Review: Lillet Rouge
The charms of Lillet Blanc have been adequately covered in this blog. But there’s another Lillet — Lillet Rouge — which is considerably harder to find even though it’s been on the market since 1962.
There’s not a lot of mystery to what Lillet Rouge is: As the name implies, it’s pretty much the same deal as Lillet Blanc, but with a red wine base (mainly merlot) instead of white. As with Lillet Blanc, it’s meant to be consumed ice cold, but anyone who’s ever had a chilled red wine knows how strange this can be. Adding in the bittersweet herbs that go into Lillet just makes it all the weirder.
In the right frame of mind, Lillet Rouge can be refreshing, and it does make for some curious cocktails (the company’s first recommendation is Lillet Glogg, which I’m sure you’ll dive right into). But all in all, it’s easy to see why the Blanc is more popular.
17% abv.
B- / $16 / lillet.fr [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE]
Lillet Rouge
$16
I absolutely adore this Lillet Rouge. It exhibits a most unusual fragrance that is captivating. I could drink this everyday. Vin Rouge in Durham, NC serves it on crushed ice with a zest of orange. How divine.