ContemplativeFox
Hpnotiq
Fruit Liqueurs — France
Reviewed
November 5, 2020 (edited November 7, 2020)
15: The blue color is obviously fake. The flavor is very fruity and initially has quite and appealing sweetness but then it develops a bitter bite. The flavor is also kind of watery. It's very tropical, with lots of orange, mango, passion fruit, and pineapple coming through. There's a bit of mint too and some lemon and underripe strawberry really drive home the more biting side of this drink. It's kind of like a fun punch that is a bit too aggressive. There's a hint of licorice on the nose, but the mint is really the main medicinal flavor. I wouldn't want to sip a whole lot of this, but I might sip a little. It could be an effective mixer with rum to make a nice fruity drink. The grapefruit presence is really what does this in. I wish that there were far less grapefruit.
This is OK with E&J XO. It works nicely in a refreshing way with Beefeater gin. Chopin vodka is fine but not terribly exciting. Rye whiskey synergizes well, enhancing the flavor. Irish whiskey (Kavanagh) is not a great combination. The combination with Old Forester Signature is good. Mixing with Symbole National is a delightful balance. That Symbole National balance is so sublime that this instantly becomes a terrific cocktail. Amaretto is a nice complement. Hypnotic plus Symbole National plus amaretto? A fantastic cocktail. This isn't a standard liquer but it is surprisingly versatile and delicious. Framboise is a surprisingly ill-fitting flavor, but Cointreau is quite good. OK, Cointreau on its own doesn't work too well, but mixed with framboise it is quite good. The mix with Grand Marnier is interesting and rich it it could use some more balance. The mix has a weird tequila flavor. Some amaretto balances it out a bit though.
18.0
USD
per
Bottle
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I didn't pay much attention @ctbeck11 , but it was just a dash of Chartreuse to add an herbal element and some complexity. I'm a big fan of Chartreuse and Hypnotiq is a really easy liqueur to mix, so I found it to be pretty enjoyable, but YMMV. I'm going to have to try the final word sometime too! I've enjoyed a lot of rye variations on gin and bourbon cocktails :)
@ContemplativeFox Will do! Roughly, what proportions did you use for the Chartreuse mixture? I’m a fan of it as well. I’ve recently been enjoying the Final Ward cocktail, which is a rye-based riff on the famous Last Word. Not surprising that I prefer it over its more traditional gin counterpart.
PS If you find any combinations that work really well, please do share!
I don't plan to buy another bottle, but I wouldn't regret it if I did @ctbeck11 . This is probably the most versatile liqueur I've encountered because it's essentially citrus with sugar and booze :) Emerald rain is a great choice because everything tends to turn this beautiful blue green, so you might as well go all in on that color choice lol. I hope you like it with Chartreuse if you do try it! I must admit that I'm a fan of Chartreuse so I might just like anything with it :)
I’ll have to try mixing this with Chartreuse. Seems like a nice combination. Whenever my mom comes to visit, I make her an Emerald Rain cocktail, which she really enjoys. It’s the only reason I stock Hpnotiq, but sounds like there may be some other tasty concoctions to explore.