A staple of classy bar carts, luxury cocktails, or tiramisu, Disaronno is an iconic liqueur with a distinctive bottle. The rich, amber colored Italian amaretto is sold and enjoyed worldwide, and has a variety of uses.
If you’re looking to work this iconic liqueur into your next cocktail, you’ll want to know what disaronno tastes like.
Disaronno has a sweet, almond-like taste. There are notes of fruity cherry flavors as well, and something slightly herbal as well. Some cocktails use Disaronno as the star, like Disaronno fizz, sour, and a Godfather.
What Does Disaronno Taste Like
Taste
The flavor of Disaronno is simple, yet delicious. Produced in Saronno in the Lombardy region, the almond taste is characteristic of the drink. However, there are not actually any almonds in the mixture. According to the company, the ingredients of this amaretto go much deeper.
Primarily, the chief flavor is an infusion of apricot kernels. When eaten raw, apricot kernels actually contain poisonous amygdalin. Oil made from apricot kernels, however, do not have this compound. It’s this ingredient that gives Disaronno a distinctive, delicious almond flavor.
The apricot kernel oil is infused with absolute alcohol, seventeen herbs and fruits, and burnt sugar.
As for what Disaronno tastes like, some compare it to the strawberry flavor of Starburst candies. Others note something almost like vanilla extract and rum. It’s a smooth, sweet liqueur that isn’t as fiery as it might look. There’s something almost caramel-like, likely from the burnt sugar.
Another alcohol it’s been compared to is Cognac, or other types of brandy. A popular example of cognac is Hennessy.
Varieties And Cocktails
Disaronno Velvet
Disaronno takes on an elegant look in a contemporary white bottle as Disaronno Velvet, a variety of the original drink. It is creamy, giving that sweet cherry almond taste a smooth and nuanced flavor. It is somewhat like drinking Disaronno that has been blended with creams.
It’s best enjoyed on the rocks, not mixed with any other flavorings. The fresh flavor is delicious enough unaltered.
Disaronno Fizz
For a cocktail with a bit of pop, Disaronno fizz is a bubbly drink that uses Disaronno as the main player. The liqueur is mixed with lemon juice and sparkling water for a refreshing drink with a tart twist. The tartness of lemon is excellent next to the sweet cherry flavor of Disaronno.
Disaronno Sour
A Disaronno Sour has a thicker consistency than the liqueur alone thanks to the inclusion of egg whites. Sugar syrup and lemon add a brightening sweet tartness to the drink, while the egg makes it creamy and complex.
Godfather
Bold and rich, the fruity, nutty flavor of Disaronno blends warmly with whiskey and orange. The whiskey is strong and woody, enhancing the nutty tones of Disaronno. Talking about whiskey find what Irn Bru tastes like?. There’s a quick, light tang of orange that hits right at the end of each sip, with a faint bitterness.
In Tiramisu
Not a cocktail, but Disaronno is famously used in the rich, layered, Italian dessert. There, it mingles with cream, coffee, and cocoa flavors. When the ladyfingers used in tiramisu are soaked in a mixture of coffee and this sweet amaretto, the flavors of vanilla and almond really pop. If you don’t want to use ladyfingers, you can use these ladyfingers substitutes.
Aroma
The scent of almonds and alcohol are what you’ll notice first in what Disaronno smells like. The almond, boozy scent is undercut with a soft, mellow vanilla odor.
Does Disaronno Taste Like Dr. Pepper?
A lot of people tend to compare Disaronno to the soft drink Dr. Pepper. It’s not hard to figure out why. Dr. Pepper is a soda known to have a subtle cherry taste that is woven through with a sort of rich, vanilla smoothness.
On paper, it seems like a perfect comparison. Since amaretto can sometimes have creamy, vanilla flavor notes, it’s already set up to be compared to Disaronno. With Dr. Pepper having significant touches of sweet cherry, everything lines into place for this comparison.
What’s more, Disaronno may have a recognizable maraschino cherry profile happening for it, and the burnt sugar can be somewhat caramel-like. Since Dr. Pepper is also vaguely caramel-like in taste, the comparisons continue.
However, the general consensus is that no, Disaronno does not taste like Dr. Pepper.
Why Dr. Pepper Doesn’t Taste Like Disaronno
Part of the reason is that Dr. Pepper tastes a little bit different depending on who you ask. Everyone seems to have their own interpretation of the flavor, with no solid conclusion to be drawn. With 23 secret flavors in the mix, no one is very close to figuring it out, either.
Secondly, it’s exactly those 23 flavors that keep Dr. Pepper from tasting like a non-alcoholic Disaronno. Yes, it does have cherry, caramel, and nutty flavors, but it has much more than that.
Some of the flavors in Dr. Pepper are detected as apricot, anise seed, malt, and even licorice. Even more, some people find such interesting flavors in Dr. Pepper as mint, ginger, and prune juice. These are things that Disaronno’s distinguished blend does not have.
Another reason Dr. Pepper and Disaronno do not taste the same is because of Disaronno’s alcohol content. While there are people who say they can’t taste the alcohol in it, many others will be able to.
Finally, Dr. Pepper is carbonated, and while the carbonation doesn’t change the taste, it will change the texture. This will trick the brain into interpreting the tastes much differently.
Conclusion
Disaronno tastes of nutty, earthy almond and sweet, smooth cherry. There are notes of caramel and vanilla in the drink as well, making it a classy brew that anyone can enjoy.
The Velvet variety of Disaronno is blended with rich cream, making it velvety smooth — as the name suggests. Cocktails that use the liqueur, like a Disaronno Sour, Disaronno Fizz, and a Godfather will emphasize its sweetness.
A few people ask if Disaronno tastes like Dr. Pepper. However, this isn’t quite the case. Because Dr. Pepper has 23 different flavors and is carbonated, it does not taste like Disaronno.
