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Liquor Review: Royale Chambord

Published on December 16th, 2007 in Liqueurs by Wade

Chambord

Looking at a bottle of Royale Chambord, you know one thing, this stuff is fancy. Just look at it. Sitting there all high and mighty with its gold color plastic lining and little gold crown, this definitely has to be the most stuck up bottle of the liqueur world. So with all this outer glory, let’s see if the raspberry liquid inside is really all it’s made up to be.

Royale Chambord is a black raspberry flavored liqueur imported from France. Black raspberries, or framboises noires as they are known in France, are infused with a fine cognac that has been mellowed and aged at least four years in oak barrels. After this basic infusion, red raspberry, currants, and blackberry extracts are added. Closer to the end of the liqueur-making process, spices such as mace, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and vanilla are added along with several other herbs. Acacia honey is also added before the entire mixture is then aged in barrels. All this gives Chambord its dark purple color and makes a very unique raspberry-flavored liqueur.

Chambord’s flavor really makes you think you’re drinking watered-down cough syrup. I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing. The raspberry taste is really strong but not overpowering. Shaken with ice, this liqueur isn’t too bad, but I have no idea why anyone would want to drink this alone. For Chambord’s bottle to have such a bold crown, it is really weak. So solo sipping of this one is really just a waste. Why drink this spirit alone when it mixes so well? There aren’t many shots or cocktails mixed with Chambord that don’t taste delicious. The raspberry flavor mixes so effortlessly that you will want to experiement to discover new magical cocktails or shots that you can create. As you may expect from most fruity liquor blends, women will love it. It’s a fact. I think I saw it written in a science book somewhere. You will surely be able to find something delicious to make with Chambord. Personally, I enjoy one shot of Chambord to three shots of my favorite vodka or whatever vodka is in the bottle that is next to me when I awaken.

Most Liqueurs are known for their flavor, not their strength, and Chambord is no different. It is merely 33-proof. You can drink it all day and probably not catch a buzz. I guess coming from someone who drinks Everclear 151 like most people drink coffee, that comment doesn’t mean that much. Even if you are a causal drinker, you won’t be getting wasted off this one alone. But on the positive side, no drunk means no hangover. Any morning where you can awwaken and stand straight up without collapsing from the pain of a massive headache is a good one.

Chambord is a bit pricey at $25 for a 375ml bottle. I’m not sure if Chambord is really worth that price unless you have some weird love of fancy bottles. But if you see it on sale, which does seem to happen often, making the price $5 less, then you might want to grab a bottle. As a added bonus, you can buy a big gold chain to hang the bottle from, full or empty, and have so much bling that it would bring shame upon any rapper. Hmm…jewelry that holds liquor. Now that sounds like a good idea.

Sipability – 8.0

Mixability – 8.5

Drunkability – 1.5

Hangover-ability – 9.0

Bang for the Buck – 6.0

Chick-appeal – 7.0

Overall – 7.0