Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao a la Vanille 750ML

Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao a la Vanille 750ML is a 24% ABV cacao and vanilla liqueur built from a 19th-century recipe using Venezuelan cacao and Mexican vanilla. It earned 95 points from Wine Enthusiast and a Five Star/Highest Recommendation from F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal, where Pacult called it "the best I've tasted, period."

Quick Facts: ABV: 24% (48 proof)  |  Origin: California, USA  |  Style: Crème de Cacao Liqueur  |  Producer: Tempus Fugit Spirits

Production & Heritage

Tempus Fugit Spirits specializes in recreating historical liqueur recipes by cross-referencing 19th-century English and French source texts. The production of this crème de cacao begins with distilling raw Venezuelan cacao, then macerating the resulting distillate with additional cacao and crushed whole Mexican vanilla bean — a dual-process technique that builds layered complexity. No artificial color is added; the medium brown hue develops naturally from the cacao maceration, setting it firmly apart from the clear or artificially tinted crèmes de cacao common in the commercial market.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Intense powdered cocoa dominates immediately, followed by a pronounced sweetness and subtle undertones of vanilla bean. The nose is rich and direct, suggesting dark confectionery rather than generic chocolate syrup.

Taste: The entry delivers cocoa and butter in equal measure, coating the palate with an unctuous, syrupy texture. At mid-palate, a precise dark chocolate character emerges — neither bitter nor cloying, landing in a rare equilibrium. Almond and hazelnut notes surface as the profile deepens.

Finish: Long and flavorful, with lingering cocoa powder, vanilla, and a trace of hazelnut richness. The viscous body carries the finish well, though the density makes this a liqueur best experienced in measured pours or mixed drinks rather than large straight servings.

How to Drink Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao

A small pour neat or slightly chilled rewards close attention, but the liqueur's viscosity and intensity make it a natural cocktail ingredient where its depth stands out against dilution and other spirits. A Brandy Alexander gains genuine chocolate complexity rather than generic sweetness. The Grasshopper becomes a more sophisticated dessert drink when built on real cacao rather than thin commercial alternatives. A 20th Century Cocktail — gin, lemon, Lillet Blanc, and crème de cacao — benefits enormously from the layered vanilla and dark chocolate notes here.

Best For

• Home bartenders building a historically accurate cocktail cabinet
• Gifting a cocktail enthusiast who values artisan-quality ingredients
• After-dinner service alongside espresso or dessert courses
• Upgrading classic cocktails that call for crème de cacao

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao taste like? It delivers rich dark chocolate, butter, and cocoa powder on a viscous, unctuous palate, with almond, hazelnut, and vanilla bean carrying through a long finish. The sweetness is significant but balanced by genuine cacao depth rather than artificial flavoring.

How does Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao compare to Giffard Creme de Cacao? Giffard produces a well-regarded blanc (clear) style that works as a lighter, more neutral cacao element in cocktails. Tempus Fugit's expression is darker, more viscous, and markedly more intense in chocolate and vanilla character due to its distillation-plus-maceration process and natural coloring from cacao.

Is Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao good for cocktails? It is widely regarded as one of the finest crèmes de cacao available for cocktail use, bringing genuine dark chocolate complexity to drinks like the Brandy Alexander, Grasshopper, and 20th Century Cocktail.

Where is Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao made? It is produced in California, USA, by Tempus Fugit Spirits, a company dedicated to recreating historical European liqueur and spirit recipes using original 19th-century formulations.

What foods pair well with Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao? Dark chocolate truffles echo and amplify the cacao character. Vanilla panna cotta mirrors the vanilla bean notes. Espresso-based desserts like tiramisu complement the roasted cocoa depth. Roasted hazelnuts or almond biscotti align with the nutty finish. Aged hard cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano provide a savory counterpoint to the sweetness.

What sizes does Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao come in? The standard size is the 750ml bottle.

Is Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao worth the price? It positions as a premium liqueur well above mass-market crèmes de cacao from Bols or Marie Brizard, and the 95-point Wine Enthusiast rating and Spirit Journal Highest Recommendation validate the quality step up for anyone serious about cocktail ingredients or after-dinner spirits.

Why Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao?

The dual-process production — distilling raw cacao then macerating the distillate with additional cacao and whole vanilla bean — is virtually unheard of among commercial crèmes de cacao, most of which rely on extracts or flavorings. The result earned F. Paul Pacult's unequivocal endorsement as the category's best and a 95-point score from Wine Enthusiast, placing it in rare critical territory for a liqueur. Its natural color, sourced Venezuelan cacao, and Mexican vanilla represent an honest reconstruction of what this category tasted like before industrialization stripped it down. For any drink that calls for crème de cacao, this expression rewrites expectations of what the ingredient can contribute.