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Pataka Cacao Liqueur
About Pataka Cacao Liqueur
Pataka Cacao Liqueur is produced by Pataka, a French brand based in the Cognac region of France. As a brand, Pataka works with ingredients from different areas of the globe to create innovative spirits that they describe as “dynamic”.
The company is also part of the 1% For the Planet initiative, where businesses donate at least 1% of their gross sales to an environmental cause. For this initiative, Pataka gives to an organization that helps save endangered Tigers in India.
All their liqueurs are made using a slow infusion process. This particular bottle of Cacao Liqueur is made with a vodka base, and infused with Peruvian cacao nibs, fair trade sugar, and cacao powder.
Bottle Specs
❖ ABV: 22%
❖ Distillery: Undisclosed
❖ Aging: N/A
❖ Price Point: Moderate Price
Tasting Notes
Nose:
❖ cocoa beans
❖ dark chocolate
Palate:
❖ dark chocolate
❖ black pepper
My Tasting notes
I began to smell the nose notes, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on the strong aroma. There was something distinctly plant-like that I couldn’t identify. After a few moments, the cacao notes began to come out, increasing in intensity with each whiff. The cacao aroma brought back memories of my grandmother’s fresh homemade chocolate frosting. What I found a bit odd about this liqueur is that smelling it for a couple minutes affected my head slightly – like a child who has accidentally sniffed a glue stick for too long. That feeling has never happened to me during a tasting.
My first sip of the liqueur was delightful. The fresh cacao powder flavor came onto my palate immediately. There was a mellow and nostalgic quality to it, and it was very enjoyable to drink straight. It wasn’t until my second or third sip that subtle alcohol flavor came through. Overall, this liqueur is very smooth.
Cocktail
For my cocktail, I wanted to make one of my original recipes that I first created a couple years back: The Banana Cream Delight. This drink mixes banana and chocolate flavors in a creamy, low-volume cocktail. I thought it would be a great way to test out this bottle of Pataka Cacao Liqueur.
Banana Cream Delight
recipe by Emmeline
Ingredients
- 1 oz cacao liqueur
- 1 oz crème de banane
- 1 oz Irish cream liqueur
- 1 oz milk
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to a shaker with ice, and shake until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a small cocktail glass.
Pataka Cacao Liqueur performed very nicely in this cocktail. Even though I used less milk in this version of my recipe than when I first created it, the liqueur still held up very well against a low volume of mixers. The only alcohol flavor I could taste in this drink came from the Irish cream, and the Cacao Liqueur was extremely smooth. I found myself wishing that the cacao flavor when a little bit farther in a cocktail, even though the essence of the flavor was top notch.
Bottom Line
RATING: 4/5
Overall, I think Pataka Cacao Liqueur is a very nice choice. The cacao flavor feels very fresh, and I appreciate the relatively neutral vodka base. Just like the Fair Cafe Liqueur that I recently tried, I suspect that this cacao liqueur is made from a quinoa vodka base, as these two brands are associated with each other. I personally find that the quinoa creates a much more mellow vodka flavor, allowing the main ingredient in the liqueur to shine.
That said, I do wish the cacao flavor went a bit farther in cocktails. This keeps it from being a 5 star spirit, especially factoring in the price point.
However, there is a lot that I love about this liqueur, and I would still recommend trying it out. In addition to the delightful flavor, I also appreciate the company’s commitment to the environment and fair trade practices. I feel good about supporting this company, and I can’t wait to try out some of their other unique liqueurs very soon!
As always, drink responsibly.
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