Caleño Light and Zesty

Light and Zesty is a non-alcoholic rum-inspired spirit with a fresh, fruity nose and palate and a light finish.

Light & Zesty is a non-alcoholic spirit from Caleño in Bristol, UK. After reviewing it’s product line sibling, Dark & Spicy, and concluding that it was, in fact, too light and zesty, I had high hopes going into this review. If they manage to make a tasty light and zesty drink when they’re not even trying to, surely the intentional Light & Zesty has to be great, right?

On the nose there’s pineapple, sour candy, citrus, and a touch of juniper. On the palate it’s incredibly fresh tasting; pineapple, apple, lime, and a touch of fruit pith. It’s tart, but not overly sour, and the acidity really seems in place. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the finish is very light. There’s a bit of lemon peel and some faint floral notes, but nothing intense or burning.

In our blind taste test we thought it was reasonably good as a neat sipper (7.0/10) and mixed into a daiquiri (7.6/10). Frankly it’s not a particularly good flavor match for rum, and while it doesn’t mention rum on the label, what does “Tropical Non-Alcoholic Spirit” make you think of?

While it’s not a great drop in replacement in rum drinks, as it’s acidity is likely to throw things out of balance, it is quite tasty by itself, and with a little experimentation can definitely make a nice drink.

The Superficial: The bottle label is gorgeous, and the matte embossed texture feels awesome. The proportions of the glass are nice, though c’mon, 500ml? The screw top cap is a bit of let down only because the rest of the presentation is so spot on, though the wood veneer on it looks great and feels quality.