Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao

Rating: 19/23 N: This has an oiler, slightly spicier, richer nose than Cointreau has. The sweet orange is less present as it substitutes more of a bitter orange zest. There's a soft fruity-vegetal flavor going on here that helps to mostly hide the alcohol. It doesn't smell as exciting as Cointreau does, but it smells more complex, although the scents are a bit muddled. P: This is richer and more complex than Cointreau. The brandy shows itself and mixes nicely with the orange, bringing out other fruity notes along the lines of raisins and similar dried fruits as well as some light spices. There's an interesting oiliness that is a nice match for blanco tequila. There is a dash of artificial sweetener as well, but it's not at all overbearing. It doesn't ever develop a ton of discernible flavors, but it is tasty and reasonably complex. The light brandy is certainly coming through and it lets a bit of ethanol in as well. F: The orange, raisin, general sweetness, and light artificial sweetener remain. It's pretty decent. There's a little bit of harshness, but less of that and less alcohol than in the case of Cointreau. This is functional as a sipper, though not something that a really can say I love. It's tasty from time to time though. I like the oily orange flavor and complexities, but the spirts are just not as mature as I'd like. A splash of soda water does it good. I prefer it to Cointreau neat, but not to Grand Marnier. As for mixing, the I tried numerous cocktails and variations, but did not find that one of these three orange liqueurs clearly stood above the others a substantial amount of the time. Generally, this seemed more in second place than they other two, so it strikes me as the safest choice. There were a decent number of cases in which it was the best though, so it shouldn't just be viewed as the cheap option if you can't afford both Cointreau and Grand Marnier. For sipping, I'd put this in the 14 to 17 range at the broadest, but is probably a 15 or 16. I'm leaning toward 16. It has issues, but I think it's sometimes awkward fruitiness from the young and unaged brandies is outweighed by its richness, complexity, and reduced alcohol presence, putting it just above Cointreau. For mixing, I think it's a tie with the other two liqueurs and they all get 18. Sorry for the anti-climax. Or not! 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.

Curacao is one of those liqueurs that appears a ton in cocktail recipes, especially if you are into tropical drinks. There are a number of recipes that call for it that are not in the tropical realm and in many of those instances they will call for this one specifically. In my opinion, this is the best curacao out there and it's not really close. The nose is exactly what you would expect with orange peel dominating. The palate is where this separates itself from the others. It is almost spirit like, very dry but not in a bad way with bitter orange, a touch of heat and a buttery feel to it. It is very well balanced, and the finish has no burn. Most other curacaos are either poorly balanced and one note or extremely sweet. I hold this in the same high regard as Cointreau. Both are incredibly well made and taste more like a spirit than a liqueur. It's one of the few liqueurs that I think it's worth trying neat. I was also planning on reviewing Senior Orange Curacao, but I don't see it out there. It is the one true curacao from the island of Curacao. It's solid for sure and better than most, but again doesn't beat out Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao. It's a touch too sweet for my liking and a little too watery. I would probably put it at a 3.25, so above average, but nowhere near as good as this. In general, my rule is if a recipe calls for triple sec, I go with Cointreau and if a recipe calls for curacao (typically orange curacao) I go with this. These are the two orange liqueurs that everyone should own if they like to make cocktails.

Tasting after a little nip of $5/L triple sec for perspective. Night-and-day: a vastly different product than the sweetened orange water (juice, not peel). Certainly this is a few bucks more, but serves a different function. Complex, rich, and tannic. Sweet syrup carries a dominant bitter orange flavor throughout, but builds into a pronounced snap of nearly-astringent oak and concentrated baking spice, then mellows again into vanilla orange nirvana. That crescendo would be a delicious cookie - toasted walnut, oatmeal, raisin, ginger, clove, and molasses. The sugar level is notable, by design, but does not dominate. A deeply flavorful product for complex cocktails or pairings. Honestly, I would not consider using this in a traditional, fresh, citrus-y blanco tequila margarita (my favorite). All the baking flavors and barrel notes are begging to be used in modest proportions (0.25-0.5 oz in a cocktail) and matched with aged spirits.

(From the archives) 17: This has quite a remarkable flavor! The richness of the orange really comes through in a way that it doesn't in Cointreau, helping to balance the sweetness. There are some mild spice flavors in it too that are very interesting. It lands somewhere in between Cointreau and Grand Marnier, so a 50/50 mix of them would probabaly be a good substitute. Grand Marnier is definitely richer with more of a wood presence and more of something bitter from the distillate. Grand Marnier is better at first sip, but its fruit isn't as delightful and its balance doesn't hold up as well. I think they're fairly comparable in quality though. I would really like to try a somewhat richer and substantially less sweet version of this curacao.

Fruity, tart and sweet. This liqueur is amazing to mix with. I personally wouldn't drink it neat because of how much utility it has. However, when I drink it on the rocks I get a very strong sweetness. There is a cotton candy, grape taste that is overwhelming considering this is a very dry orange liqueur. I also taste the orange and a bit of that vanilla oaky richness, but not much. When mixed in cocktails you get an added layer of complexity that is much needed. Price varies widely from store to store. I found it once for $45. Don't get it for that price as it jacks up the price of your cocktails. It is worth it at ~$35, but I pick it up at $27, which is great value.

Citrus bomb on the nose. You're walking through an orange grove. Also a little bit of fruity grape notes. Sweet and buttery on the palate but by no means cloying like drinking Cointreau neat. Naval orange, mandarin and grapefruit. Goes down like candy. The finish is medium length with more citrusy goodness and a hint if cinnamon. It almost feels like a waste using this in a cocktail because it's so damned delicious neat. I'd be inclined to at most just add some soda water and a lemon/lime wedge.