Creme de cacao liqueur (dark)
CoreFrance (Giffard / Marie Brizard / Tempus Fugit), Netherlands (Bols / De Kuyper), United States (craft expressions)
Tasting Notes
Dark chocolate, roasted cacao, vanilla, caramel, coffee undertone, cocoa powder, bittersweet finish, brown sugar. Compared to white: slightly more roast character, more visual richness, sometimes a touch more bitterness from the retained cacao solids. Quality indicator: you should taste chocolate, not chocolate syrup. Bitterness should balance sweetness. Cheap versions taste like Hershey's syrup with alcohol.
Brand Guide
DeKuyper ($10-14, functional but artificial)
Bols ($14-18, clean, reliable)
Giffard ($20-26, genuine cacao character, balanced sweetness)
Tempus Fugit ($32-38, benchmark quality — real cacao and vanilla, historical recipe). Same hierarchy as white creme de cacao. Tempus Fugit makes both and both are exceptional. The well-to-premium upgrade is the most impactful quality jump in the chocolate liqueur category