Clement Creole Shrubb Liqueur D’Orange

If you need something sweet and orange, this is it. Sweeter replacement for something like Dry Curacao

Tout le plaisir du rhum et de l’orange : très doux (très sucré), rond et suave, il se boit facilement (trop même)

Had this as part of a Rhum Clement product range sampler and was very impressed. The use of aged (I assume?) agricole as opposed to brandy adds a subtle twist. Not too cloying if sipping solo as a digestif as well

jemný lahodný rumový moučník v agricole provedení, pro všechny milovníky cukrů

This is a fantastic find and stands in admirably where the recipe calls for curacao, Grand Marnier, Cointreau or Triple Sec. It brings with it the agricole cut grass crispness and the strong zeal of orange zest. Our cracking Mai Tai of choice right now is, Smith & Cross Navy strength, Plantation Double aged Dark and Créole Shrubb with three fresh squeezed limes and home made orgeat.

Friend offered it in Martinique in a planteur and it was great. Made for ladies or to be enjoyed as a dessert. Sweetness with the grass and sucre de canne flavours. Very good!

That's (I assume) the reason most people are comparing this Grand Marnier, but make no mistake: Creole Shrubb is superior! Sweet, but not cloying. Broad, yet complex. Can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks and is an absolute star in cocktails! Intense orange zest is present all the way through, with a mixture of spices adding more to the depth of the liqueur than any particular flavor. All of this is lent marvelous support by the agricole backbone. This is my goto orange liqueur, it just rocks!

Sugar cane Grand Marnier like liquor. Super sweet and honest orange flavor lingers. Tried it in an old fashion. Not bad I must say.

I had not made my own Mai Tai's at home because orgeat syrup is just so hard to find. It must have orange flower water in it to qualify as orgeat instead of just plain almond syrup. I also had to look for a bottle of orange curacao, which is also hard to find these days, with the blue curacao dominating the market now. These two needs prompted my long trek to a very well stocked liquor store.

I could not find anything labeled Orange Curacao, but came across this Clement Creole Shrubb. It was a much better buy than a half bottle of Grand Marnier, which would have been my last resort choice. This liqueur is at least made with rhum agricole from Martinique instead of French Brandy. I also found a bottle of Monin Orgeat Syrup and a couple of other goodies.

This rhum/liqueur is much smoother than Gran Marnier, has a better orange flavor, and also has some West Indian spices thrown in. I bought it as a mixer, which is what it will get used for. At $28 for a 750 ml bottle, this was a bargain. This makes excellent Mai Tai's and Goombay Smashes!

A perfect Mai Tai calls for a half ounce of orange liqueur such as this, a quarter ounce of simple syrup, and a quarter ounce of orgeat syrup. Since this Creole Shrub is so intensely sweet, the temptation will arise to change the simple syrup to another quarter ounce of this one. Don't do it!!! The extra orange flavoring will screw up your Mai Tai for sure! After lots of trials, I have found that one ounce each of Appleton Reserve Blend and Sweet Crude Black Gold Single Harvest Rum work the best. If you can no longer find the Sweet Crude, then Depaz Cane Blue will work for the rhum agricole portion. The sixth ingredient is the lime juice.

Nice and harmony marriage between agricole and orange.