Cointreau

Rating: 17/23 N: There's a sweet orange scent, like candy, and also some ethanol. It's a very pure ethanol flavor though, without any overbearing heads or tails. It's kind of zippy and uncomplex. This nose is lighter than that of either Grand Marnier or Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao. P: There are three flavors here: sweet, orange, and vodka. The sweetness and orange produce a pure, candy-like flavor that is tasty despite being one-note. There is a little bit of oiliness from the orange, but I wouldn't say there's much. The alcohol is unpleasant if drinking Cointreau neat, but it vanishes in a mixed drink, just making it seem a bit stronger. Additionally, in the alcohol's defense, it pretty much just tastes like pure ethanol. It's clear that a decently high quality vodka was used to produce this, so the alcohol interfere's minimally. It's only so noticeable because there is so little else going on and the palate is otherwise light. F: This is not as nice as the palate. Some of the grain starts coming out briefly, but then it brings in some harshness and eventually a faint hint of artificial sweetener. Of what I consider to be the "Big Three" orange liqueurs (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, and Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao), this is both the simplest and the most pure in it candy orange sweetness. This bodes well for its capability as a mixer since its flavor can definitely shine through. Usually, though, such one-note mixers cost a lot less. Also, having done several comparisons with margaritas, mai tais, and variations on them (e.g. margarita but with high rye whiskey), I've found that this only beats Pierre Ferrand about half of the time. For sipping neat, Pierre Ferrand shows more complexity with bitter and oil notes, along with a hint of cognac, but it suffers from the clear presence of young brandy that borders on vodka. On the other hand, Cointreau pretends to be nothing other than vodka with orange and sugar, so maybe that works to its benefit? I think I would probably prefer Pierre Ferrand neat, but I bet that mixing it in with some cognac would do it a world of good. I guess I should try that... Grand Marnier is a different beast. It more prominently shows off its cognac, but its orange suffers as a result, developing more of a citrus bite. I'd say that Grand Marnier and Cointreau are on opposite sides of the spectrum with Pierre Ferrand in the middle and off to the side slightly. If I were picking two for my home bar, I would either take Cointreau and Grand Marnier because they are the most different or Pierre Ferrand and Grand Marnier because Pierre Ferrand works as a substitute for Cointreau in most situations. All of this considered, I think that Cointreau is my least favorite, but I can understand why some would prefer it the most and I can definitely understand why Grand Marnier often comes out on the bottom. I'm in the 16 to 18 range on this and it's pretty tough to make the call. At the end of the day, I have to conclude that while this is really more of a 13 to 16 for sipping (I'm leaning toward 15, just below Pierre Ferrand), it's great in cocktails, often functioning better than either Grand Marnier or Pierre Ferrand due to it's starker flavor profile. I hate to say this, but they are all very versatile in cocktails and provide a tremendous increase in quality to many of them. For mixing, there is no clear winner in my mind, so they're all going to get a score of 18. I will personally probably be sticking to Pierre Ferrand with an occasional Grand Marnier supplement going forward though, if for no other reason than price. But last second plot twist! Roll in the post-credits scene here. I was disappointed by the outcome of my head-to-head-to-head, so I took one more stab at it and came out with a compelling result! Now, all of them are still very good and I found that each pretty consistently enhanced the cocktail I mixed it in. That said, I do think I've identified a winner and a loser this time. So I tried cocktails based on gin and tequila, with an emphasis on margaritas because, obviously. I didn't have the proper ingredients to make anything rum-based, so I skipped it and that might influence future ratings. I found this time that Cointreau decidedly trailed the other two. It added some more orange presence for sure, but it was just so simple. I did make stronger cocktails this time around, but it wasn't exactly a thimbleful of lime juice dumped into a vat of tequila. This time, Cointreau was consistently second or third and Pierre Ferrand was consistently first or second. There was one exception in which Cointreau was close to Pierre Ferrand for first (in a margarita with an anejo tequila, in case that matters), but that was the best that it did. Grand Marnier continued to be the most volatile, so it is definitely the riskiest choice when mixing a drink (though if anything I suspect it would be less risky in a rum-based cocktail). It tasted pretty good consistently though and Cointreau never quite achieved the complexity and balance of Pierre Ferrand. Considering this experience, I would have to say that Pierre Ferrand and Grand Marnier rival each other based on context and personal preference (do you want that pure tequila flavor to show through?), but Pierre Ferrand is a much safer option. It is still the easiest one to drown in a weak cocktail, but I frankly don't want to drink something watered down with margarita mix anyway. Considering all of this, I think that Pierre Ferrand wins for quality and consistency. It would be my first choice, Grand Marnier my second, and Cointreau my third. They are all still pretty close though. I'm going 19, 18, and 17, respectively.

I've had a lot of this over the years, almost always in a cocktail. In fact, I don't ever recall seriously drinking this neat or on the rocks. Maybe I tasted it, but it was always an ingredient for me and never a main course. Today we'll turn that around. Originally called Curaçao Blanco Triple Sec, Cointreau is an orange-flavoured triple sec liqueur produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou, France. It's a digestif, often enjoyed after a meal. Cointreau is made from blended sweet and bitter orange peels and alcohol from sugar beets. Introduced in 1875, about 13 million bottles of this liqueur sell each year. Cointreau is clear. I tasted neat from a glencairn. My bottle is almost empty, so this is as oxidized as it will get. It's clear and a bit thin with small tears quickly running down the glass after a swirl. Cointreau has a very delicate, but sharp, orange aroma. It smells to me like a blood orange before it's cut open - just smelling it up close to the rind. There's more than a trace of that beet alcohol, too. It's not a complex nose, but its nice enough. On the tongue this is very sweet, slightly citrus, blood-orange flavored and mildly warming. It's refined, simple and tasty. In short, this is a superb ingredient. I use it whenever I want orange in a cocktail and I use this as my triple sec. I should note that I'm not a fan of regular Grand Marnier (althought I'll argue that Grand Marnier Cuvee Speciale Cent Cinquantenaire 150 is a comletely different animal and I love it), so Cointrea remains a strong player in my liquor cabinet. Love it in cocktails, not my jam on its own, definitely a quality product. Recommended!

The Bottle: I get the feeling that not much has changed since 1849 when this stuff made its debut. Instantly recognizable. It doesn't draw your eye the way a Bruichladdich would, nor does it just disappear into the backdrop like a bottle of Absolut does. It's something that your brain silently checks the box on as you scan a bar. In the Glass: Clear, but with a good viscosity. On the Nose: Fresh apple.... The orange on this is very forward, with a nice blend of rind and pith in the mix to keep it from reading like juice. There's a sugary coating on it, like candied orange peels. Very pleasing. Taste: Thick, sweet arrival. The orange announces itself on the development and finish. There's a faint bitterness on the finish that counterpoints the sweetness nicely and keeps the whole thing from becoming cloying. There isn't a ton of depth to this, but the quality behind it is evident. Very purpose-built for the flavor that they are going for. This would be a bit too sweet for me as a sipper, but on the rocks? Sure. In a cocktail? Absolutely.

Appearance: Clear as water, almost. Slightly viscous. Aroma: Alcohol, orange zest (from many types of orange), orange juice. Flavour and texture: Surprisingly friendly and sweet arrival, with an abundance of orange (of course). Clean, crisp and sweet with very little alcohol burn. The texture is just oily enough. Quite compelling for a focused liqueur. This is pretty much the gold standard for orange liqueurs. The only real competitor is Grand Marnier (which has its own charms). Just steer clear of any bargain basement or generic "Triple Sec" and use one of the two giants of the style - there is a darn good reason they rule the roost. As a neat drink it is actually not too bad and the official Distiller notes for this are right on the bullseye. It remains, however, primarily an ingredient and there are a multitude of cocktails that simply would not work without the magic touch of Cointreau. Let's face it - it's just plain very good stuff. If you're putting together a home bar you NEED to have this on the shelf. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)

I would consider Cointreau to be the best orange liqueur out there. Grand Marnier sort of falls into this category and is right there with it, but if you have to choose an orange liqueur or triple sec for a mixed drink, this should be your top choice. On the nose you get dried orange peel. The palate starts a bit bitter, but not in a bad way. It's actually very dry and much thinner than most orange liqueurs. The orange notes are there throughout and kind of reminds me of an orange gummy slice. It closes with a nice touch of sweetness and almost no burn. If you are used to using the various triple sec's out there in your cocktails and upgrade to this, you will notice a big difference. This is drier and stronger (at 80 proof) and unlike many of the triple sec's not artificial tasting. It does come at a cost, but I think it's worth the upgrade. If you are serious about your cocktails, then I would definitely have a bottle of this around, along with Grand Marnier and Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao.

Open 1 month Heavy orange peel and oil, light orange juice, and spicy citrusy ethanol. Surprisingly light and sweet on the tongue, hints of caramel and cinnamon bun, sweet candied oranges, and light ethanol. I'm honestly shocked how dessert-like this palate is considering the nose. The orange peel aroma is absent and in its place is a light high quality orange juice. I'm getting more into cocktails so I'm buying liqueurs that I never buy. I figured why not track them on here to see what I like over time. I thought this would just taste like an orange peel based on the nose, but it is sweet and delicious on the tongue. I had no idea it would be such a great sipper, but I am saving the rest for mixing.