Warm the bottle in your hand before pouring, that is how this black balsam from Riga has been drunk since 1752. It is a liquid secret known to only three people at any one time.
Expert's description
Riga Black Balsam Herbal Bitter is a Latvian herbal bitter at 45% ABV, bottled at 70 cl.
The recipe dates back to 1752, when pharmacist Abraham Kunze in Riga created a medicinal tonic drawing on balsam traditions that already reached back to the 1500s. Legend has it the balsam saved Catherine the Great from stomach trouble during a visit to the city. The recipe holds 24 ingredients, including birch shoots, raspberry, ginger, black peppercorns, peppermint, lemon leaves and honey, most of which are infused individually before being blended and rested in large oak barrels to develop the characteristic strength and light bitter-sweetness. The recipe was lost during the Second World War but was recreated by former employees and has since been kept unchanged, known only to the distillery's Head Liquor Master and his two apprentices.
Tasting notes
Nose
Dark herbs, birch and a light menthol-like freshness.
Taste
Bold and complex, with root, spice and a deep bitterness.
Finish
Long and warm, with a dry, herbal close.
Specifications
Name: Riga Black Balsam Herbal Bitter
Distillery: Riga Black Balsam
Country/Region: Riga, Latvia
Type: Herbal Bitter
ABV: 45%
Size: 70 cl
EAN no.: 4750021101380
Serving suggestion: As a digestif, or added to juice, coffee, or poured over ice
Flavour profile
Herbs · Root · Spice · Bitterness
Did you know?
The recipe was lost during the Second World War but was recreated by former employees after the war and has been kept unchanged ever since.
See our full range of Riga Black Balsam
