Tungi St. Helena Liqueur

Product of: Saint Helena

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Tungi (pronounced “Toon-Jee”) is an eau-de-vie distilled from the fermented juice of the prickly pear, which grows wild on the remote Atlantic island of Saint Helena. A British overseas territory, Saint Helena is most famous as the place where Napoleon was exiled in 1815, and where he died in 1821.

Paul Hickling makes Tungi at his year-old distillery using German made Holstein equipment. It lies in a cool stone basement beneath Donny’s Bar – owned by Hickling’s business partner Donny Stevens - on Jamestown seafront. With its stepped side, a reference to “Jacob’s Ladder”, the world’s longest straight staircase which rises over 1,000 feet up a sheer cliff above Donny’s Bar, the bottle is one of the industry’s most unique.

Review and Tasting

Sampled on 31/03/2013

Appearance:

Crystal clear.

Aroma:

Pungent, reminiscent of grappa but with notes of hairspray and pear drops.

Taste:

Fiery with fruity pear notes and cracked black pepper heat.

Aftertaste:

Incredibly lasting. Black pepper and pear re-emerge but the dominant note is sour.