The sun beats down on Barbados, and the air carries the scent of toasted orange peel and warm molasses. At Stade's old rum distillery, Maison Ferrand went looking for inspiration in 19th-century Caribbean kitchens and came back with a liqueur rooted in the nearly forgotten tradition of shrubb.
Expert's Description
Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao Tropical is a French Liqueur brewed from Barbados rum and bottled at 40%.
The bottle is the newest addition to Maison Ferrand's Dry Curaçao range, alongside the classic Original and the more exotic Yuzu Late Harvest. While those two build on a cognac base, Tropical takes a different route: master blender Alexandre Gabriel worked with spirits historian David Wondrich to dig up the almost-forgotten Caribbean shrubb tradition — a drink made from rum, citrus peels, sugar and local spices such as cinnamon and clove.
Production takes place at Stade's West Indies Rum Distillery, a distillery with around 130 years of history on Barbados. Laraha orange peels are infused and slowly distilled, while a separate botanical infusion of vanilla, spices and orange is prepared on a rum base. Everything is then blended with both pot still and column still rums, aged between two and five years, before the liqueur is bottled at 40%.
Tropical launched in January 2026 and has so far only reached the European market.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Ripe pineapple meets toasted orange peel, a hint of vanilla and a light floral note that signals the tropical direction the liqueur takes.
Palate
Soft and full-bodied, with layers of pineapple, mango and passion fruit woven together with bitter orange and fresh citrus. The sweetness is clear but never heavy.
Finish
Long and warm, with a citrus-fresh close and an elegant bitter bite from the orange peel that keeps the liqueur from turning cloying.
Specifications
Name: Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao Tropical
Distillery: Maison Ferrand
Country: Barbados
Type: French Liqueur
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 3460410528858
Serving suggestion: Excellent in tiki cocktails, Mai Tais and Sidecars, or neat over ice for a more dessert-like pour.
Flavour Profile
Fruity · Citrus · Spiced · Tropical
Did You Know?
Tropical is the first release in the Ferrand Dry Curaçao range built on rum rather than cognac — and the only one distilled on Barbados rather than in France's Cognac region.