The liqueur – famed for its use in making Crêpes Suzettes, but also a classic cocktail ingredient – has created a new Exceptional Range, beginning with the launch of Grand Marnier Quintessence.
Quintessence combines rare old hors d’âge Cognacs from the Grande Champagne sub-region with the essence of bitter Citrus bigaradia (Seville orange) peels, double-distilled to intensify their flavour.
The blend was taken from an old recipe found in the Marnier Lapostolle family archives by Grand Marnier master blender Patrick Raguenaud, and is said to be ‘rich, smooth … with dry fruit facets of apricot and walnut, underlined by a warm, dark vanilla base’.
Priced at £2,000, it comes in a mouthblown Baccarat crystal decanter inspired by the original Grand Marnier bottle, with 1,000 decanters available this year, only 12 of them in the UK.
‘It’s a rare experience to drink this; even to imagine this kind of Cognac is rare,’ said Raguenaud. ‘The sensation, the feeling, the perception of what you smell, it is unforgettable.’
Grand Marnier is also set to launch Grand Marnier Révélation, said to be a more ‘Cognac-forward’ expression combining XXO Cognacs from Grande Champagne with Citrus bigaradia essence and rested in oak tanks for several months prior to bottling.
Révélation uses ‘only a dash’ of orange essence, which is said to curb Grand Marnier’s usual sweetness and highlight classic Cognac flavours of vanilla, fresh florals and almond, alongside dried apricot.
Révélation will retail for £650, with only 23 bottles available in the UK.