🍷 Malmsey
The sweetest Madeira, made from Malvasia.
Malmsey is the sweetest type of Madeira. It is made on the island of Madeira from the white Malvasia grape, from whose name the word "Malmsey" comes. The wine is fortified: grape spirit is added, which stops fermentation before all the sugar turns into alcohol.
Malmsey has more than 96 grams of sugar per litre. So it is thick and sweet, but the sweetness is balanced by the bright acidity typical of Madeira. The taste recalls caramel, dried fruit, nuts and coffee. The wine is aged in barrels for many years, often for decades, and is very durable.
Malmsey is the extreme case on the sweetness scale of Madeira. Drier types are called, for example, Boal. All belong to Portuguese wine and to Madeira. It is served in small portions with desserts or after a meal. An opened bottle keeps for a long time because Madeira has already been through heating and oxidation.
Links
- Part of
- 🍷 Madeira
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ Portuguese wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Madeira, 🍷 Bual, 🍷 Vin Santo
Frequently asked questions
What is Malmsey?
The sweetest type of Madeira, made from Malvasia, with more than 96 g/l of sugar.
How is Malmsey different from Boal?
Malmsey is sweeter; Boal is a drier type of Madeira.
Why does opened Malmsey keep for a long time?
Madeira has already been through heating and oxidation during ageing, so it is very durable.
Similar
🍷 Verdelho Madeira · 🍷 Terrantez · 🍷 Rainwater Madeira · 🍷 Sercial · 🍷 Frasqueira Madeira · 🍷 Bual
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.