The 44 Cordial

[Milicent]

This month's Saveur has a brief article and recipe for the 44 Cordial, which is an orange and coffee flavored rum liqueur. Apparently, this is a recipe from Madagascar that was created using local ingredients and following a very ritualized formula. I just finished making a batch and only have to wait a little over six weeks to give it a shot.

Here is the recipe.

Poke 44 1" deep slits all over a large navel orange (use a paring knife).
Stuff one coffee bean in each slit (44 beans).
Put the orange and 44 teaspoons (a "scant" one cup) of sugar into a wide-mouthed jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Add one liter of white rum to the jar.
Put the lid on and store in a cool, dark spot for 44 days.
Swirl the jar occasionally.
Strain though cheesecloth into a clean bottle.
Store in the freezer until ready to drink.
Serve neat or over ice.

Has anyone had this? Has anyone made this? I would love to hear comments, experiences, suggestions, etc.

[Tiare]

I have no problems in the world in trying this one..:D

[RumBarPhilly]

Is it possible to get 44 slits into an orange? Itll look like Pinhead when its done!

[Matusalem]

I wonder what rum was originally called for?

I'd suspect something stronger than the typical US 40% strength white. . .

[Milicent]

I have been meaning to let you all know how the cordial turned out. The 44th day occurred a few weeks ago, and I promptly placed the bottle in the freezer to get it to the recommended drinking temperature. It was actually the 45th day that I tasted the concoction.

Tasty. A nice balance of orange and cofee bean flavors were present. There was still a noticable alcohole presence, which makes me want to try this experiment again with a more sippable white rum. My next attempt will begin with Oronoco. Still, this is a tasty creation that I will continue to enjoy. However, I cannot get the thought of how much better this would taste with Oronoco out of my mind.

For those who are willing to wait, give this a shot. It is an interesting and unique experience.

[Rum Runner]

Hi. What variety of orange and type of coffee beans did you use?

[Tiare]

I cannot find Oronoco..the one i had was a one time find..do you think Havana Club or Appleton white would be good?

[mcmachete]

Thanks for the update Milicent.

I also finished mine. I used Cruzan white (I just can't bring myself to use Oronoco or the like on an infusion when something could go wrong) and I think it was fine. The only thing I didn't like was that it had a little too much bitterness from the pith of the orange. But the freezing and resting helped, and I think it's very nice.

http://www.macheterum.com/2008/04/ewok-elixir-mxmo-xxvi.html

[Milicent]

I cannot remember what type of orange I used, but I do recall the coffee was Sozo's "Beast From The East" dark roast. I still have yet to try any of the Havana Club's, but I think Appleton white would be a good choice for a much better price than the Oronoco. McMachete's recipe using his 44Cordial sounds wonderful. I'll have to try something like it this weekend.

[drbob]

Someone left a nearly full bottle of Bacardi white rum at my house last new years. It had almost no taste at all and seems to exist only to make coke alcoholic. I can't even bake with it. Generally I prefer the mellow dark rums, though I'm hardly an enthusiast. Anyway I got the 44 Cordial recipe from a coworker and decided to see if I could make use of this utterly useless rum.

The taste is interesting. It's not as sweet as I expected. The directions say to drink it ice cold but I found the alcohol is very sharp, and the coffee is very bitter. It tasted like a very low quality dark rum. If I let it warm up to above 45F, then the drink mellows out a lot and the citrus wakes up and the sugar asserts itself more. This gives you an almost chocolaty orange flavor with a mellow alcoholic warmth.

My wife agrees it's better this way too, so out of the freezer, into the fridge.

While the volume stayed about the same, I estimate about half of the alcohol stayed in the orange.

I'm wondering if I use a higher quality white rum for the next batch if it will turn out smoother or not so bitter. I'm leaning towards a brand called "Cane" which is supposed to be rather sweet and smooth which I think will turn out better. Does anybody else have any experience with other rums in this cocktail? I don't drink nearly enough to try out all the different types available.

[drbob]

OK I've done this a few times now and can offer more advice.

1. After removing the orange, let it age another 1-3 months. It gets warmer and smoother with time and the aftertaste mellows out.

2. Bacardi white rum is highly variable in quality. Some bottle are smooth, and some are hot and nasty. If you must use this rum, taste it first and use the smoother varieties.

3. The flavor varies a lot depending on the time of year you make it. Local farmers market oranges in the late summer are best. Imported South American oranges in the winter are sharp and citrusy.

I'm doing a 2L batch now with Valencia oranges. I can't wait to try that one out.

[forrest]

Wow i don't know how i missed this thread but it sounds fun!

And since i haven't yet: Welcome to the for-rum drbob!!