Grand Marnier is no newcomer, in fact the Maison itself was created in 1827, the same decade that Spain passed control of Florida to the United States of America. This French brand was created by Jean Baptiste Lapostolle, who had inadvertently lived up to his own name by baptising a great brand which would continue to flourish and grow for nearly two centuries. Jean Baptiste’s initial vision was to create an avant-garde liqueur which brought new colour to the world of Cognacs.
This release, the Grand Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire celebrates both the brand’s extraordinary heritage and the memory of the Maison which was founded in 1827. The liqueur is a remarkable collector’s piece and contains a blend of cognacs of up to twenty five years of age, which are strategically combined with an extract of exotic bitter orange to create a truly luxurious expression.
The Cuvée du Centenaire achieves its sublimely rich but balanced flavour profile by strategically combining XO Cognacs from Grand Crus of the Petite Champagne region and the Grand Champagne region together. The natural essence of bitter oranges is then intruded to the blend, which, when all combined, creates an exquisitely refined flavour with delicate citrus top notes and a dramatically long finish.
The tasting notes for the Grand Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire suggest top notes of orange and balsamic, with a full bodied dried fruits and honey on the palate. The Grand Cuvée is best enjoyed as a ‘digestif’ after a meal though it does go surprisingly well with a cheese course of soft goat’s cheese and figs. The liqueur is at 40% ABV and consists of 82% of blended French Cognacs and 18% orange essence.
