Sun-ripened lemons from the shores of Lake Garda, peel that slowly gives up its essential oils, and a family that has been distilling in Bassano del Grappa since 1898. This is what a limoncello tastes like when it isn't just sweet yellow booze, but a proper digestif with soul.
The expert's take on Poli Elisir Limone Limoncello
Poli Elisir Limone is an Italian lemon liqueur from Poli Distillerie in Schiavon near Bassano del Grappa in Veneto. The Poli family has run the distillery since 1898 and is best known for their grappa, but their range of liqueurs — the elisir — has earned a solid reputation all of its own. This one is built on a natural infusion of lemon peel, using only the thin, yellow outer zest. The essential oils sit in the peel, and they're what give the liqueur its fresh, almost crackling citrus aroma rather than the flat, boiled-sweet character you find in industrial versions.
The lemons come from the coast of Lake Garda — the Riviera dei Limoni — where they strike the right balance between acidity and oil. The peel is infused in alcohol, and the result is bottled at 27%, a touch stronger than many mass-produced limoncellos. That makes it well suited both as a closing dram after a meal and as a base in cocktails, where it can hold its own against prosecco and soda without disappearing.
Poli makes this one without filtering the aroma away, and you can taste it. It's meant as a digestif in the classic Italian sense — something you pour after a good meal, chilled but not ice-cold, in a small tulip-shaped glass.
Tasting notes
Nose
Fresh grated lemon zest, sweet and intense, with a hint of blossom and a clean, almost sorbet-like freshness. Much like the smell of homemade lemon ice cream on a warm summer day.
Palate
Full and invigorating citrus with a gentle sweetness that never turns cloying. Underneath sits a little bitter edge from the peel itself, which keeps the balance and gives it character.
Finish
Clean and refreshing, with citrus lingering and a pleasant warmth from the alcohol. Short, crisp and dry enough to make you want another sip.
Specifications
Name: Poli Elisir Limone Limoncello
Distillery: Poli Distillerie
Region/Country: Veneto, Italy
Type: Lemon liqueur, Limoncello
ABV: 27%
Size: 700 ML
Serving suggestion: Serve lightly chilled at 10-15 degrees in a tulip-shaped glass as a digestif, or use it as a base in a Limoncello Spritz with prosecco and soda water
Flavour profile
Fresh · Citrus · Sweet · Smooth · Summery
Did you know?
Poli is far better known for grappa than for liqueur — the family even runs its own grappa museum in Bassano del Grappa, where you can follow the craft behind Italy's grape brandy right back to the distillery's roots in 1898.
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