Cream and whisky sounds like a shortcut, but it is not when the whisky is actually good. Arran makes its own single malt at Lochranza and uses that rather than anonymous spirit, and you can taste it.

The Expert's Description

Arran Gold is a cream liqueur made with Single Island Malt Whisky from Arran, bottled at 17%. It is therefore not whisky but a cream-based liqueur in which the distillery’s own malt whisky forms the spirit component.

The difference from an ordinary cream liqueur lies precisely there. Most use neutral spirit or an anonymous blend, while Arran uses malt whisky from its own distillery. That gives a cereal sweetness and a light malt character beneath the toffee and chocolate which would otherwise disappear.

Arran Gold was named World’s Best Whisky Liqueur at Whisky Magazine’s World Whisky Awards in 2007. The distillery sits at Lochranza at the northern end of the Isle of Arran and was founded in 1995.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toffee and milk chocolate first, with cocoa and a clear cream note. Beneath the sweetness sits a malty cereal note from the whisky, which makes the nose less one-dimensionally sweet than an ordinary cream liqueur.

Palate

Full and creamy. Caramel, chocolate and vanilla open, then the malt whisky comes through with a light cereal sweetness and a hint of oak. At 17% it is soft and easy to drink, but not thin.

Finish

Medium and creamy, with cocoa and a final malt note lingering after the sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Arran Gold Cream Liqueur with Single Island Malt Whisky 17%
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Cream Liqueur with Single Island Malt Whisky
ABV: 17%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Arran Gold
EAN no.: 5060044480270
Serving suggestion: Serve chilled with coffee or over ice as a welcome drink

Flavour Profile

Creamy · Toffee · Chocolate · Sweet · Malty · Soft

Did You Know?

The Arran distillery at Lochranza was founded in 1995 and was the first legal distillery on the island in over a century and a half. Arran otherwise had a long history of illicit distilling, since the island’s remote bays were well suited to keeping the excise at arm’s length. Today the family also runs a second distillery, Lagg, at the southern end of the island.

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Baileys Scrumptious Salted Caramel Flavour Irish Cream Liqueur 70 cl 17%

Baileys Scrumptious Salted Caramel Flavour is a delicious variant of the classic Baileys Irish Cream. This liqueur combines the familiar creamy taste of Baileys with a rich and decadent caramel note, enhanced with a hint of salt. This provides a balance between sweetness and saltiness, making it a particularly indulgent experience.

Baileys Scrumptious Salted Caramel is perfect to enjoy neat over ice, as part of desserts, or as a luxurious addition to coffee or hot chocolate. It can also be used in cocktails to add a sweet and salty dimension.

Distillery: Baileys
Name: Baileys Scrumptious Salted Caramel
Type: Irish Cream Liqueur
Alc. strength: 17%
70 cl.

Carolans Irish Cream Liqueur 70 cl 17%

Indulge yourself with the classic Carolans Irish Cream – an exquisite blend of fresh Irish cream, fine Irish whiskey, and a hint of golden honey. This iconic liqueur offers a smooth and harmonious taste experience, perfect to enjoy neat, over ice, or as a sweet addition to your coffee. A timeless favorite that suits every occasion, from cozy evenings to festive celebrations.

Distillery: Carolans
Name: Carolans Irish Cream Finest Quality
Country: Ireland
Type: Irish Cream Liqueur
ABV: 17%
Volume: 70 cl
Other: Best before 10/2026

Carolans Salted Caramel Irish Cream 70 cl 17%

Discover an irresistible combination of creamy Irish cream, rich Irish whiskey, and a perfectly balanced taste of sweet salted caramel. Carolans Salted Caramel Irish Cream is the perfect indulgence for any occasion – enjoy it neat, over ice, or as part of your favorite cocktails. The velvety texture and sweet, caramelized flavor make this liqueur a favorite for anyone who loves a little extra indulgence.

Distillery: Carolans
Name: Carolans Salted Caramel
Country: Ireland
Type: Irish Cream Liqueur
ABV: 17%
Volume: 70 cl
Other: Best before 04/2026

There is a lake at Coole Park in County Galway where W.B. Yeats counted fifty-nine swans and wrote a poem about them. This bottle takes its name from that poem. What is inside comes from a farm in County Meath, where two dairy farmers needed 231 attempts before they were happy with the taste.

The expert's description

Coole Swan Irish Cream Liqueur is an Irish Whiskyliqueur made with Single Malt Irish Whiskey, Belgian white chocolate and fresh Irish cream, bottled at 16%.

Behind the liqueur sits the family business The Scion Spirits Company, based at Otter Island in Tatestown near Navan, County Meath. Philip Brady and Mary Sadlier are dairy farmers themselves, and that is what makes the bottle interesting. Cream is the lead ingredient, not a binder. Only around four percent of milk is cream, and that is precisely the part this liqueur is built on.

The recipe reached the Irish market in March 2007. It holds fresh Irish dairy cream, Single Malt Irish Whiskey, Belgian white chocolate, water, milk protein, sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Nothing else. No artificial flavourings, and it is noticeably less sweet than most other Irish cream liqueurs. Bottling happens in Bailieborough, County Cavan. Coole Swan has taken a double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a gold in the Irish Cream category at The Liqueur Masters in 2021.

The colour is not added. That pale, almost porcelain-white tone comes from the cream, the white chocolate, the cocoa and the vanilla. The bottle itself is modelled on a nineteenth century Irish milk bottle, and the matt finish is painted onto the glass.

Tasting notes

Nose

Cocoa butter and light milk chocolate first, then vanilla custard and a touch of spice. Something nutty sits behind it, and the whiskey does not hide.

Palate

Light and creamy without turning heavy. White chocolate, vanilla and toffee apple, with a darker cocoa note and a little cinnamon towards the middle. The sweetness is kept in check.

Finish

Long and clean. Malty, faintly cooling at the very end, and no sticky film left behind.

Specifications

Name: Coole Swan Irish Cream Liqueur
Producer: Coole Swan
Region/Country: County Meath, Ireland
Type: Irish Cream Liqueur, Whisky Liqueur
ABV: 16%
Size: 70 CL
Serving suggestion: Chilled from the fridge, over ice, in coffee or in cocktails

Flavour profile

Creamy · Chocolate · Vanilla · Lightly spiced · Fresh

Did you know?

On the back of the bottle sits an embossed motif of a cat drinking cream from a bowl. The cat is called Isabella, named after the cat belonging to a Los Angeles radio host who was an early convert to the liqueur.

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Salzburg is known for music, but the city also runs on coffee houses with heavy curtains and the sound of spoons against porcelain. Mozart Chocolate  tastes like somebody poured one of those cups over a broken square of Belgian chocolate and left it to steep.

Expert description

Mozart Chocolate is an Austrian Chocolate Liqueur with coffee from Mozart Distillerie in Salzburg, built on cocoa beans, Belgian chocolate, cream and Arabica notes, and bottled at 17%.

Mozart Distillerie was founded in Salzburg in 1954 and has stuck to one discipline ever since: chocolate liqueur. The house works with cocoa beans, Belgian chocolate and vanilla, and the coffee edition is the one where roast character is allowed the most room. The producer calls the mocha note the load-bearing element.

The coffee is not layered on top as syrup. It sits inside the chocolate and pulls the sweetness towards bitterness, which is exactly why this bottle carries an Espresso Martini without help from a second coffee liqueur. The colour is medium brown with darker reflections, and the texture stays creamy without turning thick.

The liqueur is gluten-free and contains dairy. It has collected several medals, among them gold at the World Spirits Award 2022 and gold at the DLG International Award the same year.

Tasting notes

Nose

Freshly roasted coffee beans arrive first, sharp and almost dry. Behind them sit dark cocoa, a little vanilla and a thin trace of orange peel.

Palate

Creamy and bittersweet at once. Mocha fills the middle, Belgian chocolate settles underneath it, and the roast supplies the edge. Sweetness is present but never runs away with the glass.

Finish

Long and roasted. The cream drops away first, leaving dry cocoa bitterness alongside the warmth of the coffee.

Specifications

Name: Mozart Chocolate 
Producer: Mozart Distillerie
Region/Country: Salzburg, Austria
Type: Austrian Chocolate Liqueur 
ABV: 17%
Size: 50 CL
EAN no.: 9013100011563
Serving suggestion: Over ice after dinner, or in an Espresso Martini where the coffee already lives in the bottle.

Flavour profile

Roasted coffee · Dark chocolate · Creamy · Bittersweet

Did you know?

The producer describes the flavour with four elements: mocha, Belgian chocolate, vanilla and red orange. That citrus streak is the one almost nobody spots, yet it is what keeps the roast from turning heavy.

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Most chocolate liqueurs chase softness. This one goes the other way. Mozart Dark Chocolate is thin like a spirit, dark brown with golden reflections, and it tastes of the cocoa bean before anybody stirred cream into it.

Expert description

Mozart Dark Chocolate is an Austrian Dark Chocolate Liqueur from Mozart Distillerie in Salzburg, built on a maceration of 87% cocoa with no cream and bottled at 17%.

The absence of dairy is the whole point. Where the rest of the range uses cream to round the cocoa off, this bottle stands alone on the cocoa maceration, which makes it vegan, lactose-free and gluten-free. The texture is thin and very fluid rather than creamy, and that changes how it behaves in a glass.

The flavour leans bitter without drying out. The cocoa carries a smoky, almost herbal edge that many people associate with bars of 80% and upwards, and underneath it vanilla and caramel keep the balance. The producer also points to a trace of toffee through the middle.

With no cream in the recipe it mixes differently. It does not curdle in citrus, it does not fall apart in a shaker with something sour, and it works where a cream liqueur would ruin the clarity. Among its medals are gold at the World Spirits Award 2022 and gold at the Meininger International Spirits Award the same year.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dry and dark. Roasted cocoa first, then a smoky, almost herbal tone, and finally vanilla settling gently across the top.

Palate

Very fluid and bittersweet. Cocoa fills everything at the start, sharp and almost powdery, until caramel and toffee take over and round it out through the middle.

Finish

Long and dry. Sweetness disappears quickly, leaving bitter cocoa and a faint smokiness that stays put.

Specifications

Name: Mozart Dark Chocolate
Producer: Mozart Distillerie
Region/Country: Salzburg, Austria
Type: Austrian Dark Chocolate Liqueur
ABV: 17%
Size: 50 CL
EAN no.: 9013100040280
Serving suggestion: Over ice to close a meal, or in a Chocolate Old Fashioned where it replaces the sugar.

Flavour profile

Bitter cocoa · Smoky · Vanilla · Caramel

Did you know?

The cocoa comes from West Africa and is a blend of the Forastero and Trinitario varieties, while the vanilla is genuine Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar. Those two raw materials are what give the liqueur its smoky edge and the soft vanilla tone under the bitterness.

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Strawberry and white chocolate is a pairing pastry chefs have lived off for generations. Mozart has poured it into a bottle in Salzburg, and the result is pink, creamy and considerably lighter than the description promises.

Expert description

Mozart Strawberry Chocolate is an Austrian White Chocolate Liqueur with strawberry from Mozart Distillerie in Salzburg, made with cocoa butter, cream and natural strawberry aroma and bottled at 15%.

The house has made chocolate liqueur and almost nothing else since 1954, and the strawberry edition is the most fruit-driven bottle in the range. The colour is a light strawberry pink and the texture is creamy without being heavy, which the producer describes as a light body.

The strawberry has been added to the white chocolate liqueur rather than the other way round. Cocoa butter and cream still form the floor, while the vanilla ties fruit and chocolate together. That combination is why it carries a dessert cocktail without needing either syrup or fruit puree.

The liqueur contains milk products. It has taken gold at the DLG International Award 2022, silver at the World Spirits Award 2022 and bronze at the IWSC 2022.

Tasting notes

Nose

Strawberry first, ripe fruit rather than tart. Behind it sit cocoa butter and a soft breath of vanilla.

Palate

Creamy without being thick. White chocolate lays the floor, the strawberry rests on top, and the vanilla holds the two together. The sweetness is obvious but never turns artificial.

Finish

Medium and milky. The fruit lets go first, and the cocoa butter is left standing alone with a little vanilla.

Specifications

Name: Mozart Strawberry Chocolate
Producer: Mozart Distillerie
Region/Country: Salzburg, Austria
Type: Austrian White Chocolate Liqueur with strawberry
ABV: 15%
Size: 50 CL
EAN no.: 9013100003490
Serving suggestion: Over vanilla ice cream with fresh strawberries, or stirred into warm milk as a pink hot chocolate.

Flavour profile

Strawberry · White chocolate · Vanilla · Creamy

Did you know?

Mozart calls its own cocktails choctails and has sorted the recipes into categories such as freakshakes and hot choctails. The strawberry bottle turns up in a rose-coloured hot chocolate and in a chocolate muffin.

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White chocolate is not really chocolate at all. There is no cocoa mass in it, only cocoa butter, milk and sugar. Mozart White Chocolate is that argument poured into a bottle: milky white, soft, and with vanilla calling the shots.

Expert description

Mozart White Chocolate is an Austrian White Chocolate Liqueur from Mozart Distillerie in Salzburg, made with cocoa butter, cream and Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar, and bottled at 15%.

It is the lightest bottle in the house, in colour and in weight. The liquid is milky white and semi-fluid, so lighter than a classic cream liqueur, and the strength sits a couple of degrees below the coffee and dark editions. That makes it easier to drink in quantity where the others turn filling.

Vanilla leads, caramel follows right behind, and the cocoa butter supplies the richness that holds everything together. The producer describes the taste as liquid white chocolate with a hint of spirit, which is fair enough: you notice the alcohol, but it never cuts.

The liqueur is gluten-free and contains dairy. It is made entirely from natural ingredients and has taken gold at the World Spirits Award 2022, the London Spirits Competition 2022 and the DLG International Award the same year.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla straight away, sweet and reminiscent of baking. Underneath sit warm milk and a fatty, almost buttery impression from the cocoa butter.

Palate

Light and milky in the mouth rather than thick. Vanilla and caramel share the middle, and there is a soft sweetness closer to dessert than to spirit. The alcohol only shows up at the end.

Finish

Short to medium and buttery. The sweetness fades slowly, leaving a thin film of cocoa butter across the tongue.

Specifications

Name: Mozart White Chocolate
Producer: Mozart Distillerie
Region/Country: Salzburg, Austria
Type: Austrian White Chocolate Liqueur
ABV: 15%
Size: 50 CL
EAN no.: 9013100053303
Serving suggestion: Stirred into hot chocolate on a winter evening, or poured over fresh raspberries with vanilla ice cream.

Flavour profile

Vanilla · Cocoa butter · Milky · Caramel

Did you know?

Mozart bottles are low, round and wrapped in foil, and the shape is not only decoration. It was chosen because the bottles can be stacked two deep on a shop shelf, doubling what the customer sees without taking up any more space.

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