Pierre Ferrand Triple Sec Curaçao (70cl, 40%)

Pierre Ferrand Triple Sec Curaçao is a dry Curaçao from France, developed with cocktail historian David Wondrich and inspired by 19th-century French orange liqueurs; it reached the market in 2012. Bitter orange peels from the Laraha orange macerate in brandy for a week before slow distillation in pot stills, while herbs and fruits including almond shells, walnuts and prunes steep for several months in Cognac and brandy. The components are then married with aged, toasted cane sugar, and the liqueur rests with orange peels for some months in French oak casks. Its sugar content is 180 grams per litre. On the nose, orange blossom and candied orange peel meet roasted wood and hints of mature Cognac. The palate is bittersweet orange, with candied orange, a touch of hazelnut, bitter almond and marzipan. The finish lingers with orange zest, velvety vanilla and stimulating spice.