Grand Marnier Cuvee Du Centenaire
Grand Marnier Cuvee Du Centenaire is a 750mL cognac-based orange liqueur bottled at 40% ABV, created in 1927 by Louis-Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle to mark the hundredth anniversary of the Maison founded in 1827 — a cuvee so prized it was originally given only as a gift to family, friends and clients. It blends 82% XO cognac, aged 10 to 25 years and drawn mostly from Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne, with 18% essence of wild bitter orange, the cognacs refined in Troncais oak at the Chateau Grand Marnier in Bourg-Charente. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 40%
- Size: 750mL
- Blend: 82% XO cognac / 18% bitter orange liqueur
- Cognacs: Aged 10–25 years, mostly Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne, Troncais oak
- Created: 1927, for the Maison's centenary (founded 1827)
- Origin: Bourg-Charente, Cognac, France
A Centenary Gift That Became the Grandest Grand Marnier
When the house of Marnier-Lapostolle turned one hundred in 1927, Louis-Alexandre marked it the way he had made the firm's name in 1880 — by wedding cognac to bitter orange — but this time with the oldest cognacs in the cellar and no intention of selling the result: the Centenaire began as a gift for family, friends and clients. The formula that eventually reached the market keeps that generosity: more than four-fifths XO cognac, aged between ten and twenty-five years in Troncais oak, against the vivid lift of wild tropical orange. It is the expression connoisseurs pour when Cordon Rouge's balance needs to become depth. Compare the range on the Grand Marnier vendor page and the great houses around it in our cognac collection.
Tasting Notes
The house describes a medium amber pour with copper tints; candied orange softened by spice on the nose; and a rich, fine palate where candied orange is carried by old-cognac character with mild tobacco and balsamic undertones through a long finish.
How to Enjoy
The house serve is neat in a sipping glass, ice on the side, as an after-dinner pour — dilution is the drinker's choice, not the recipe's. It also crowns a Sidecar built on good cognac. More after-dinner pours are in our spirits collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Centenaire and Cordon Rouge?
Proportion and age. Centenaire is 82% XO cognac aged 10–25 years; Cordon Rouge is 51% cognac. Centenaire is correspondingly deeper, drier and more cognac-led, where Cordon Rouge is the brighter, more versatile original.
Is Grand Marnier Centenaire a cognac?
It is a cognac-based orange liqueur — 82% XO cognac blended with bitter orange essence. It drinks like a liqueur, not a straight cognac, and is served neat as an after-dinner pour.
Why is it called Centenaire?
It was created in 1927 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Maison Marnier-Lapostolle, founded in 1827 — and was originally reserved as a gift for family, friends and clients.
A hundred years of the Maison in one glass — order Grand Marnier Cuvee Du Centenaire online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.