Amarula

Type: Liqueur

Brand: Amarula

Year/Specialty: Marula fruit liqueur

Cost:$ 20.00 - $ 30.00 U.S.

A little History:

It is unknown as to when the marula tree fruit was originally harvested for use as an alcoholic beverage. However, one story has it that early humans who observed different African animals eating the fallen and fermenting marula fruit from the ground, saw that these animals became quite intoxicated. Now this may be a myth, because the science and math do not really add up when calculating the amount of alcohol to liquid content per fruit, and the massive amount of it needed in order to get an elephant drunk… But, alas, leave it up to humans to find a way to utilize it to make a delicious alcoholic beverage for all to enjoy. We can trace this liqueur back to 1989 when the South African business, Amarula, came to be, becoming the most widely distributed alcoholic beverage in South Africa and now being sold in more than over 100 countries.

A little Geography:

Unlike most spirits that are mostly unique by the laws that dictate how and where the spirit can be made (scotch in Scotland, tequila in Mexico, bourbon the US) what makes this drink special is that the marula tree only grows in a very specific place in the entire world: Sub-Equatorial Africa, more specifically, northern South Africa. Due to the precarious nature of the marula tree, harvesting these trees are done by hand all over the plains of South Africa. These trees have refused to be cultivated, making the processes very labor intensive.

A little Science:

In the southern hemisphere, the seasons are flipped from us northerners. When we would be celebrating cold weather, the sweltering heat and dreadful humidity is the perfect time for the marula tree to ripen its fruit, allowing it to fall from the trees and be collected. From the factory, the fruits are de-stoned and juiced to be further fermented. The brew is finally transferred to French oak barrels for no less than two years.(I was unable to find any information if these were previously used barrels or new, I will give an assessment if I get any hints of other spirits when I taste it, though).Finally, once it has matured, dairy cream is added, and it is bottled.

Let’s take a drink:

There is a very distinct aroma from this liqueur that lets you know are going to taste something sweet, not sugary sweet though, but more fruity. The taste is similar to the smell with a full mouth feel (yet is not overwhelming) from the added cream. The cream, however, does not make it feel as thick as milk, but enough to distinguish itself from other liqueurs. I have never tasted a marula fruit, but from this drink alone I can imagine, through the drinks subtle hints, the taste of it on a hot African day.

Who may like this drink:

You like coffee or cream liqueurs. You want a spirit that can be used for not only sipping, but adding to a dessert for a distinct flavor.

Who may not like this drink:

You feel that a liqueur is just a waste of a fermented item.

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References:

Amarula (2016). The making of Amarula. Retrieved from https://amarula.com/#!/natures-factory/making

Krugerpark.co.za (2016). Scientist debunks the myth of elephants drunk on marulas. Retrieved from http://www.krugerpark.co.za/krugerpark-times-3-8-elephant-myth-22760.html

SouthAfrica.net (2016). Amarula cream. Retrieved from http://www.southafrica.net/za/en/articles/entry/article-southafrica.net-amarula-cream

Wikipedia (2016) Amarula. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarula