Campari

Rating: 14/23 N: It smells bitter. Like amaro, but on the fruity side. It definitely has that bitter mintiness that makes me think of Fernet Branca though. It's kind of that plus some sort of tart but sweet and full red fruit and citrus. I felt like it was more complex when I first tasted it, but I guess that's all I've managed to pick out here. From a distance, the complex herbaceousness of Fernet Branca wafts out, but honestly, I can't quite put my finger on the particular notes. P: Viscous with a sugary note up front, but immediately the intense bitterness asserts itself with a lot of mint and some other herbal characteristics. Some fruit comes trough to try to explain the sweetness, but it doesn't entirely succeed. I definitely get grapefruit zest, but I also get some less pronounced red fruit flavor (probably cherry). It isn't bad, but it is very opinionated and isn't terribly complex (though it certainly isn't entirely just bitter and fruit). It does make me think of Fernet Branca with some fruit and sugar added, to be sure. The menthol character of the mint is far reduced here and the strong bitterness is played up though. I think that this palate has more going on and I enjoy it more, but I can't say for sure that I think it is more balanced. I appreciate that there isn't alcohol showing through here, but I guess with all of the flavor here, that would be pretty hard to have happen. I think I might be tasting the red dye though and that's pretty hard to look past. It's sort of a bitter, oily, lightly chemical and meaty flavor if that makes any sense? F: That bitterness sure lingers and it even starts developing a faint skunkiness. The fruit stays to some extent, but the bitterness is most dominant and the sugar recedes until it tastes more plausibly like a part of the fruit flavor. It's an acceptable finish, though I do still get some red dye flavor. Overall, I guess this serves a purpose. It isn't something I enjoy on its own and it is also kind of challenging in a drink, but I certainly don't hate it and I definitely could drink it on its own (though I wouldn't love to do that). This has that classic amaro bitterness that is the pillar supporting Fernet Branca, but it adds in some fruit. I just don't think it does an excellent job at that. While Campari is more complex on the nose, Fernet Branca is more complex on the palate and has a nice subtlety as well, so I can kind of see myself drinking Fernet Branca neat (in small amounts). Campari just kind of has a couple of flavors that it shouts: bitter and fruit. That's sort of good for mixing, but really what I want is to have two separate liqueurs so that I can control the ratio of fruit to bitterness. That's kind of what rosso vermouth does when paired with this, but it's sure an awkward and indirect approach. I'd be interested to see what could be accomplished by mixing Fernet Branca and Luxardo instead. It's at least a 12 for sure. I appreciate all of the flavor here and I guess that it does have its place. A 16 seems like the limit for this one given its strong bitterness and lack of complexity, but that's really pushing it. This does at least consistently seem like it is satisfying its basic duty as an amaro though. The problem I've really come up against here is that this is neither a liqueur like Chartreuse Green that is subtle and enjoyable right out of the bottle nor a one-note liqueur like Cointreau that adds just a nice little enhancement to many cocktails. There are just a few cocktails that use this and while I do enjoy a good boulevardier, I always find myself wishing that I could tweak the Campari flavor. I almost decided to go with a 13 and then I almost decided to go with a 15 I ultimately landed on a 14 because of its the tension between its red dye flavor and its deserved place in a small number of cocktails, most notably the boulevardier. It seems far from perfect or irreplaceable, but it works. This is certainly a challenging liqueur.

Appearance: Bright cochineal red. No particulates. Aroma: Orange peel, grapefruit peel, bouquet garni. Dusty herb drawer. Flavour and Texture: Intitally sweet then turning mildly bitter with chinotto orange, grapefruit skin and pith, cinchona bark and bitter aloes. There is an earthy, peppery lift at the end of the palate and the texture is full but drying. Gentian and petit wormwood are both detectable in the aftertaste. Amazing, over 900 reviews and I’ve never rated Campari. How remiss of me. Campari is an iconic drink ingredient and a benchmark for bitters. Even if it is not your favourite bitter aperitivo I bet you still use it as a comparison point for the one you do favour. It’s that classic. The palate carries more bitterness than you may think at first – taste it neat and wait a few minutes and you’ll see what I mean. The flavour develops with time and there is a signature dusty quality to both the nose and palate that intensifies when it is diluted (it's this dusty herbaceous note that teams so well with whisky). It has limitless uses in cocktails but it is in combination with bourbon or rye where this aparitivo truly sings. Something about the pairing of sweet whiskey and bitters just works. It’s like the pairing of gin and tonic – a drink for the ages. It’s actually not my favourite aparitivo (Cappalletti earns that award) but it is a very good one. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Rating: 15/23 Having tried this one a bit more in cocktails now (to the point that I've killed the bottle, I've found that theresignificantly many cases in which the string flavors here are beneficial because the really stand out. That red food coloring can often be overpowered, especially when the proportion of Campari is reduced. I'm not sure this is the best choice for a negroni, but with some powerful whiskey I like how it doesn't seem to water the flavor down and it adds a new dimension that avoids getting too muddled. I'm still not a big fan, but I like it a little better than I did previously. I think I'll give it a 15 now. Not a bad choice, but I'll keep searching for better alternatives.

Besides obvious use in Negroni cocktail, Campari can also turn any good dry red wine into a sparkling bright refreshing summer drink. Just mix together 1 part Campari, 3 parts dry red wine, 4-6 parts fizzy water, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and plenty of ice. Sophisticated summer fun, with an alcohol content as low or lower than beer, for responsible sipping and staying hydrated in the sun. Loses half a star for using synthetic red food dye that studies have shown causes behavioral and cognitive problems in vulnerable individuals. I suspect they'll switch to a less problematic red dye before long, maybe back to the old carnitine one made from bug exoskeleton that Campari originally used.

The color is bright red. Orange and spice on the nose. It’s very bitter and herbal on the palate. And then you get the sweet. It’s kind of warm and dry and the spices stay with you for a little bit. Overall, I love Campari, just not neat. It’s a fantastic complement in a number of classic cocktails like the Negroni, Americano, and Boulevardier. And it adds so much too many others also. It’s even enjoyable over ice with soda and a citrus wedge. I think everyone should have a bottle of Campari on their shelf

Thin, bright Kool-aid red. Medicinal cherry, freezer burn, orange rind, mint, sandlewood and maybe even a bit of something nutty. Quite viscous with a near perfect balance between sweet and earthy bitterness. It is less bright and less sharp than Aperol, which makes sense why the latter works well for a spritz. I think this might fall a bit flat in a spritz but goes well with whiskey, gin and possibly even mezcal.