I don’t have much of a background with Cointreau since it came into my life when I started doing more cocktails, a few years ago. Being an Orange Liqueur, it is a quintessential ingredient to have in your bar if you love Margaritas but is also used in the Sidecar, the Corpse Reviver No. 2, the Water Lily, the Singapore Sling & many more. With its powerful orange bouquet, it can easily liven up any drink in which it is poured.
“Cointreau is an excellent & very reliable Orange Liqueur…”
Cointreau
Distilled by: Cointreau
Type: Orange Liqueur/Triple Sec
Region: Angers, Pays de la Loire, France
Age: None
ABV: 40% (80 proof)
Ingredients: A blend of sweet & bitter orange peels macerated in neutral alcohol.
Colouring: None
Appearance: 7/10
Cointreau comes in the recognizable short, square, orange container. The screw top is pretty big & tight although a synthetic cork top would have been better to preserve the liquid & to decrease the sticky sugar from jamming the cap. The bottle is copper-brown, effectively protecting the liqueur from UV rays. In the glass it is completely transparent & leaves some large syrupy legs on the sides. At some point the drops even crystallized while falling.
Nose: 13/15
The nose is clearly dominant with orange but also offers some floral & spicy notes. The citrusy bouquet is reminiscent of orange & grapefruit peel as well as freshly squeezed orange juice. Then some orange blossoms & a hint of rose petals make their way through the perfumy ethanol. There are mild aromas of anise seeds, cinnamon & nutmeg bringing a subtle complexity to the powerful orange notes.
Mouth: 13/15
Like most liqueurs, Cointreau does have a certain sweetness to it, although with the pairing of the tangy citrus, it makes for a pleasant drink. The bitter orange peel also contributes to decreasing the perception of sugar. The ethanol comes out as a little strong on the first few seconds of the sip but diminishes into a warm & spicy perfume. The citrus flavour is riper rather than fresh on the palate delivering both notes of orange marmalade & orange meringue. The baking spices are also present leaving a mild impression of pie crust.
Finish: 8/10
The finish is of medium length & ends on the orange marmalade. The sweetness slowly decreases changing the ripe citrus into the a tart one similar to those perceived on the nose.
Overall: 82/100
Cointreau is an excellent & very reliable Orange Liqueur managing to strike an incredible balance between the sweetness of a liqueur & the sharpness of the fruit. It is a must for any mixologist beginner or experienced as well as to anyone who has a weakness for oranges.
The Reference
More information @cointreau.com
Photo by Dayana Mor
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