Glug glorious Guylian (Guylian Praliné Cream Liqueur)

Member Name: duskmaiden

Product:	Guylian Praliné Cream Liqueur
Date:	29/03/07 (770 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: nice taste, change from Baileys, fab bottle

Disadvantages: Not readily available

I have a question to ask the Dooyooettes. What do you need to relax after a hard day's work.? I bet that along with a long hot soak In the bath, chocolate and alcohol would be high on the list of answers. I certainly enjoy them so when I discovered Guylian, the Belgian chocolate company that makes those tasty little praline seashell shaped chocolates had developed an alcoholic , liquid version of their product I was intrigued to see whether It would work or not. I love Baileys and Dooleys which are very similar products Thus I did not purchase it when I first saw it in duty free shops. Instead I got Duskman to buy me a bottle as a Valentine's present (he's sweet but not a great present buyer thus I usually have to guide him). So have Guylian come up with a rival to trouble the sales of Baileys?

I must award Guylian top marks for their gimmicky, eye catching kitsch packaging. The bottle is different shades of brown based on the shape of one of the seahorse Guylian chocolates on an oblong base. It really does make you think of those sublime morsels of chocolate. It stands out a mile off and would look wonderful in any bar or cocktail cabinet. It's almost good enough to buy the liqueur just for the bottle alone but that would be missing out on the glorious nectar concealed within.

Let me share the pleasure of drinking Guylian. The actual liqueur is very similar to Baileys ingredients wise as it is a whiskey based drink blended with cream and the essential Guylian chocolate. It is also very much a similar strength to the other sweet cream liqueurs. Guylian is a mere 16% alcohol, one per cent less than Baileys and Dooleys. Its alcoholic enough to have a kick to it without being lethal .

It's a drink to be savoured after a lovely meal or else whilst relaxing on a girly nigh in. I slowly pour a small glass of the thick creamy brown liquid. It reminds me of the colour and consistency of hot chocolate or a creamy chocolate milk. It smells as sweet as it looks with a slug of alcohol and undertones of the wonderful chocolate.

The first sip is sheer bliss. It is a lovely smooth liqueur that flows through your mouth and coats your throat without burning it. You can certainly taste the alcohol in it. It is a sweet liqueur but I do not find it overly sickly (However I doubt I could drink more than a couple of measures of this per session). The chocolate flavour is quite subtle and delicate but is definitely there alongside that lovely earthiness of the hazelnuts. I find that the hazelnut flavour is more pronounced in some mouthfuls than others.

I have drank this liqueur on the rocks or with ice but I think it could be quite versatile. It would be nice mixed with milk to make a longer drink or in hot chocolate or coffee. It would also be pretty wonderful in a cheesecake with chopped hazelnuts and perhaps a topping of Guylian chocolate.

I like this liqueur. It makes a change from Baileys. However I am not sure if it will ever take the place of Baileys. It is a bit of a novelty drink. I have found that it is not readily available. I have only ever seen it in Duty Free shops and Sainsburys. My bottle is 700 mls. I am not sure if it is available in other sizes. My bottle was a special edition for the Valentines and Mother's Day market and included a little box of heart shaped Guylian truffles. This was a nice little extra so I could fully appreciate the wonderful combination of hazelnuts and chocolate.

Guylian are onto a winner with this liqueur. I just wish it was more readily available. I shall certainly be treating myself to another bottle the next time I am jetting off on holiday.

Summary: hazelnut choclate liquer in an unusual bottle