Does Patron XO Cafe Liqueur Taste Good with Coffee?

xo patron cafe review glass of whiskey

Review of Patron XO Café Liqueur

Have you noticed the little mini-bottles of Patron XO Café Liqueur by the checkout lines at CVS? Ever wonder what this drink tastes like? Curious if it really mixes well with coffee?

Recently, I purchased a miniature of this alcoholic beverage. The reason for buying it was simple: I wanted to assess what it tasted like after eating a fairly big meal at a local restaurant in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

What follows is my review of XO Café, along with a couple of quick tips (should you choose to buy). Before diving too deep, I want clearly state that I am not being paid anything to pen this piece by the folks who make this beverage. I’m also not receiving any affiliate money.

Ok, on to the review.

The Mini

I bought one XO Café at the CVS on Ashford Avenue in San Juan. As I was nearing the checkout register, I saw it sitting in one of the aisle bins, along with other drinks.

Because I planned on drinking some coffee a bit later, I decided to purchase a 50ml bottle at a cost of $4.99. Yep, my goal was to add a bit to my java.

In case you are wondering about the mini’s size, it’s a bit bigger than what they offer on commercial aircraft. In other words, it’s small.

That said, I did notice the amount contained in the bottle seemed to have enough liquid in it for more than one cup.

XO Cafe Taste

Before combining half of the mini into my coffee, I took a small taste. Right off the bat, I could tell this drink contained tequila.

For some strange reason, I thought it would be similar to Mr. Black Cold Coffee Press liqueur, but it wasn’t. Instead, it was drier and a bit stronger.

That said, it was also fairly smooth and had a pleasant aroma. Additionally, any dryness of this drink disappeared when I combined it with my coffee; something I made in my hotel room using a Krups Coffee Maker. (I used Folgers).

Combining with Coffee

So, now we are at the heart of this review. Does XO Café taste good when added to a cup of java?

All I can tell you is that I really found the drink pleasant. The two mixed well and one didn’t overwhelm the other. Moreover, the smoothness of the tequila did not dissipate after pouring half the mini into my cup.

I liked the different notes I could smell after marrying the two. The best way I can describe it is a whiff of sweet almonds.

Oh, I probably should tell you that I did use one sugar packet and a pinch of half and half. It’s just a personal preference. You may have your own, including plain old black coffee.

Quick Tips

If you are thinking of buying a mini of XO Café to mix into your coffee, I encourage you to use a small amount and avoid dumping the entire bottle into your cup.

As mentioned earlier, there’s enough in the container for two cups.

Also, this beverage works well as a topping for Vanilla ice cream. How do I know this? Because I used the second half of what was left to pour over some Ben and Jerry’s that was sitting in the fridge.

Final Thoughts

To me, this was a really nice treat after a large meal. I certainly would buy it again. To be sure, there are other reviews online that suggest this beverage isn’t all that great and that there are better products on the market.

All I can say is that my experience was positive. But then again, I’m not one to buy lots of alcohol and certainly don’t consider myself a liqueur connoisseur.

Have you tried XO Patron XO Café? If so, what was your experience? Did you find this drink mixed well with coffee? 

About John Lannoye 178 Articles
John Lannoye is editor and founder of Men's Variety. Based in Chicago, he blogs on topics related to health, grooming, wellness, relationships and men's grooming. Follow him on Twitter.