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Borgata Chocolate Liqueur
About Borgata Chocolate Liqueur
Borgata Chocolate Liqueur is produced by Nuove Distillerie Vincenzi in the Turin area of northwest Italy, with the help of other local facilities. Though I use the term liqueur for clarity’s sake, you may notice that the bottle actually refers to this spirit as a “chocolate specialty”. It’s a chocolate flavored spirit that is often marketed by retailers as being rich and luxurious, despite being dairy-free.
Though Borgata doesn’t disclose much information about their production process, they do identify the base alcohol used for this liqueur as “sugar beet neutral spirits”. They use a mixture of both natural and artificial flavors to create the final product. As is usual for liqueurs, Borgata is not aged.
Bottle Specs
❖ ABV: 15%
❖ Distillery: Nuove Distillerie Vincenzi SRL
❖ Aging: N/A
❖ Price Point: moderate price
Tasting Notes
Though there are no official tasting notes for this chocolate liqueur, retailers seem to agree on a couple key notes.
Palate:
❖ chocolate
❖ hazelnut
My Tasting notes
As I began to smell this liqueur, the nose notes were chocolate-y with a distinct creaminess that was similar to chocolate pudding. The aroma had no alcohol bite. After several sniffs, Borgata continued to be pleasantly sweet, smooth, and chocolate-y.
I took my first sip, and it was delightful. The chocolate pudding comparison remained true on the palate, and the mouthfeel was thick and creamy. After about 3 sips, I could start to taste the alcohol flavor and feel it slightly burn and warm up my throat. Over time, the alcohol notes became more and more prominent.
Overall, I got the sense that the “richness” of this liqueur was primarily in the mouthfeel. Although the chocolate flavor was delicious, I’m not sure that it was indulgent enough to be described as “rich”.
Cocktail
For my cocktail, I was feeling creative and wanted to make my own original drink. To be honest, my creative feelings were born out of frustration, as I was simply unwilling to pair this chocolate liqueur with vodka. After a brief run-in with cheap vodka-based chocolate coffee liqueur in my college days, the flavor pairing is ruined for me forever!
Unable to find a vodka-less recipe from others, I created the Cocoa Blaze.
COCOA BLAZE
❖ 1.5 oz chocolate liqueur
❖ 1.5 oz gold rum
❖ 1/4 oz cinnamon syrup
❖ garnish: chocolate shavings
- add ingredients to a shaker with ice, and shake until chilled.
- strain the mixture into a martini glass.
- gently grate the end of a chocolate bar or block into a small bowl until there are a few pinches worth of chocolate shavings. Arrange these shavings over the top of your cocktail to garnish.
Overall, my cocktail experience was slightly disappointing. I found that the flavor of the gold rum really overpowered the chocolate, even though I used equal parts Borgata and rum. Though I obviously expected the rum to provide a larger alcohol kick than the chocolate liqueur, I had hoped the chocolate flavor would shine a bit more. After all, I used Flor de Caña 4 Añejo Oro, which I’ve previously described as “virtually undetectable” inside a cocktail.
Still, I enjoyed the experience of drinking my Cocoa Blaze. The chocolate provided a subtle depth to the drink, while the rum did the heavy lifting.
Bottom Line
At the end of the day, I had high hopes for Borgata Chocolate Liqueur and I found it to be very nice. It’s a particularly excellent choice for folks who like to pour out a shot or small glass of sweet liqueurs and drink them like a liquid dessert. I can also see it working well poured over ice cream, though I haven’t had a chance to try that just yet.
If you prefer cocktails, it’s important to be very careful about flavor pairings in order to fully enjoy this liqueur. Unlike some other chocolate-flavored spirits I’ve tried, Borgata does not lend itself well to experimentation. After being disappointed by my original cocktail, I decided to try out Borgata with something a little sweeter: milk, creme de menthe, and creme de vanille. The results were spectacular! I found that the sugars in the milk really helped to bring out the rich chocolate flavor. If you stick with the classic dessert flavors in you mixers, you might just find that Borgata Chocolate Specialty is your new favorite.
I would definitely recommend this chocolate liqueur – just carefully consider your mixing needs before purchasing!
As always, drink responsibly.
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