Cointreau L'Unique Triple Sec Liqueur

Product of: France

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The distilling firm of Cointreau was founded in 1849 by two brothers Adolphe and Edouard-Jean Cointreau, who were confectioners in Angers. The liqueur we know today was created by Edouard Cointreau, the son of Edouard-Jean, and first marketed in 1871.

Cointreau L'Unique is made with the peel of bitter oranges from the Caribbean, sweet orange peel from Spain, neutral alcohol, sugar and water. "L'Unique" distinguishes this triple sec liqueur from lesser-known products in the Cointreau range such as Cointreau Noir.

The popularity of Cointreau was initially driven in Britain by an English wine shipper, George Glendenning, who discovered the liqueur when visiting Bordeaux in 1902. He was so impressed that he travelled to Angers to meet Edouard and subsequently started importing Cointreau. However, in 1923, Glendenning informed the Cointreau family that their product was too sweet for the British palate, so an extra dry version for the British market was created. It is this 'triple sec' (triple dry) version, now known as Cointreau L'Unique, that has since been marketed around the world.

In the period between the two World Wars, Cointreau removed the term 'triple sec' from the label to differentiate it from any similar liqueur produced by other liqueur houses. However, if you are following a cocktail recipe that calls for 'triple sec', then Cointreau is almost certainly the liqueur the author was referring to.

Review and Tasting

Sampled on 01/09/2024

Appearance:

Crystal clear.

Aroma:

Fresh and zesty mandarin orange zest with a touch of naval orange oil and a faint waxy overtone. Deeper notes of preserved lemon and a touch of spiced honey.

Taste:

Explodes with zesty, bright orange and lemon with undertones of spice, nutmeg and cinnamon with boiled lemon sweets. Very refined and clean.

Aftertaste:

Dry with spice, bitter orange zest and whisky marmalade.

Overall:

Clean, zesty and slightly sharp with bright orange and lemon, hints of spice and faint whisky marmalade in the finish.