That is an interesting observation I have wondered about for a while now....I was at a point where I assumed my taste memory had gone to mush.
Yes Marcel, I think anyone who experienced the original Cointreau, especially in the '70's and '80's, would be shocked and saddened to discover that one of the true classics,,,, right up there with Benedictine, Chartreuse, or Grand Marnier, would now find a diminished liquer that can easily be substituted by a cheap "sugar-water" Triple Sec. The original Cointreau taste was truly unique,,,, a very complex blend of orange liquer, with intense flavour.
Noilly Prat Vermouth was also one of those unique bone-dry vermouths that was a classic. It went so well with vodka martinis as well as dry-gin martinis. I've read somewhere that they may bring back the original, but I'm not finding it anywhere locally. As alternatives, I've bought Lillet Blanc and Dolin white, but I've not tried them yet. I also bought a Carpano Classico, but I've not cracked that one open either. James Bond's preferred martini, the "Vesper",, calls for a dash of Lillet Blanc, Actually three measures of Gordon's (gin), one measure of Vodka, and a half-measure of Lillet, with a "twist" *(of lemon). "Shaken, not stirred" of course.
The vodka's I've tried lately, are "triple-filtered". I suppose that's some sort of marketing ploy,,,, fact remains that it's now virtually tasteless.
Some of the blended Scotches were never really that great as a sipping whisky, but at least, they were predictable and consistent from bottle to bottle. You could predictably balance a cocktail from a simple recipe. Nowadays,,,, I'm not so sure. Artificial colour,,, chill-filtering,,, inconsistent blends,,,no thanks.