Thanks to Torsten's suggestion (and to our supermarket having sample-sized bottles), last night we tested some of Lantenhammer's schnapps assortment.
I had seen these before and always was intrigued by the flavors. The Gansloser hazelnut schnapps we tried on Valentine's Day was quite good, so I figured the walnut (Walnuss) would be interesting too. And I've loved the smell of bergamot (kaffir lime) since we used the leaves and limes in cooking school in Bangkok. Intoxicatingly citrusy!
There are so many schnapps on the market here that it's tough to know which ones are really good and worth buying. So we were really happy to have someone we trust's recommendation to try one.
For a full disclaimer (because it's all about individual taste)....we're generally not huge fans of the really fruity schnapps (blueberry, for example) or of some of the herbal (kräuter) schnapps. That being said, I think there are ones out there we would like if we tasted enough of them. The traditional pear (Williamsbirne) schnapps can be quite good, and I love cherry anything.
The Lantenhammer LineupOverall, we liked every one of the Lantenhammer schnapps shown here. All were extremely smooth and drinkable, with mostly subtle tastes and alcohol. Not that they're weak....the alcohol contents range form 18-30%. But you have less of an overpowering alcohol taste or smell than you find with some liqueurs.
What were our favorites? Herr J's favorites were the lime (limonen) or the rose (rosen); whereas his least favorite was the nutty walnut. I would agree with him on the rose, and that the lime was incredibly drinkable, but I did enjoy the walnut. And to be honest, all 5 of them. However, I'm much more a fan of nutty tastes than he is.
A quick review:
Apricot (Marillen) - Incredibly smooth, with a golden color and not so strong smell. This one reminded us a little of Andechs' wonderful honey schnapps, though a slightly different taste and a bit thinner. It does not at all taste strongly of apricots...it's a light, sweet taste that was difficult to identify and much more subtle than most apricot schnapps.
Lime (Limonen) - Pale yellow, with the strongest scent of the five. Though it was more of a lime than an alcohol scent - it was not so strong at all. And frighteningly smooth going down...you have to be careful of how good this one tastes!
Rose (Rosen) - With a slightly pink tinge and an equally subtle scent, this one was smooth and sweet and light. It's a very light schnapps and one that most everyone will enjoy.
Bergamot (Bergamotte) - This one was clear, with a light citrusy scent. While we definitely tasted some alcohol in this one, it was not overpowering (as some schnapps can be). It tasted quite like a not so sweet version of a lemon drop shot (vodka + lemon + sugar rimmed glass). We really enjoyed the light flavor of this one, without a lot of sweetness.
Walnut (Walnuss) - An amber colored liquid, this one was stronger in both alcohol and flavor. It definitley had a nutty walnut taste, but was not overpowering either. I really enjoyed it, but it's something that may not appeal to someone who doesn't like nuts.
As a whole, these are the perfect schnapps to start with (or to serve to guests) when you don't enjoy the hardcore herbal or strongly alcoholic schnapps. Part of it is probably their subtlety in not overflavoring; part is that these have lower alcohol content. Most schnapps are in the 40% (or at least above 30%) range. These are much lower and therefore smoother. But still very enjoyable for an after-dinner drink!
On their website, Lantenhammer also recommends something potentially sacriligeous in the schnapps world....that these are great liqueurs for mixing drinks. I could definitely think of some tasty martini-style drinks to make with these!
Interestingly Lantenhammer is owned by the same group as is the Slyrs whisky distillerie. They also make the König Ludwig brands of schnapps and two lines of more traditiona schnapps (the fruity Fruchtbrandliquer and the traditionally strong Edelbrände). Those two focus on the more traditional pear, apricot, and raspberry flavors, and are positioned a bit above König Ludwig's price point. So it makes sense that Lantenhammer includes a completely different flavor selection in the ones we tried than with other lines. A bit more modern taste and packaging, it seems.
We'll give some of the other schnapps a try soon, but again we have to keep recommending the products produced by the Slyrs and Lantenhammer groups!