When you start to explore the best cream liqueurs, you need to look beyond Baileys. What was essentially a one-product category has been invigorated by a host of producers using innovative ingredients to attract newcomers (particularly those with a sweet tooth) to this decadent, indulgent world.
Like other liqueurs, cream liqueurs use a spirit as their base, but with dairy cream the keynote, they all share a richness that lends themselves to being paired with desserts – or, as is more commonly the case in recent times, replacing them.
Cream liqueurs have made their mark in the cocktail world, too. The Brandy Alexander is rightly regarded as a post-dinner staple, while newcomers such as the Flat White Martini – a Noughties take on the Espresso Martini – are quickly becoming modern classics.
Salted caramel is another taste that’s captured the zeitgeist, so it’s no surprise that it makes the list of IWSC award-winners, with Carolans’s bottling winning praise from judges for its ‘aromatic liquorice tone, toffee notes, and salinity’.Cream liqueurs are never going to be the most fashionable drink on the planet, but it’s good to see a category that’s flourishing and bringing new tastes and flavors to the table. Here’s the pick of the five best cream liqueurs from the IWSC’s recent spirits tasting.
Bimmerle Private Distillery United Cakes Of America Chocolate Brownie Sahnelikör
Big and bold: chocolate wafer biscuit, dark chocolate, toffee, and caramel aromas on the nose. Rich and velvety palate and a creamy texture and finish.
Heaven Hill Brands Carolans Salted Caramel Cream Liqueur
There is an aromatic, liquorice tone with plenty of salted caramel. Nice toffee notes and the salinity works perfectly.
Ginja Lemos Figueiredo Liqueur
Nut toffee brittle and dark, ripe juicy cherries leap out of the glass and liven the senses, giving a gorgeously long, sweet, and exuberant palate. The finish goes on forever, leaving a hint of caramelized sugar and warm fruitiness.
Mozart Distillerie White Chocolate Cream Strawberry Liqueur
Rich, creamy and indulgent, this is a rather cheeky strawberry-filled liqueur. Dense milkshake style but packed with classy summer sweet fruitiness. Gorgeous.
Lidl Queen Margot Espresso & Cream Liqueur
Elegant and plush with rich and creamy notes on the palate giving a very rich and full flavour with a hint of coffee, which is carefully layered on top of the heavy cream.