Jacoulot - Lemon Liqueur
Founded in 1891 in Romanèche-Thorins, the Jacoulot House perpetuates a historic Burgundian know-how in the art of distillation and liqueur making. Known for its Marc and Fine de Bourgogne, it also produces a range of liqueurs in which the quality of the raw material holds a central place. The Lemon is one of its emblematic creations, designed as a Burgundian interpretation of limoncello. Since 2015, Jacoulot selects untreated Sicilian lemons for its production, chosen for the aromatic richness of their zest and their concentration of essential oils. The recipe seeks less power or sweetness than a balance between the intensity of the lemon, freshness, and indulgence. The work focuses exclusively on the zest, the part of the fruit where most of its aromatic expression is concentrated. The result is a particularly expressive liqueur, built around the natural freshness of the lemon.
The making of the Lemon relies on particularly precise manual work. Each lemon is peeled by hand to take only the yellow part of the zest, carefully removing the white layer underneath. This latter would bring excessive bitterness and alter the balance sought by the house. The zests are then macerated in the distillery according to Jacoulot's own recipe, allowing the extraction of their essential oils and aromas. The house thus uses the most intensely scented part of the lemon without seeking the more acidic characteristics of the juice in the liqueur itself. However, the juice is not lost: in a logic of full fruit valorization, it is notably used to produce the house's Lemon Tonic. With its 26% alcohol by volume, the Lemon retains enough structure to carry the intensity of the citrus while remaining accessible and indulgent. It naturally finds its place both as a digestif and in mixology.
The lemon-yellow color immediately announces the generous character of this liqueur, with a shade that readily evokes a lemon tart. The nose is intense but precise, dominated by fresh zest, essential oils, and a particularly clear expression of the citrus. On the palate, the attack is smooth and indulgent before a lemony liveliness balances the sweetness. The meticulous work on the zest preserves a slight prickly sensation without developing the more marked bitterness of the white part of the peel. The whole thus has a beautiful balance between sweetness, acidity, and aromatic freshness. The Lemon is best served very cold, as the chill enhances its tension and thirst-quenching character. It can be enjoyed neat at the end of a meal, on ice, or simply lengthened with sparkling water for a lighter and more sparkling expression.
