Should Be Called Tia Charlie! (Tia Maria)

Member Name: CheekyCharlie08

Product:	Tia Maria
Date:	03/10/09 (47 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tastes delish; Smooth coffee flavour; Easy to drink

Disadvantages: None

Me and 2 of my mates decided to have a girly night in while I was babysitting my 2 little sisters and they both mentioned they were bringing munchies so I went to Tesco and treated us to a bottle of Tia Maria because that's always been our drink when we're together.

Tia Maria is a coffee liquer and is a smooth drink and not a creamy one like Baileys or Dooleys. It's very dark in colour and smells smooth and rich in the bottle. I can smell coffee in it and it's quite a strong coffee smell but isn't harsh and it very rich. You can try it mixed with anything because it adds a gorgeous fresh coffee flavour to other things but it's got a smooth kick to it as well that comes across good in cold drinks but is proper nice in coffee or hot chocolate as well.

I've had it neat before over ice but I do think it's nicer with a mixer because the flavour of it comes out loads better when it's diluted with something. I mostly have it with Coca Cola because it's so rich that it makes it taste like a cocktail and not just a spirit mixed with coke! The coffee flavour is smooth and even though the Tia Maria is a bit sweet it doesn't get overpowering because it's not sickly. It depends on what you mix it with because the other night me and my mates had it with Cherry Coke for a change and I will have it like that again because the cherry flavour in the coke and the coffee went good together and it gave it a bit of a fruity caky flavour.

I think the coffee flavour in this drink is brill and it doesn't taste as strong as it is. It's 20% vol but it's so smooth that it goes down too easy and the glasses start getting bigger and bigger! After 3 or 4 generous mesures me and my mates were having a right laugh and eating munchies like we were kids but as the night went on I started making cups of hot chocolate, only cheap instant stuff but the Tia Maria made it taste like the best Belgian hot chocolate in the world. Putting it in coffee gives it a mocha flavour but even though it makes a wicked drink I think it gives too much of a caffeine boost and gives me the jitters if I have too many cups. In hot chocolate is doesn't give me that rush and is a smoother drink.

My mate always mixes hers with lemonade and it's lovely and refreshing to drink with ice but I think it tastes like the pop has diluted the Tia Maria too much even if you use the same amount as if you was using Coke. At a clubnight last Xmas they were giving away glasses of Tia Maria in cold milk with spices mixed in and that was delish but nearly a fiver a glass and even though I've tried I just cannot make it myself at home.

It's quite pricy but worth it, the 1 litre bottle I got was £18.00 and even though we had a good drink the other night there's still a few hot chocolates in there yet, like I am drinking right this minute!

Summary: A Gorgeous Coffee Liquer That I Love To Share With My Friends