There are two types of cocoa liqueurs, brown/dark made from cocoa beans and light/transparent made from distilled cocoa ingredients. Light cocoa liqueur is usually made from cocoa beans/fat that has been distilled to create a cocoa-flavored, colorless concentrate. The cocoa concentrate is then mixed with alcohol, water and sugar to make the liqueur. According to DeKuyper, no artificial colors and flavors have been used in their product. A 50 cl bottle cost €12.

The liqueur is transparent in the glass and very thick. The smell has aromas of cocoa and hints of vanilla. The mouthfeel is very thick, there is a lot of added sugar in the product. The taste is very soft and sugary. The taste has light cocoa, a little vanilla and a light hint of ethanol. Compared to dark cocoa liqueur, there is significantly less cocoa/chocolate flavor. More than this, it reminds me of an alcoholic sugar syrup with a slight hint of cocoa. 

Light cocoa liqueur is usually not bought to drink neat, but to make cocktails. De Kuyper’s product is well suited to bring sweetness to the drink, and it can also be used to replace sugar syrup. The cocoa aroma in the cocktail is light and refined. So if you want a stronger cocoa flavor in your mixes, you should use dark cocoa liqueur. I repeat, that the liqueur is not suitable for drinking neat, unless you like to enjoy a mixture of sugar syrup and alcohol. It can only be recommended for very knowledgeable bartenders, for home hobbyist it might remain on the shelf gathering dust (like me, the bottle was in the cupboard opened for several years).

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