LimoncelloQuest

LimoncelloQuest Makes its First Acquisition

I’ve gotten numerous questions on exactly how much zest I use in a typical batch of Limoncello. I’ve also had some very insightful comments regarding how I measure my ingredients. Apparently one “cup” of water isn’t the same amount in the U.S. as in other countries. Being American, this hadn’t really occurred to me but it’s a good point.

So my first LimoncelloQuest acquisition was a food scale! Yes, very exciting. The first thing I did with this scale was measure the amount of zest I use in a typical batch. I just started a new batch with 12 organic lemons. I zested them with the microplane grater yesterday and weighed the resulting zest. The zest weighed in at 46 grams. The lemons were a little on the small side so I bet I often use more like 50 grams but that should give you a good idea of what I typically use to make a batch.

I should also mention that a “batch” for me these days is half of what is described in my standard recipe, using one 750ml bottle of Everclear rather than two bottles. This is primarily to conserve Everclear and get more tests in. Still, this 12 lemon batch I just started contains significantly more zest than I used to use in the past. I may update my standard recipe because I just prefer a LOT of lemon flavor these days.

Commercial Limoncello Reviews

I just added a brand new section to the site for commercial limoncello reviews. I kicked it off with five widely available brands of limoncello and I summarized them on one graph so you can easily see the differences. I plan to add more in the near future, feel free to make suggestions!

Limoncello with One Mint Leaf – Review of Batch #13

This batch was hard to rate on my flavor graph because it embodies two distinctly different characteristics. I finally made the decision you see below but it actually starts sweet and smooth and then as the flavor matures on the palate it gets more rough and a little tart.

I think many hard core limoncello enthusiasts would say that this is how it’s supposed to be and I enjoy this batch myself. It’s mellow and then you get the heat of a good limoncello. The mint adds a little something, you wouldn’t necessarily detect it but it does add a certain character to the batch. There are different styles of limoncello, but as authentic styles go I like this batch a lot.

Liquor: One bottle of 151 Proof Everclear
Liquor filtration: 5x
Lemons: 14 scrubbed organic lemons plus one mint leaf torn in half
Days peels and liquor rested: 36
Simple Syrup – Cups Sugar: 1.75, Cups Water: 2.5
Final filtration: 4x

graph batch 132 Limoncello with One Mint Leaf Review of Batch #13

Limoncello - Batch #13

Mojitocello – Lime Zest with Mint

I should have posted this review while it was still summertime but better late than never I guess. This is actually batch #12 for those who follow along. I wanted to get fancy and do a batch that tasted like a Mojito.

Here’s the recipe I used:

Liquor: One bottle of 151 Proof Everclear
Liquor filtration: 5x
Lemons: 14 scrubbed organic limes plus one mint leaf torn in half
Days peels and liquor rested: 36
Simple Syrup – Cups Sugar: 1.75, Cups Water: 2.5
Final filtration: 4x

There were a few things wrong with this attempt. The first is pretty obvious, lime zest doesn’t taste like lime flesh. So unless I use lime juice in the future I don’t think the finished product will really taste like Mojito. I also used far too little mint, it was barely detectable in the flavor.

Here were my tasting notes:
Has the typical lime-cello green color and the texture is extra dense. Tastes like a sweet batch of lime-cello, you can hardly detect the lime that would make it mojito-like. There’s a hint of mint on the finish but this doesn’t taste like a mojito.

Despite the fact that it didn’t turn out as I’d initially hoped, this was a tasty batch. I may repeat it and add 10 mint leaves instead of one next time.