Author: The Tipsy Nerd

Dekuyper O3 Orange Liqueur

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I have to admit a certain fascination with orange liqueur in all of its forms. As soon as I read about Cointreau, I knew I was on the right track. I’m a fan of citrus, and my tastes lean to the sweet side, so orange liqueur fits the bill. There really isn’t any tart in orange liqueurs (at least the ones I’ve tasted). It’s more of an essence of orange, and some are candy-like in the extreme.

So, I have a problem. I see a new orange liqueur, and, I want to try it. And so it was with DeKuyper O3. This is sold as the upscale version of their bottom shelf triple sec. It is listed as being made from “Brazilian Oranges”. It is less assertive in  a cocktail thank Gran Gala, but also has a more natural aroma.

Proof: 80  (40% ABV)

Paid: $17 (on sale) for 750ml

Buy Again: Maybe

St Remy VSOP Brandy

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This is what happens when one doesn’t know what one is doing. I was actually looking for something fruity. In my head, something like an apple brandy. Without doing much in the way of my usual, um, research, I simply learned that it was an acceptably good brandy and it was inexpensive.

Unlike a schnapps or liqueur, that is a base spirit with flavors added, brandy is apparently distilled from wine. So, booze, made from booze. Let that swirl around in your glass for a moment.

The aroma is very subtle, fruity, maybe grape-like with alcohol. I don’t think I sipped it; maybe I should. But it is 9AM, so that will have to wait. I’m sure I used it in a cocktail, although I don’t remember which. So far, it isn’t memorable.

There is French writing on the bottle, so I thought it would class up the Lair.

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Paid: $12 (I think) for 750ml

Buy again: Probably not

Carolans Irish Cream

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I am interested in dessert drinks, especially as winter gets closer. Irish cream is used in quite a few dessert drinks like the Mudslide, Buttery Nipple, and Chocolatini.

Since I have not opened this yet, I don’t know whether it is a category I’ll like or use. Time will tell, and I’ll update this post soon.

Proof: 34 (17% ABV)

Price: $10 for 750ml (on sale)

Buy again: Don’t know yet

 

Dr. McGillicuddy’s Intense Apple Pie Liqueur

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This is possibly the longest name for an alcohol product. Ever. The aroma is apple and cinnamon. The flavor is apple, cinnamon, and I would swear, buttery crust.

The problem I have with it, is that it is fine for what it is, but it doesn’t mix with much else. I think I will try it with Buttershots to see if I get the caramel apple pie flavor that I imagine.

Proof: 48 (24% ABV)

Paid: $13 for 750ml (If I recall correctly)

Buy again: No

DeKuyper Buttershots

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Liquid butterscotch. Or is it caramel? Either way, it is a very sweet liqueur. A liquid dessert. I bought this on a whim. There are a number of equally sweet cocktails that can be made with Buttershots. If I didn’t have such a sweet tooth, there is no way I could drink much of it.

Proof: 30 (15% ABV)

Price: $11 for 750ml

Buy again: No

Di Amore Amaretto (Almond Liqueur)

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Amaretto is an almond liqueur. It is sweet, and has an almost cherry-like taste. Amaretto is produced from a base of apricot pits, peach pits, or almonds. If you’ve ever tasted almond extract or desserts made from it, this will be familiar. The aroma matches the taste. The alcohol is almost lost in the flavor. You could drink this straight, but again, it would be a very sweet drink on its own.

If you need something to try, the Amaretto Sour is the perfect cocktail to start with.

Proof: 42 (21% ABV)

Paid: $7 for 375ml

Buy again: Yes

Arrow Banana Liqueur

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And here is an example from my ABC state rant. Do I think the perfect banana liqueur is just out of reach? Is there a banana liqueur produced by unicorns that delights the palate? Of course not. As soon as it goes into whatever fruity cocktail, I’ll forget all this nonsense and simply enjoy my artificial banana flavored cocktail.

Look, it tastes like sweet banana candy with alcohol. Who could want anything more.

Proof: 30 (15% ABV)

Paid: $11 for 750ml

Buy again: Yes, since I don’t have a choice in North Carolina.

Chateau Monet

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Raspberry liqueur has the distinct flavor of sweetened raspberry syrup with alcohol, which leaves it tasting slight medicinal. Once mixed in a cocktail, the medicinal aspect somewhat disappears.

Chateau Monet is listed as “black raspberry” with herbs and spices. It was half of the price of the top shelf Chambord.

Proof: 33 (16.5 ABV)

Paid: $14 (on sale) for 750ml

Buy again: Probably

 

Southern Comfort

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Southern Comfort, as a brand, is over 100 years old. It was originally a “whiskey-based liqueur flavored with fruit and spice”. The modern description leans a little more towards “neutral spirits with fruit, spice and whiskey flavorings”. I’m not sure that makes a whiskey flavoring, when you have real whiskey to work with, but I don’t bottle the stuff.

This is a sweet liqueur with a mild whiskey flavor, and several equally mild flavors of cinnamon, and fruits, and a few more things I can’t put my finger on.

Tasty, and works well in cocktails that call for it.

Proof: 70 (35% ABV)

Price: $15

Buy again: Yes

Melone

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Midori? No Melone.

This is what you buy when you aren’t sure if you will like a $23 bottle of Midori, that very sweet, melon flavored liqueur that makes drinks turn nuclear waste green.

The Midori bottle is very decorative, but that doesn’t justify the price tag. Like so many liqueurs, there is usually a knock off. In this case, that knock off is Melone. Good luck finding ANY information about the brand online.

As soon as the bottle was opened, a sweet, melon candy aroma wafted out. A sip gives a very sweet taste indeed. The melon is an artificial honeydew like flavor. Having never tasted Midori, I can only tell you that the Midori Sour recipe yields a very tasty cocktail.

Proof: 42 (21% ABV)

Paid: $7

Buy again: Yes