Grand Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire
40% ABV
$150-$199
Website
What the Blender Says
Introduced in 1927, Grand Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire
commemorates the 100th anniversary of the House of Marnier
Lapostolle. Cuvée du Centenaire is an exceptional blend of refined
XO Cognacs combined with exotic bitter orange liqueur. It is 82% XO Cognac.
It is a superb, fine and complex liqueur, with flavors and aromas
from the old Cognacs, including mild tobacco and balsamic.
Cuvée du Centenaire has earned multiple awards, including
Double Gold at the 2017 San Francisco Spirits Competition, as
well as an “Extraordinary” designation and the Chairman’s Trophy
at the 2017 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.
TASTING NOTES
COLOR: Beautiful medium amber color.
AROMA: Superb, rich finesse and complexity of candied orange notes, hints of tobacco and balsamic originating from the cognac.
TASTE: Round and velvety notes from the characteristics of older cognac blends with lingering flavors of dried fruit, almonds and honey.
FINISH: Lovely lingering finish with nuances of orange essence, dried fruit with powerful notes of cognac.
It is best served neat or on the rocks or enjoyed in a special
cocktail like the Centenaire Sidecar.
What Gary Says
Nose: Cognac more dominant compared with the Cordon Rouge, with sweet exotic orange spice, floral notes, hints of tea and sandalwood.
Palate: Rich, creamy mouthfeel with complex fruit (tangelo, grapes, sultanas), honey, tea, and just a hint of cinnamon.
Finish: Long, sweet and satisfying.
Comments: That orange sweetness is still there for sure, but in a more subdued fashion. Much better balanced with the sophisticated, older cognac – and a lot of flavor for 40% ABV. If you’re a fan of sipping Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge and looking for something fancy, more complex, and nuanced – I would call this a ‘Must Try’. The higher percentage of cognac (Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge is 51% or more cognac) and upgraded quality of cognac definitely stand out, and make for a much more refined sipper. I did try adding a bit of water to it, and found that it tamped down the cognac’s complexity and subtly far more than the sweetness of the orange liqueur, throwing it out of balance for my liking. I’d recommend enjoying this neat, and if I wanted it chilled – throw a glass in the freezer.
Rating: Stands Out/Must Try
I followed their recommendation rather than working this into a whiskey-based cocktail.
Grand Sidecar (or Centenaire Sidecar)
1 oz Grand Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire
½ oz VSOP cognac (I used Remy Martin)
½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
Garish with orange twist
Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Shake and strain into a coupe glass.
Note – they recommend the “Centenaire Sidecar” but don’t list that on their site, so making the assumption it is a simple swap within the recipe posted for the Grand Sidecar.
With a fine spirit like the Cuvée du Centenaire, I followed their recipe exactly (other than the glassware). I also didn’t try to contrast it with a typical sidecar, but did make a Grand Sidecar to better understand how it changes the cocktail.
What Gary Thought: To start, I hadn’t ever had a Sidecar before (or not that I remember), and wasn’t sure what to expect. Based on the ingredients, I expected it would be sour, and boy was it. I found both the Grand Sidecar and Centenaire Sidecar to be incredibly sour – so much so that I couldn’t really tell one from the other (which in my opinion was a crying shame, knowing how lovely the Cuvée du Centenaire is on its own!) It reminds me of a whiskey sour where the “sour” is really the star of the show.
Maybe the lemon I had was a real zinger (I measured pretty precisely to the recipe). I did check some other Sidecar recipes and found several had the same ratio of lemon juice to the other components (1 in 4 parts wasn’t uncommon, although several were 1 in 5, or 1 in 7).
Since I’d only taken a small sip, I decided to improvise and go back to my mixing glass and add another 1oz Cuvée du Centenaire and ½ oz VSOP cognac – effectively cutting the ratio of lemon juice in half. Shook that with some ice and added to the original. Much improved for my liking, although still fairly sour. The complexity of the Cuvée du Centenaire is there, although it is fighting through the lemon juice.
If you’re a fan of the Sidecar, this might be just absolutely delicious – although I cannot in good faith recommend using this lovely spirit in that cocktail. To my palate, the difference in using Grand Marnier Cordon Rogue vs this is so incredibly minor, it is borderline criminal. I’d guess that the vast majority of folks wouldn’t find a difference if given both blind – or if they found a difference, could tell which one was “better”. Don’t get me wrong – I love a good whiskey sour from time to time, but I don’t use my top shelf bourbon in that for the same reason. Then again – I also don’t tell people what to do with their whiskey, or spirits. If you pick up a bottle of the Grand Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire, however you enjoy it is up to you. Personally, I’d sip and savor every last drop neat, or if I pour a larger pour maybe with an ice cube.
Cheers!
Gary
We would like to thank HL Group for sending us a sample to review and play with!