This week's instalment of the Bartenders' Brand Awards is the liqueurs category.
The liqueurs tasting was the usual riot of the weird and wonderful, but it was the established brands that competed for the title of Liqueurs Category Champion. With a score of 85/100 overall, Heering Cherry took that honour. It’s a classic that endures.
“Lots of cherry, great balance, and nice mouthfeel flavour,” came the BBAs praise. It followed up gold on taste with two more for its “iconic bottle” and “great value for money”. Though it had an inferior (though impressive) 80/100 overall, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao was the best-tasting liqueur of the session, said judges. “Incredible aroma, bold and complex palate with candied orange and a long aftertaste,” was the summary of opinion.
The liqueur added high-bracket silver medals in design and value. In third was comparative newcomer Muyu Jasmine Vert, a collaboration between bartender Monica Berg and De Kuyper, with a gold in taste – “Floral, delicate, aromatic” was the response from judges.
It also took gold for its black bottle but only a bronze for value – the price was prohibitive to some. Acqua Bianca – the Dutch distiller’s collab with Salvatore Calabrese – was a medallist in taste for its “floral and menthol flavours”. Mandarine Napoléon, another classic of classics, came in fifth, with its “intense citrus” profile.
For more on the how the BBAs works, visit here.