The Dutch company Lucas Bols is one of the oldest distilleries. Today, it mainly focuses on producing liqueurs, which Bols has quite a comprehensive selection. There are more than 40 different types of liqueurs in production, and the company also produces genever, vodka, gin and other alcohols. In addition to its own brand, Lucas Bols owns also Pisang Ambon, Galliano, Vaccari, just a name a few. Cacao Brown is a dark brown liqueur made from cocoa beans, orange distillate, natural botanicals, sugar and rectified spirit. Bols also produces a clear cocoa liqueur. A 50 cl bottle cost €9.50

The nose has a soft cocoa aroma. The taste is very soft, moderately sweet and slightly cocoa-like. It’s not as heavy cocoa as DeKuyper’s dark cocoa liqueur was, and not as sugary thick either. It’s very nice to sip neat. The taste is refined, smooth and well balanced. The aftertaste has some hints of orange and light bitterness, which comes from the cocoa beans or the alcohol used. Bols is a bit too light for cocktails, and the amount used in cocktail recipes is not enough to give the drinks so much cocoa aroma. Whereas DeKuyper’s liqueur was intense, which only a couple of centiliters was enough to give cocktails a strong cocoa aroma, Bols is better suited for sipping its own. How many people buy liqueurs today to sip them neat is a different matter. For cocktail use, you should adjust the amount of Bols Cacao to a to achieve the desired end result.

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