... The thing is, she's quite partial to a drop of Tia Maria of an evening and, unlike me, she's quite fussy about what she pours down her throat. The trouble is, we were in Tuscany, where it seemed to be a Tia Maria-free zone. Oh dear.
What to do?
As I said, unlike me, Mrs P is particularly ... Read review
Advantages: Creamy coffee alcohol Disadvantages: Can't drink a lot, but maybe that's an advantage?!
...partial to a drop of Tia Maria of an evening and, unlike me, she's quite fussy about what she pours down her throat. The trouble is, we were in Tuscany, where it seemed to be a Tia Maria-free zone. Oh dear.
What to do?
As I said, unlike me, Mrs P is particularly fussy when it comes to drinking alcohol (obviously not so much when it comes to men, but that's another story), so we were facing the prospect of an alcohol-free (and ... ...drinks.
TIA LUSSO has been available in the UK for quite a while now, but neither of us had been tempted to try it - I had the impression that it would be very similar to Baileys. Now while there's nothing wrong with that, it's not really a drink that you'd want more than occasionally and so buying a bottle didn't seem worthwhile...so we never did.
However, needs must when the devil drives, and so it was that we came ... more
While we were on holiday recently, Mrs P had a bit of a problem. No, I don't mean with her choice of travelling companion. The thing is, she's quite partial to a drop of Tia Maria of an evening and, unlike me, she's quite fussy about what she pours down her throat. The trouble is, we were in Tuscany, where it seemed to be a Tia Maria-free zone. Oh dear.
What to do? As I said, unlike me, Mrs P is particularly fussy when it comes to drinking alcohol (obviously not so much when it comes to men, but that's another story), so we were facing the prospect of an alcohol-free (and quite possibly smile-free) trip. Nothing for it but to scour the supermarket shelves looking for suitable after-dinner drinks.
TIA LUSSO has been available in the UK for quite a while now, but neither of us had been tempted to try it - I had the impression that it would be very similar to Baileys. Now while there's nothing wrong with that, it's not really a drink that you'd want more than occasionally and so buying a bottle didn't seem worthwhile...so we never did.
However, needs must when the devil drives, and so it was that we came to be in possession of a bright and shiny, 70cl blue-glass bottle of the aforementioned tipple. Incidentally, If you're familiar with TM, you won't have any trouble spotting Tia Lusso - the bottle has the same wide-bottomed design (a bit like Mrs...no, I better not), and, apart from the difference in colours, the same label design - a sort of swirly, blue and gold with gold lettering...not real gold, that would just be silly and, I imagine, prohibitively expensive.
Tia Lusso, not surprisingly, is made by the same company that makes Tia Maria, Allied Domecq. They're quite a large company, I'm led to believe, but obviously don't have enough clout to stock TM in Italy.
But enough fripple-frapple, what's in the bottle?
The first thing you notice when opening the bottle is the strong, roasty aroma of coffee...caffe corretto to be precise. That is, coffee that's 'corrected' by adding a dash of alcohol, in this case rum. It also smells vaguely like vanilla ice-cream. It's quite a pleasant, enticing aroma.
On pouring it (just like beer, you shouldn't drink it straight from the bottle), I was surprised at its relative lack of viscosity. You'd imagine that, being a creamy drink, it would be thicky and gloopy but it was actually quite fluid. It's an attractive tannish, toffee/coffee colour - rather like a caffe latte, without the froth of course.
On tasting it, I was again slightly surprised at how the cream didn't really feel thick and gooey. It did feel lush and velvety though. There's a decent hit from the rum too, though not overwhelming. There seems to be just the right ratio of alcohol to the mix, enough that you can taste it, but not so much that it dominates. Plenty of coffee flavour there too, but that also doesn't dominate the flavour, and the creaminess compliments the coffee beautifully. It leaves a nice, rich and creamy aftertaste with just the slightest alcoholic glow.
At 17% ABV, this isn't the strongest of liqueurs on the market, but it's not about numbers, is it? Apparently, the makers claim that it's less fattening than other, similar liqueurs. I'll take their word for it. But the day I base my decision on which cream-based liqueur to drink as part of a weight-loss programme is the day I know I've lost the plot.
On the whole (that whole being my mouth), I quite enjoyed this. It wasn't as sweet and sticky and sickly as I imagined, but I don't think it's a drink that I could sip on all evening. One, maybe two, but I think any more than that would be overpowering. I'd imagine it would be a nice drink for those who don't much like the taste of alcohol as, even though you can taste the rum, it's more like the flavour you get from a rum truffle that from a bottle of Cap'n Morgan's grog. Me? well I'd drink it again...occasionally, but I think I still prefer beer.
Advantages: Creamy, tasty, pretty cheap, Disadvantages: None that I can think of
...for a large bottle of Tia Lusso instead. We had no idea what is was you understand but we’ll try anything once. Useless cow, I ask you, what kind of shop keeper sells products and doesn’t even know how much they cost?
Anyway, here are my findings:
~~~~~~PRODUCT PACKAGING~~~~~~
Tia Lusso comes in a rather attractive navy blue, fat glass bottle with a slim neck, the label is also navy blue with light blue and white cloudy things swirled all over ... ...the space.
~~~~~~WHAT IS TIA LUSSO?~~~~~~
Tia Lusso is a cream liqueur not unlike Baileys Irish Cream but it is slightly different in a few aspects. As with Baileys, it’s main ingredient is fresh cream, but Tia Lusso is made with Jamaican coffee and rum instead of plain old whiskey. Tia Lusso is also fairly strong alcohol wise, a decent and not too overpowering 17% for a drink that is best drunk on it’s own without the need to be watered down.
...
deano_76 10.12.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tia Lusso - Liqueur
Advantages: GORGEOUS BLEND OF COFFEE AND RUM, LOWER IN FAT Disadvantages: STILL LADEN WITH CALORIES, A BIT PRICEY (BUT MINE WAS FREE - NER NER)
...(just) was a bottle of Tia Lusso that my mum had smuggled in. Knowing that my favourite tipple is Bailey's Irish Cream, she thought she would introduce me to this liquer drink after she had sampled it for herself a couple of weeks before. Tia Lusso may sound quite familiar to some of you. Well, you're right as it's made by the same company that make the famous liquer, Tia Maria. I have tried this a couple of times and wasn't disappointed so I was ... ...new drink. Tia Lusso comes in a dark blue bottle which is very attractive. This bottle instantly gives the impression that this drink is high quality and luxurious. The bottle is the same design as that of Tia Maria, wide bottom with a long slender neck. The labels add to this image, with the bright blue and white swirly design with a tornado sweeping across the centre. The lettering is all in gold.
Taking off the screw top is a delight in itself. ...
wardenblw431 18.11.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tia Lusso - Liqueur
Advantages: Tastes gorgeous, an alternative to Baileys, quality Disadvantages: Possibly the price depending where you shop
...a Glamour evening arranged by Tia Lusso a couple of weeks ago and was served this all night - by the time it was time to go home I was hooked! I was also given 2 bottles to bring home to try. WOW! oOoOo A NICE BOTTLE? oOoOo
The bottles a great design - a dark blue glass bottle shaped like a Tia Maria bottle (as Tia Maria are the company behind Tia Lusso in case you hadn't guessed!) with a dark blue and gold label. And theres a hidden use..... scrub ... ...notice when you're pouring the Tia Lusso is the smell - its a very strong coffee smell but it manages to smell 'creamy' at the same time. The back of the bottle recommends serving it neat or over ice. HAVE IT OVER ICE! Its one of those drinks that warm up really easily so if you want to take your time over it you need the ice to keep it cool. I knew it was going to be good.... The first sip is a sensation! It tastes nothing like you imagine by the ...
Fruity_Tart 06.01.2003 (28.08.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tia Lusso - Liqueur
Advantages: like Baileys but thinner Disadvantages: bit sickly
...whiskey base, it's got a Tia Maria base.
What It Looks Like
It's appearance is exactly the same as Baileys, ie a light beigey colour.
Gloopy?
I find this to be a smoother and thinner drink than Baileys, which makes it easier to drink, because you don't have the coating left in your mouth that you can get with other drinks.
Who's It For?
Well traditionally a drink like this one is seen as one for the ladies, but I know numerous men who can't ... ...large bottle and either a Tia Lusso glass of sunglasses!
On Line
Visit www.tialusso.com but you can only access it if you're over 18.
Downs
Becuase it is an easy drink to have, you could easily have too much.
Also, I find it to be quite sickly after a while.
A Final Word
Remember, please drink sensibly!
Thanks for reading! :-) ...
scuzz 04.04.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Tia Lusso - Liqueur
Advantages: Not as Sickly as some similar drinks Disadvantages: One of many cream liquer drinks on the market
...Cream Liquer. Produced by the Tia Maria people, the new Tia Lusso is in a very distinctive Blue bottle, the same shape as TM. It is a coffee and rum, cream liquer, with an ABV of 17%.
Although it has a very similar taste to many other cream liquers, the over-riding difference is that it is not as thick and sickly. Drunk over ice it does not have the same cloying consistency as other cream liquers and does not leave your palate feeling sticky.
The ... ...with all the advertising going on at present I am sure it will be high in the ratings for party drinks especially with Christmas coming up.
It definitely seems to be aimed at the female side of the market with the packeging and advertising. I for one would be quite happy to recieve a bottle as a gift. ...
sunor 28.10.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Tia Lusso - Liqueur
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drink with that distinct rum taste, or long with coke/diet coke. Drinking it long gives the coke an almost chocolatey coffee taste, and this is how I was introduced to it. I raved about it to my friends, who all tried and agreed, then I tried it neat and loved it even more.
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