And after my days off, I found in our F&B office a bag with four more syrups.
Let's get directly to the point:
Darbo Blueberry & Cassis Syrup
It is a very dark syrup - undiluted it is almost black. In the glass with some water it changes in a beautiful dark crimson.
Already when you open the bottle, the room fills with wild blueberry aromas. It intensifies if you pour it into the glass. The black currents are almost not showing up in the nose.
On the tongue there is a hit of blueberry aromas, but directly followed by black current notes = cassis. It plays back and forth - but the afterthought is definitely cassis.
I cannot remember, to have tasted a better berry syrup. Ever. Well - a home-macerated wood strawberry syrup might be a worthy contender... but apparently it is always much easier to open a bottle [and if you think about wild wood strawberries, a bottle of Darbo syrup will be definitely cheaper]...
Darbo "Weichsel"- Maraska Cherry Syrup
The nose is not that intoxicating and dominating than previous syrup, but if you sniff at it, it will reveal openly its nice sour cherry notes. It is almost as dark in the bottle as the Blueberry Cassis syrup, however it will show in a brighter and lighter red diluted in a glass.
Also on the tongue you have bright sour cherry notes. Nice. But as I like to use the leftover Amarena cherry syrup from the cherries [for garnish], it won't be my first choice to use. Still - a very nice syrup indeed!
Darbo Pomegranate syrup
I cannot help, but this syrup is the weakest of them all. Don't you dare to tell anyone, that I have gave it bad notes. It is still nice. Has some exotic and sourish pomegranate notes. It has also a concentration, which you cannot find in other products. But the pomegranate aromas are not as clean and winning, than the other syrups. Still, there is only one pomegranate syrup, which I would say is better: homemade pomegranate/aronia/hibiscus syrup. Maybe Darbo could also 'doctor' it a bit giving it an interesting fruit counterpart like the Blueberry/Cassis syrup?!
Darbo Lemon Balm syrup
This is easily the most unique syrup of the bunch. It smells... mystical. The nose is "acidic" - bright and very herbal. Surprisingly herbal - and this almost savory note gives a bit way to some lemon-citrus notes.
The tongue is similar - but also so different. First of all a fresh acidic note is taking the palate, only to give way to a strong but fresh herbal note. Only the afterthought gives a clean and quite clear lemon balm characteristic.
I cannot wait, to play around with the syrups. For example the lemon balm will go very well with tequila - this is without a doubt. The pomegranate, goes with more or less everything, which utilizes grenadine or pomegranate, the cherry syrup again will work with quite a lot of stuff. And the blueberry cassis, will be my gin darling.
All will be good as well in syrups.
Now - I will get these syrups to Dubai and will take them all, except maybe of the Weichsel cherry [not that I don't like it]. They have also other syrups - some I am very keen on [passionfruit peach], some not at all [strawberry lime - why???]. I still have to wait for the price!
BUT: I found an amazing substitute for [the no more for me adequate] Monin - and it is better than anything I ever tried of another company. I am asking myself, why it took so long, to discover these products - finally I know Darbo elderflower already since a decade!
Try Darbo syrups. Or maybe don't: because I like to see them producing the same quality for many more years, and not to expand in Asia or the US and producing artificial products, in disguise of their former greatness. Volume really never helps...
So: try - in moderation!
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