Mentzendorff Kummel, Saumur 50cl 38%

Description

Discover Mentzendorff Kummel, a caraway-infused herbal liqueur crafted in Saumur, France, at the historic Combier distillery. With a smooth 38% ABV and a rich history dating back to 1823, this digestif offers bold notes of aniseed, cumin, and a hint of orange zest, balanced by a sweet, spicy finish. Perfect served ice-cold or as a unique cocktail ingredient. Buy now at Fareham Wine Cellar.

History of Mentzendorff Kummel

Mentzendorff has experienced a remarkable history since 1823 which started and revolved around an old Manor House, called Allasch, in Livonia about 40 kilometres from the Baltic Port of Riga. The Barons passed on an old family recipe from which they used to make a caraway digestif liqueur for their friends called Allasch Kummel. Mentzendorff, then an export firm in Riga, suggested to the Barons that they should make the Kummel for export, which they did.

Soon, other European Liqueur manufacturers began to imitate the liqueur and closely copied the label, without succeeding however to match the genuine ‘finesse’ of the original. Today, this French herbal liqueur is produced at Saumur, France, by the oldest distillery in the Loire Valley, the Combier distillery, founded in 1834. They produce a wide range of spirits and liqueurs including Absinthe, Pastis, Gins and much more. It was also the first distillery to produce Triple Sec.

Mentzendorff Kummel Production Method

Mentzendorff Kummel is made by steeping caraway seeds in natural sugar beet alcohol in large vats. The distillation process involves a careful seven-hour distillation in pot stills, maintaining a temperature of 152°C at 7 bar pressure. The resulting distillate is then channeled through cooling pipes and collected, undergoing a double distillation to achieve remarkable flavor purity. The initial distillation retains both the ‘hearts’ and ‘tails’, discarding the volatile ‘heads’. Subsequently, the ‘hearts’ and ‘tails’ are redistilled, with only the ‘hearts’ being selected for the smooth, caraway liqueur. This refined liquid is blended with sugar and ionised water and adjusted to 38% ABV. Before bottling, it rests in vats for two months.

Putting Mixture?

Kummel has developed a cult following in golf clubs across the land and particularly in Scotland. It has earned the nickname “putting mixture” due to its popularity among golfers, with whom it’s believed to steady nerves before putting. This nickname emerged from its reputation as a digestif with supposed calming properties, thanks to its caraway, cumin, and fennel flavors, which were historically valued for soothing the stomach.