Category: Reviews

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

Pallini Limoncello

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Limoncello was an intriguing concept for me, typically made from the zest of tart lemons that have little bitterness. Lemon zest, or peels without the pith, are steeped in a base spirit until the oil is released. The resulting yellow liquid is then mixed with simple syrup (Wikipedia link).

The result  fruity citrus liqueur with a lower alcohol level, that is consumed chilled, straight, after dinner in some parts of the world.

My son gave me a bottle of Pallini Limoncello. Upon opening, I got the immediate scent of Lemonheads candy! I poured a sample into a shot glass and took a sip. It was sweet, and the taste of lemon candy persisted. I was not tart as I was expecting. As is the case for me, even the lower amount of alcohol wiped out my taste buds.

While I do not drink it straight, I have used it in cocktails in place of lemon juice or sour mix, to interesting effect.

Proof: 52  (26% ABV)

Price: $0 (was a gift, usually $25)

Buy again: Maybe

Plantation Grande Reserve 5Y

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Ah. Rum plus sales price, equals win. There’s always a chance to try something new with less risk, and with the possibility that it will be a great option to buy again.

I am a fan of the Plantation Double Aged Dark rum. So I decided to give the Grande Reserve 5 Year a try. It is the first truly “aged” liquor that I have purchased. Anything else that is I have that is labeled as “aged” is a blend of ages. This is supposed to be aged for five years. There is no way that I can confirm or deny, but it has a distinctive flavor that comes from being in a  charred barrel.

Upon  opening, the smell is banana, sugar, and alcohol. I taste a slight sweetness, hint of char, alcohol, and that banana flavor. I can almost drink it chilled or over ice in small quantities, which for me, is saying something.

Update: I’m sipping it in small quantities! It is less harsh than the Appleton Signature Blend. I get an almost caramel sweetness, a hint of banana, and sometimes a taste of coconut.

It makes a good Rum and Coke, but I’m curious how it will be in other cocktails.

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Paid: $22 (on sale)

Buy Again: Probably

DeKuyper Creme De Cacao

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Dessert. Chocolate. Alcohol.

Chocolate. Alcohol. Dessert.

I was intrigued at the idea of a number of dessert cocktails. Mudslides and Grasshoppers, and Alexanders, oh my!

Creme de Cacao (labeled on my bottle as Creme de Cocoa) is a chocolate liqueur available in a clear version or a brown version. It smells like chocolate. It tastes like chocolate. The alcohol is very subdued, no doubt due to the sugar content. Did I mention it is sweet? Very sweet? A little goes a long way.

Honestly, it hasn’t gotten too much use so far. With winter coming, it may get more use.

Proof: 48 (24% ABV)

Paid: $10

Buy again: Yes (but not very often)

 

Gran Gala Orange Liqueur

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From the beginning of my cocktail experiments, I have been fascinated by orange liqueur, triple sec, curacao, and any other names you might want to line up to describe an essence of orange and a base spirit. I had started with Cointreau, fallen to the bottom shelf with Bols Triple Sec, and climbed halfway back up to find Gran Gala.

As usual, the walk around the ABC store after the first of the month draws my eye towards sales. And on that particular month, I found Gran Gala. Reviews were all over the place, but a blind tasting put it up in the decent realm.

So, purchase made, and back to the Lair. The aroma was sweet and certainly had some orange. It was fine in cocktails, so no complaints. It does bring a punch (of alcohol at 80 proof ) to the punch, so to speak. The only difference from previous or current orange liqueurs I’ve tried is the color. It is sort of a golden brown. Not a big issue, but is does color drinks, where other clear liqueurs don’t (aside from blue curacao) .

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Paid: $15 (on sale)

Buy again: Yes

Copa de Oro Coffee Liqueur

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Boy, those sale prices get my attention. While perusing the shelves, I ran across Copa de Oro Coffee Liqueur, a Kahlua knock off. Now, I am a coffee lover. So this was an opportunity to mix coffee and cocktails.

Copa de Oro, upon opening, smells like coffee with sweetener. In a shot glass, the sip revealed a very sweet, thick, coffee syrup. There was very little alcohol taste. Aside from the heavy sweetness, I could drink this straight, or over ice.

The first cocktail I tried was a Black and White, which is simply coffee liqueur and Half ‘n Half. It was very good, but very dessert like. I have also used it more recently in the Mr Bali Hai, which I enjoyed immensely.

I think I’d like to try another brand to see if it is equally as sweet.

Proof: 44 (22% ABV)

Price: $7 for 750ml (on sale)

Buy again: Probably