Limoncello roundup 2: Bellini and Alberti

Before I review these limoncellos, I want to bid a fond farewell to Danny Devito's Limoncello which has gone defunct. In my opinion, Danny Devito's was by far the best of the commercially produced limoncellos (see my reviews comparing it to Black Heron and Finamoré). It's quite sad to see it disappear. RIP Danny Devito's Limoncello.

So now the search is on for a comparable replacement. Spoiler alert: neither of these are it. Both of these limoncellos are supposedly naturally colored since it doesn't mention any FD&C yellow on the label, though they both seem a bit more yellow than natural. Both are 30% alcohol. Both are from Italy. Unfortunately it's in the flavor that they fall short.

Albertini has a distinct soapy flavor to it, as if they purchased some lemon essence from a liquid detergent company. It's really only good for using in cocktail recipes. You should be able to sip a limoncello, so this bottle is not worth getting, in my opinion.

The Bellini is definitely better. The lemon flavor is pretty good, though there's a slight bitter edge to it and it finishes with a hint of soap in the finish as well. But overall, it's an okay limoncello at a pretty good price (about $17.00). 

Both limoncellos are available at Total Wine in Bellevue and online.