Tasting Notes: Grand Marnier Review
Grand Marnier is a blend of cognacs with the essences of bitter orange first introduced in 1880 and continues to be a dominant liqueur in the industry. When it comes down to comparing orange liqueurs, Grand Marnier has to participate but, we believe, it won’t take home first prize when you set your expectations on the “orange” of the orange liqueur.
Smell: Cognac with some minerals, a little “poopy” manure with the muted scents of pulpy orange and alcohols burn.
Taste: Light orange, French oaks, brown sugar with echoing that of a bourbon, not as sweet as other orange liqueurs in the category.
Cost: When it comes down to cost, you better really love the flavors of a cognac because you’re paying for it. At around USD $45, Grand Marnier isn’t the best value for your orange liqueur in a cocktail even with its complex flavors. While the flavors are definitely more varied than a normal orange liqueur, it almost does them all halfway but never hits home in any one.
Combined Rating:
- Smell: 2.0 / 5.0
- Taste: 2.0 / 5.0
- Cost: 2.0 / 5.0
- End Score: 2.0 / 5.0
Summary: Oddly enough, we’re not huge fans when it comes down to comparing it against the alternatives, at a cheaper cost. We’ve had better cognacs and we’ve had better orange liqueurs, so where should we place this one? While many reviewers will tell you how awesome Grand Marnier is and how it pairs well in a cocktail (such as the Margarita), I think you’ll find an awesome experience with some of the other options on the market, such as Senior Curacao of Curacao a true authentic orange for half the cost. You may be a huge super fan of Grand Marnier and that’s perfectly okay as everyone’s tastes are different, we just enjoy going outside the typical.
