Review: Angostura Cocoa Bitters

Review: Angostura Cocoa Bitters

Review: Angostura Cocoa Bitters

Although Angostura makes a line of orange bitters, it’s best known for its iconic, eponymous aromatic bitters, a paper-wrapped bottle which no bar should be without. Now the Angostura bitters line expands to a whopping 3 expressions, with the launch of Angostura Cocoa Bitters.

These bitters are made with Trinitario cocoa which is grown on the islands of Trinidad & Tobago where Angostura makes all its bitters. The cocoa is combined with a “bespoke blend of herbs, spices, and botanicals” to create the finished product.

Angostura Cocoa Bitters Review

And it’s quite a delight, deftly balancing the pungent bitterness — slightly pruny, slightly winey — of Angostura’s aromatic bitters with a slick of cocoa on top. It has that distinct note not of chocolate sauce or chocolate candy but rather cocoa powder. As the cocoa fades, those wine-heavy notes come more into focus, with a significant raisin character and some vanilla lingering on the conclusion. Versatile and expressive, this is a solid and balanced product that can sub in for aromatic bitters any time you want to give your cocktail a chocolaty kick. Pick some up.

96 proof.

A / $9 per 4 oz bottle [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]

Angostura Cocoa Bitters

USD9
9.5

Rating

9.5/10

A veteran journalist, the author of four books, a published poet, and an award-winning winemaker, Christopher Null has more than 25 years of experience writing about wine and spirits. He founded Drinkhacker in 2007. He also writes regularly about the science of booze for WIRED and is an occasional contributor to ADI's Distiller magazine. He has been a judge for both the American Distilling Institute Judging of Craft Spirits and Whiskies of the World spirits competitions and often works as a consultant, developing formal tasting notes for spirits brands around the world.

1 Comment

  1. Eli on November 4, 2020 at 3:02 pm

    I am curious how this would influence a white russian.
    I like white russians, but they can be a bit sweet for my palate ar times and traditional bitters do not go well with them, but cocoa bitters seem like they would.

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