Metaxa AEN – Cask No. 1

Color: Clear, deep mahogany color with bronze reflections.

lavor: Intense, complex and very sophisticated. Enhanced presence of oak wood and aromas of the forest. Dried fruits (prunes, figs, raisins), peels of citrus fruit, vanilla, toasted almonds, walnut, hazelnut and toffee. Notes of wild-bee honey and aromas of cigar-box. Aromas of port and old wines.

Taste: Warm, expressive and round. On the palate the aromas that prevail are those of sweet sun-dried grapes, powdered cinnamon, vanilla, clove, sweet spices and a pinch of white pepper.

Finish: Exceptionally long in both aftertaste and aromas. Aromas of mocha coffee, dried fruits, almond and sweet spices are revealed.

Drink-recommendation: Enjoy pure.

Temperature-recommendation: 18°-21°C

History

The history of AEN is nurtured by time itself. It begins in 1888, when a young visionary called Spyros Metaxa, inspired by the ancient Greek art of wine making, created a spirit so special that you could almost taste the Attica sunshine in its every drop.
For the better part of Metaxa´s legendary saga, one single cask, bearing the legacy of Spyros Metaxa, has patiently waited to reveal its exceptional content to the world.

Cask No. 1

Made from the finest quality of limousine oak wood, the Cask No 1, or the “Spyros” Cask, as it is known among the workers of the Metaxa cellars, is the oldest among the many thousands of barrels that make up the treasured patrimony of Metaxa.
The Cask No 1 has spent more than eighty years blending and maturing its exceptional content in a process of endless rejuvenation, and today stands as a symbol of Metaxa, an emblem of its capacity to live forever.

Art of making

The spirit of Cask No 1 is literally and symbolically the “heart” of Metaxa. More than two hundred different blends, which have been aging for as long as eighty years, are to be found in each drop of this liquid, while every Metaxa variant is enriched with at least one drop of this rare fluid.
With precision and care generations of Master Blenders have ensured that this fountain of life will never stop breathing new life into Metaxa.
From generation to generation, safeguarding the precious content of Cask No 1 has been a labor of love and craftsmanship for the Master Blender of Metaxa.
Tradition has it, that in the beginning of every year, during the cold month of January, the Master Blender examines the evolution of his most exceptional blends. When the MAster Blender is convinced that time has magnified the potential of his best blends, he chooses among those that have been aging for no less than twenty years and meticulously transfers them into the Cask No 1, forever injecting new life into it. This tradition has passed on to the current occupant of this envied position.

120 years – For Then, For Now, Forever

The name AEN was inspired by the eternal rejuvenation and the continual blending process in the Cask No 1. AEN means FOREVER.
This ancient Greek word connotes the always, the forever living heart of Metaxa and the eternal mystique of ancient Greece.

The celebration

The Original Greece Spirit celebrates one hundred and twenty years of international success in 2008. For this remarkable occasion, and for the first time in Metaxa´s long history, 1888crystal decanters will be filled solely with the precious liquid of Cask No 1.