Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth

Rating: 19/23 N: This is funky. I get a little bit of sweet red fruit with a bunch of herbal bitterness and a ton of...mascarpone? What is this? It's funky and deep. A dash of orange zest. The bitter herbs almost make this a tiny bit smoky. I really can't describe the herbal flavor, unfortunately, but there's a lot going on. P: Dang, this is funky! It's sweet and tart with red fruit, but also this big, cheesy funkiness. Actually, I'm getting a bit of blueberry and marionberry as well. Some bitter orange. A bit vegetal and fairly herbal with some nice bitter flavors, including a little mint and faint anise.. The bitter funkiness deftly balances the sweetness. Oh, I do taste that mascarpone! Wow, that's an interesting flavor. Some cola for sure, but without the metallic element. There's a ton happening here - far more than in any other rosso vermouth I've tried. This is actually sippable. It's also by far the richest rosso vermouth I've tried. And the most complex and full. It's in that range of "is vermouth supposed to taste like this?", so it's very challenging, but it's engrossing and eventually enjoyable. F: Bitter and still funky less of the sweetness from the fruit, but still some fruit. More on the herbal side. A base layer of mascarpone continues long into the finish. - Conclusion - This is super funky. It's challenging, but it's a good type of challenge. I really dig it. I'm not sure that it's always going to perform well as a mixer, but I'm all for giving it a chance. And just sip it neat if doesn't work for a particular cocktail. I've had a really hard time rating this one - though it's been far from an unenjoyable one. I'm on my second bottle of this. I wish there were a soda as tasty as this. My consistent impression has been that this is at least a 19. I could maybe be convinced that it's an 18. It certainly isn't a 23, but the fact that I needed to stop and wonder about that speaks volumes. It's a terrific mixer as well, though the flavor needs to be matched with the cocktail and drinker. That said, I haven't found it terribly difficult to find cocktails that work well with this. I think I'm going to put this in the 19 to 21 range. Putting this side by side with some bourbons on my shelf (because they're the closest things I have in the appropriate score range to compare), my impression is that it is no 21. Might it be a 20 though? That's a very possible outcome. I'm not confident enough to go up to there though. I could keep tasting this, but I think I need to just give it a 19 and move on with life. I know I'll be buying another bottle at some point, so I'll have another chance to rate it. This tasting is based mostly on sipping this neat. It blows my mind that I can give a vermouth such a high rating neat. If I find a really excellent cocktail to use this in, I'll take that into consideration as well.

Appearance: Brown with deep red and old gold highlights. It looks like a bourbon or sherried whisky. Aroma: Baking spices, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, liquorice a hint of raisin and citrus peel. Flavour and Texture: Elegantly sweet, warming and spicy like mulled wine and akin in some ways to semi-sweet sherry. A touch of vanilla, grape and plum with the merest hint of bitterness in the finish. The bitter note becomes more obvious with repeated sipping. A wonderful vermouth that took me by surprise the first time I tasted it as I had no idea that vermouth could be this good. The profile is like a combination of excellent medium sherry, sarsparilla and mulled claret. It is deep and rich but also light and the palate retains a crisp quality throughout. This is so good it is almost a shame to use it for mixing. I very much enjoy a glass neat (but chilled) and it also makes a very good spritz, particularly with a semi-sweet sparkling wine. For a long time I only used cheaper vermouth and I never got the attraction of the drink, but one taste of this and I was hooked. If you are serious about your mixed drinks that call for sweet vermouth, then use this – that’s all there is to it. It will transform your recipes. I’m not saying this is the “best” vermouth but it stands proudly alongside the finest examples on the top shelf. Like all vermouth it should be used fairly soon after opening as it will oxidise strongly – think of the time frame over which you would keep a vintage port after opening, it’s about the same, but definitely keep this one in the fridge. If you do not think you will get through a bottle then decant some and give it away to friends. “Outstanding” : 90/100 (5 stars)

I recently finished a 375 ml bottle of this excellent vermouth and all of the great things said about this are true. The flavors are amazing and either by itself or in a mixed drink it tastes delicious. The only drawback to this pricey wine is that my turned in only 2 weeks and ended up tasting like burn pencil erasers. I kept it in the refrigerator from the time I bought it and I had made some of the very best Manhattans and a Martinez. However, when I made a Negroni the flavors were not playing well with each other, so I will revisit the recipe again with different gins and maybe Aperol instead of Campari. This stuff is almost the perfect sweet vermouth with the sweetness upfront cut by the bitter herbs. On the nose, you really get the dried fruit like raisins or even dates it is that sweet. The body is full and delicious. I had this neat and on the rocks and they were both nice even though I am not a real wine fan. My only criticism is that mine had such a short shelf life and I do believe that this is worth the price you pay for it. The turned liquid I used to cook with and it added a wonderful flavor to the meat. This is an excellent product that I will continue to buy. Enjoy

For a liter bottle of this vermouth, it will not be cheap (I've only seen it come in a 375ml or 1L bottle). But in my opinion, it is by far the best sweet vermouth out there. It works wonders in cocktails and more than holds its own neat or over ice. Frankly, it makes most sweet vermouths feel thin. On the nose I get some strong herbal notes, along with citrus peel, vanilla and oak. The second you take a sip of this though you feel the richness. It almost tastes like an amaro, with a touch of bitterness and dark cherries. The finish is slightly sweet and lasts longer than most vermouths. Carpano Antica Formula vermouth is the standard bearer when it comes to sweet vermouths. I have other sweet vermouths that I want to try and I'm sure one of them will compete with this, but it's hard to go wrong with this bottle. It will enhance all of your cocktails that call for sweet vermouth (it makes the best Negroni's and Manhattan's) and it actually makes a very tasty drink on its own, especially on the rocks with an orange twist. The price is definitely tough to get past, but I think in this case it's well worth it.

Relatively deep mahogany brown. Caramelly vin santo nose. Not as sugary as expected based on how this one is often described. Offers a pleasing, modest sweetness that plays cherry and vanilla well to the forefront, but I think it presents sweeter than reality because it isn’t tempered by much of any acidic or bitter elements. Bittering agents stay well in the shadows, and the herbal components are present but very subtle. Gentle nutty, cola notes. Extremely well-executed and high-quality, but… perhaps not quite all that interesting? Still, it's good-to-great and makes a knockout “sweet” Manhattan just begging for those amazing candied Italian cherries - Maraschino or Amarena... pick your favorite. Side-by-side with Cocchi and I wouldn’t see a reason to pick this one given how much more expensive it is and surprisingly less complex.

Rich, dense, with a long vanilla and fruity sweetness. My go to cocktail is a Manhattan. Someone told me I should try using this as my sweet vermouth. Bought, tried it, loved it. It adds more nuances to the cocktail than my previous sweet vermouth. Next, I tried it in a Negroni. The Campari, a very bitter spirit, often overpowers most drinks. The Carpano holds its own. You get some fruitiness and vanilla in the Negroni which helps balance the bitterness of the Campari. Of course you pay a premium for this. $15 for 375 ml vs $8 for 750 ml of my other vermouth. I’d say it’s worth it!