Golden Moon Amer Dit Picon

 

I love Golden Moon - a Colorado distillery that opened in 2008 and utilized old world production methods from the get-go. I am a particular fan of their Creme de Violette - an usually rich, leathery violet liquer - but this is their difficult-to-source Amer Dit Picon. Picon, of course, is the French term for an orange-flavored liqueur. Usually made with orange peel, chinchona bark, and gentian root, it's a staple of the amaro scene.

So what we have here is a reproduction of old world methods for a picon-style liqueur. Commonly available in France (home of all good things), it has only been recently available here in the USA. Here is the official tasting guide:

Golden Moon Amer dit Picon is produced using the finest hand-selected herbs, spices and botanicals available. We have recreated the original processes and acquired the original type of ingredients used by legendary distiller Gaetan Picon to create his amer (bitters) in the 1830’s. Bottled at 78 Proof, Golden Moon Amer dit Picon is the perfect ingredient for the legendary Picon Punch, the Brittany cocktail, and a host of other classic cocktails. It can also be enjoyed by itself.

Sounds good. Bottled at the ORIGINAL picon strength (39% ABV). Let's dig right in:

Nose: Shy on the nose. Hints of bitter orange, gentian. Hints also of tree bark. Quite a quiet nose. Orange peel, orange pith, burnt sugar. Vague imprints of roots and herbs. Strange nutty note, like pecans cooked in an oven. 

Mouthfeel: Syrupy, like many amaros. Rich syrup. 

Palate: Wow - it explodes on the tongue. Huge bitter root notes combine with the *exact* flavor of chewing orange peels. Burnt cinnamon. Coffee grounds. Deep bitterness through - this is heavily, heavily bitter. 

Finish: Coffee and orange peel bitterness recede very slowly into the background in what is a fabulously long finish. 

Verdict: Wow is this going to be divisive. Most people will HATE this. It's intensely, grandiosely bitter. Bitter beyond all reason. But it's still quite complex, and if you have a tolerance for bitter things, this will please you. Quite an interesting glass of liqueur, that's for sure. Tentatively recommended. Probably does well in cocktails.