Meunier Cacao Noir Liqueur

Meunier Cacao Noir is a natural fit for cool-weather sipping. Try it neat or over a large ice cube to appreciate its concentrated dark chocolate character, or use it to add depth to stirred whiskey cocktails and creamy after-dinner drinks.

Nose: Dark chocolate leads immediately, Stonefruit comes through distinctly, particularly dried cherry and a whisper of plum. Underneath that, there's a warm spice layer.

Palate: Drier than most chocolate liqueurs, with a concentrated cacao intensity that coats the palate without the cloying sweetness you might expect.

Finish: Medium-length with a pleasant, lingering bittersweet chocolate character and spice notes. Black pepper and cinnamon.

Meunier sets itself apart by both distilling and infusing cacao nibs sourced from France's historic chocolate-producing region, a dual-extraction approach that produces a far more concentrated and complex cacao character than you'd find in a standard crème de cacao and with no added flavorings, what you're tasting is pure, unadulterated chocolate in liquid form.

• Meunier's distillery sits in the shadow of Lyon, which has been France's undisputed chocolate capital since Lyonnaise chocolatiers pioneered the craft in the 19th century.
• Most chocolate liqueurs rely on infusion alone, which is a bit like brewing tea. Meunier takes the extra step of distilling the cacao nibs before infusing them, a double-extraction process that pulls out aromatic compounds that simple soaking can never reach, giving the liqueur a depth closer to fine chocolate than anything else in a bottle.
• The same family distillery behind this cacao liqueur has been crafting Génépy a rare, intensely aromatic alpine herb liqueur since 1809.