooth with a mild burn. There’s a nice vanilla/maple taste to the whisky which is fantastic!
Mouthfeel: Great texture – smooooth!
Overall impression: A really smooth and creamy (not to be confused with creamy) whisky, with a fantastic complex taste.
Value for money: At $40 this is a great buy. Though I only give it 92%.
Overall: Warm and rich, this is a very pleasant sipping whisky.
Metaxa – Amphora 7 Star Review:
Tasting notes: Lots of caramel and sugar notes. Sweet and smooth. A little bit of a burn on the way down. Not a lot of depth or complexity, but still a pleasant drink.
Value for money: At $30 it’s not the best of value for money. The Whiskey is a little over priced for what it is.
Overall: This is a nice drink,
