Review: Wisniak na Rumie  (89.5/100)
a review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf)
Posted May 16, 2017

Wisniak na Rumie is a Cherry flavoured liqueur produced by Polmos Bielsko-Biala SA. This is the same Polish company responsible for the production of Extra Zytnia Vodka. Wisniak (cherry-flavoured) spirits are popular in Poland (as well as in Russia and The Ukraine).

Interestingly this particular cherry flavoured liqueur is, in addition to being flavoured with the natural juice of ripe cherries, also flavoured with Jamaican Rum. I must admit my interest was piqued at the mention of Jamaican Rum (I am the Rum Howler after all), and when I was offered a sample bottle to review, I jumped at the chance.

Wisniak na Rumie is bottled at 35 % alcohol by volume and sold in the stylish 500 ml decanter shown to the below.

In the Bottle 4.5/5

The liqueur is housed in a clear glass bottle sealed with a synthetic cork (glass-topped) stopper which adds to the overall feeling of style. The shape of the bottle not only looks good, it is functional as well, being quite easy to grab and hold with the neck of the bottle is just long enough to make pouring easy. The clear glass showcases the rich reddish hue of the cherry liqueur.

My only quibble is a lack of information on the label regarding the contents of the Wisniak spirit. I found no reference to natural flavours on the label nor to the Jamaican Rum. I suspect that potential customers would be more inclined to make a purchase if this information was more readily available.

In the Glass 8.5/10

When poured the spirit shows off its rich dark red hue which instantly reminded me of ruby-red port wine. The spirit is slightly thickened indicating a bit of added sweetness which is not unexpected in a spirit labeled as a liqueur.

The breezes above the glass are filled with lightly sweet scents of freshly sliced cherries with a touch of wine-like fermentation accenting the aroma. The underlying rum is hinted at with a light blush of herbal Jamaican funk (camphor, resin and menthol) seemingly entwined into the fresh cherry scent. Things are off to a great start.

In the Mouth 54/60

This certainly tastes like real natural cherries with all parts of the cherry adding their particular element to the overall flavour profile. Accompanying the rich cherry fruit flavour is a light dry slightly bitter component which tastes like the skin of a cherry as well as a light almond-like flavour (also very slightly dry and bitter) which I suspect is derived from the cherry stone. The added sweetness is not overdone and this allows those natural cherry flavours to pop in the mouth. There is also a hint of wine-like fermentation in the flavour profile which brings me back to my impression of ruby port wine. Under all of this is a light herbal quality which brings impressions of camphor and menthol. The overall effect is a liqueur which tastes bold, nuanced and delicious.

I would suggest serving the spirit neat at room temperature in similar circumstance to when you might enjoy a nice glass of port wine. I would also like to suggest that this cherry liqueur works great in cocktails. Any serving which requires a Cherry Brandy or Cherry Liqueur would benefit from the introduction of Wisniak na Rumie. One such serving is the Scotch Whisky Cocktail, Blood and Sand, which is my recommended serving below.

In the Throat 13.5/15

As this is a liqueur we expect the exit to be long with a lingering cherry sweetness, and in this we are not disappointed. I would like to make the point though that the sweetness is tempered which serves to allow some of the herbal nuances of the spirit and the lightly bitter almond-like flavour to dwell lightly within that sweetness.

The Afterburn 9/10

Wisnaik na Rumie is a thoroughly pleasing indulgence and can be served neat or mixed in cocktails. I would suggest if you are serving it neat that it would work very well as an after dinner drink perhaps paired with cheese, mixed nuts and chocolate.

Note: Wisniak na Rumie is available in Ontario, and I am hoping that it will be received well enough such that it makes its way across Canada to the Alberta market as well.

If you are interested in comparing more scores, here is a link to my other published Flavoured Rum Reviews.

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Suggested Recipe

Blood and Sand

3/4 oz Scotch Whisky
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
3/4 oz Wisniak na Rumie (Cherry Rum)
3/4 oz Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
ice
Orange Zest
Brandied Cherry

Add the first four ingredients into a metal shaker with ice
Shake until the outside of the shaker frosts
Strain into a cocktail glass
Garnish with flamed orange zest and a brandied cherry

Of Course: Enjoy Responsibly!

Note: If  you are interested in more cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more mixed drink recipes!

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My Final Score is out of 100 and you may (loosely) interpret the score as follows:

0-25 A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49 Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59 You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69 Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74 Now we have a fair mixing rum or whisky. Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79 You may begin to serve this to friends, again probably still cocktail territory.
80-84 We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89 Excellent for sipping or for mixing!
90-94 Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+ I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and Bronze medal scale as follows:

70 – 79.5 Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5 Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95 Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+ Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)