Don Ciccio Nocino-Artisanal Walnut Liqueur 750ml

Don Ciccio & Figli is a Washington, D.C. distillery that traces its origins to 1852, when Vincenzo "N'gioletto" Amodeo began crafting liqueurs on Italy's Amalfi Coast, a tradition his descendants carried forward until a 1980 earthquake ended production there. Francesco Amodeo, a fourth-generation heir to the family craft, relaunched the business in D.C. in 2012, working from the same recipes his ancestors used a continent and a century away.

Nocino follows a family recipe dating to the 1930s and is built around green walnuts that must, according to tradition, be hand-harvested on June 24th, the feast day of San Giovanni, when the nuts are believed to be at their peak. Those green walnuts are steeped in a blend of spices, herbs, and neutral spirit, then aged and sweetened before bottling. Reported strength for Nocino ranges from around 21% to 29% ABV depending on the release, giving the finished liqueur a fuller body than most of the distillery's citrus-based cordials.

The liqueur pours a deep, earthy brown and offers a nose of roasted walnut, baking spice, and a touch of citrus peel. On the palate it turns full and round, layering dark chocolate, coffee bean, and warm cinnamon and clove over a nutty core, with a long, slightly sweet finish that carries a lingering spiced warmth. It works well neat, over ice, or stirred into a whiskey-based cocktail.