Quick review: Heering Coffee Liqueur
Contributed by on Mar 08, 2014
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Everybody knows about Heering Cherry Liqueur, right? It was created in Denmark in 1818, but it wasn't until 100 years later at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore it would become a forever iconic alcoholic beverage - all because of the Singapore Sling. And what about Heering Coffee Liqueur? To me, it seems like it has been somewhat neclected in favour of other similar products on the market. So, how does it taste?
Nose: A quite strong scent of alcohol, similar to an unaged Caribbean rum, with an added sweetness of caramelized sugar, cacao and coffee. Mouth: A light alcohol burn at first, followed by a slightly creamy and straightforward sweetness dominated by coffee and dark chocolate with hints of bitterness as it fades.
Cocktails
People seem to have different opinions on what to use instead of Bacardi Elixir (which will be available commercially pretty soon again) in a Mulata Daiquiri. Last time I used creme de cacao, so now it's time try something else (60 ml Havana Club Añejo 7 años, 15 ml lime juice, 15 ml Heering Coffee Liqueur, 5 ml simple syrup - shake with ice and double strain into cocktail glass) - but unfortunately it doesn't work so well, the coffee liqueur adds an artificial and candylike taste to an otherwise great cocktail.
Pretty disappointed, I was determined to find a suitable cocktail for this liqueur - which made me opt for a Tequila Espresso (Espresso Martini) (60 ml Don Julio blanco tequila, 20 ml Heering Coffee Liqueur, 30 ml chilled fresh espresso, 5 ml simple syrup) and now we're talking! The sweetness of the liqueur works very well with Panther Coffee's creamy and round East Coast espresso and the the oily, grassy notes of the tequila - highly recommended!
Verdict
Well, I wouldn't, as their website suggests, drink it neat over ice - but it should work in any cocktail which calls for coffee liqueur if you tweak the specifications accordingly. It's not the best coffee liqueur on the market, but definitely on par with for example Kahlúa and Tia Maria.