Baileys Irish Cream With a Hint of Mint Chocolate

...new. They were bottles of Baileys Irish Cream, but oddly some had brown labels and caps, whilst others were green. Moving in for a closer inspection, I saw that the lovely people at Baileys had produced some limited edition twists on their classic Irish whiskey cream liqueur: the brown labelled bottles were Baileys with a hint of crème caramel, whilst the green had a hint of mint chocolate. I had always been quite fond of Baileys – and exceedingly ...
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My bottle of Baileys with a hint of mint chocolate went down very well with both me and my guests over those holidays, but when I returned to the shops in the New Year to sample the crème caramel flavour, I was dismayed to find it gone from every shop I ventured into, and not even the divine google could locate me a bottle of the limited editions. But all was not lost! These two flavours became permanent parts of the Baileys range last autumn ... more

Shortly before Christmas 2005, I was wandering around the drinks aisles of my local Tesco with the wonderfully vague remit of buying “some alcohol” for imbibing over the impending holidays. Having already seized the obligatory seasonal bottle of De Kupyer cherry brandy, I was moving in the general direction of the rum section when my eyes fell open something strange and new. They were bottles of Baileys Irish Cream, but oddly some had brown labels and caps, whilst others were green. Moving in for a closer inspection, I saw that the lovely people at Baileys had produced some limited edition twists on their classic Irish whiskey cream liqueur: the brown labelled bottles were Baileys with a hint of crème caramel, whilst the green had a hint of mint chocolate. I had always been quite fond of Baileys – and exceedingly fond of both crème caramel and mint chocolate – so I needed little persuasion to sample one of these bottles. On a whim I went for the mint chocolate version.

My bottle of Baileys with a hint of mint chocolate went down very well with both me and my guests over those holidays, but when I returned to the shops in the New Year to sample the crème caramel flavour, I was dismayed to find it gone from every shop I ventured into, and not even the divine google could locate me a bottle of the limited editions. But all was not lost! These two flavours became permanent parts of the Baileys range last autumn and returned to our shops in time to tempt us for Christmas again. While I can now confirm that Baileys with crème caramel is quite nice, it is the mint chocolate version that has become a strong favourite of mine.

The original Baileys Irish Cream liqueur has been around since 1974, and is a blend of “fresh dairy cream, Irish whiskey, and the finest Irish spirits”. At first glance I will happily admit that this doesn’t sound particularly appetising (especially as I don’t even like whiskey), but the result of this unholy marriage of ingredients is a rich, smooth and creamy drink where the dairy neatly balances the alcohol in taste, while the alcohol keeps the dairy fresh for up to 24 months from the point of manufacture (not that it lasts 24 months in my house, you understand). Baileys is actually 50% cream and has a horribly high fat content of 15%, but fortunately the sheer richness of it means that even the most hardened drinker will find it sickly by the end of their second measure and so will not be able to drink much of it (just as well at a generous 82 calories per 25ml serving, really). Since launch, Baileys has become the world’s best selling Irish cream drink (indeed, the best selling cream liqueur of any variety), so clearly there was potential to experiment with new varieties of Baileys. The long Baileys cocktail Glide may have bombed, but the “hint of” range looks set for greater success, not least because they are akin to already popular Baileys cocktails such as Irish Mint (original Baileys mixed with Crème de Menthe), After Eight (original Baileys, white Crème de Menthe and Kahlua) and Butterfinger (original Baileys with milk and butterscotch schnapps).

But back to the purpose of this review. Unscrewing the cap on my hint of mint chocolate bottle, the liqueur hidden inside produces the creamy aromas of original Baileys – there is nothing to suggest that this drink has anything minty or chocolately to offer. I pour myself a generously unmeasured serving over ice, and am greeted with a liquid the colour of vanilla fudge and with a consistency of milk; it looks like one of those flavoured milks or overly weak coffee. I give it a minute to chill and then take a sip. It is cool, very smooth and slightly thick in texture (I am reminded of milkshakes) with the unmistakable flavour of original Baileys, with that distinct suggestion of the drink being alcoholic, but with no distinct flavour of whiskey coming through. At 17% ABV, the whiskey is well submerged beneath other ingredients in the liqueur.

The drink is not strong in chocolate flavourings or excessively minty, but there is a lovely subtle aftertaste of After Eight mints. The chocolate flavourings complement the texture and creaminess of the Baileys nicely, while the mint takes the edge of the sickliness to produce something fresher and slightly more satisfying than the original Irish cream. The mint is slightly more pronounced than the chocolate (and I would personally prefer the chocolate flavourings to be a wee bit stronger), but this drink is certainly a winner with me, especially on cold winter evenings. I would happily recommend it to lovers of Baileys and mint chocolates everywhere now that it is fully available rather than an elusive limited edition. It will set you back around £9 for a 700ml bottle, and is best served over ice in my opinion, although you can also try it straight, in coffee or hot chocolate, with milk, over ice cream, or to give a Baileys cocktail a minty twist:

*Milkshake*
· 1 measure Baileys
· 3 measures milk
· 2 measures chocolate ice cream
· Dash vanilla essence
· Dash rum essence
Blend together and serve

*Moo Moo*
· 1 measure Baileys
· 1 measure Crème de Cacao
· 2.5 measures cream
· Ice
Pour both liqueurs into a glass with ice, add the cream and shake well

*Cookie Mudslide*
· 1 measure vodka
· 1 measure Kahlua
· 1 measure Baileys
· 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
· 1 chocolate cookie
Blend well in a blender and serve in a frosted glass, garnished with cream

* Irish Flag*
· 1 measure Baileys
· 1 measure Crème de menthe
· 1 measure brandy
Pour the Crème de Menthe into your glass, and then build the Baileys and brandy on top with a spoon to mimic the colours of the Irish flag

*After Dark*
· 2 measures Baileys
· 2 measures Tia Maria
· 2 scoops mint ice cream
· Cream
Blend together in a blender and serve in a tall glass

www.baileys.com 

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