Taste tested: From Maryland Rye to Sicilian Marsala, Disaronno uncorks new Barrel-Aged Collection

There’s more to Disaronno than meets the eye – or palate. While the Italian house is best known for its signature almond-scented liqueur, it turns out there’s a deeper, darker side to its drinks cabinet. This month, Disaronno International UK lifted the lid on its Barrel-Aged Spirits Collection, an anthology drawn from its global portfolio.

The collection aims to diversify Disaronno’s product offerings beyond Amaretto, targeting prestige cocktail bars, hotels, nightclubs, and members’ clubs.

I was invited along to an exclusive tasting at Dram, one of London’s wildly popular whisky bars, where this curated collection of mature spirits made quite the impression. The event felt less like a brand showcase, more like an impromptu symposium on how well-aged expressions can enliven cocktails (Dram created a sublime tomato and peach highball for the occasion) and conversations.

The line-up spans Irish and American whiskey, Sicilian Marsala, and beyond, each bringing distinct regional traditions and production methods to the fore…

On the rocks

This barrel-aged collection signals Disaronno International UK’s move to position itself not just as a liqueur specialist, but a serious player in the premium spirits game. The line-up spans Irish and American whiskey, Sicilian Marsala, and beyond, each bringing distinct regional traditions and production methods to the fore.

Here’s a closer look at the key players in the collection:

The Busker Irish Whiskey

Produced at the Royal Oak Distillery in County Carlow, using local ingredients and traditional distilling methods, the distillery uses a tri-cask maturation regime: ex-bourbon barrels, sherry casks, and Florio Marsala wine casks – “We can only actually use the Marsala casks for a maximum of six months when we age something; any longer, and it just overpowers. Sherry casks are a lot more forgiving than Marsala,” I was told.

The result is a lineup that’s nuanced and approachable, and ideal for cocktails, with prices starting below £50 a bottle.

The Singles Collection includes three core expressions, all bottled at 44.3% ABV: Single Pot Still (£37, creamy, spicy and robust, it’s a natural fit for a classic Whiskey Sour); Single Grain (£34, a lighter affair, offering floral notes and vanilla, ideal for summer serves like a highball, with elderflower cordial and soda), and Single Malt (£30, a recent NAS Category Winner at the 2024 World Whiskies Awards).

All are non-coloured and non-chill filtered, and well worth investigation.

Sagamore Spirit Rye whiskey

Hailing from Maryland, Sagamore Spirit aims to open our bar carts to rye. The distillery blends historical significance with modern production techniques, including the use of column stills, and traditional rye mashing. Every bottle is proofed with limestone-filtered spring water from its 1909-built Spring House.

The lineup includes the peppery spice and subtle sweetness of Signature Rye, 41.5% ABV (£54); Cask Strength Rye 56.1% ABV (£69), a higher proof, that manages to maintain its composure, and Double Oak Rye 48.3% ABV (£72), my personal favourite, finished in toasted wave stave barrels, and boasting rich layers of caramel, nutmeg and dried cherry.

Recommended cocktails include Kentucky Derby favourite Preakness, and the Boulevardier, Negroni’s moody cousin.

Florio Marsala

Perhaps the biggest eye-opener on the Dram tasting table, Florio has been producing Marsala wines, crafted from the hardy Grillo (Gree-loh) grape, and unique flavor profile, since 1833. Shaped by the unique maritime microclimate of the Trapani coast, where sea breezes and seasonal variations work their magic on oak-aged stocks, the resulting fortified wines range in age from 2 to 27 years and have flavour profiles rich in raisin, fig, vanilla and liquorice.

Our Superiore Riserva Semisecco, four years in cask, was absolutely delicious, and comes highly recommended.

And there’s more: alongside these core spirits, Disaronno also represents an impressive suite of barrel-aged brands as an exclusive UK distributor.

These include Cotswolds Distillery, an English craft distiller known for its aromatic whiskies and bold innovation; InchDairnie, a future-forward Scotch whisky producer pushing boundaries in Fife; Ron Barceló, the world’s top-selling Dominican rum, and Yoshino Spirits, a Japanese distiller focused on wood-matured craft spirits.

Clearly, there’s plenty more exploration to be done.

Look for Disaronno’s Barrel-Aged Collection at specialist spirits retailers.