Appearance: Translucent dark amber, with orange edges when held to a bright light. Aroma: Citrus peel, soft herbal and root/bark aromas (sweet liquorice, cinnamon, cassia.). There's a cola note (which is most likely actually chinotto orange) and something dark, mellow and vegetal. Flavour and Texture: Sweet arrival, deep blood-orange and sweet grapefruit zest, sarsparilla, liquorice. Light bitter notes are noticed mid-palate but this is one of the friendliest amari. There is a hint of mocha, or perhaps it's more like sweetened espresso with a dot of liqueur. I love Cynar - full disclosure. It's one of my favourite classic amari (although it's actually a lot younger than some) and it's the one I take most often as a digestif. Now, this artichoke business - let's get that out of the way. Yes, this does contain essence of artichoke. No, it does not particularly taste like it. Whether you love or hate artichoke (how could anyone possibly hate it?) makes no difference. What it provides here is depth, body and an almost invisible vegetal heft without an overt taste. There is a soft, very subtle vegetal quality similar to asparagus or Brussels sprouts, but not quite the same. That probably sounds disgusting to some, but trust me here - it's delicious. The bitterness comes from wormwood, almost certainly, and there may be some gentian and cinchona bark as well, but it is restrained and well balanced, providing a welcome counterpoint to the sweet foundation. Wonderful stuff, and a bargain at the price. Try it neat, over ice or as a substitute for bitters or campari etc in any mixed drink. Hint: It loves both bourbon and gin "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)
About this bottle
Pronounced chee-nar, this Italian digestivo first hit the Italian market in the 1950s. Cynar was founded by Venetian entrepreneur Angelo Valle Molle and is distilled from a blend of 13 herbs, as well as artichoke leaves—the star ingredient from which the amaro gets its name. The unique moniker, which often stumps drinkers, comes from cynarin, a property found in artichokes, and likely also for the vegetable’s botanical name, Cynara scolymus. It is bottled at 16.5% ABV.
How it tastes
Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 23 parsed reviews.
My third favorite amaro of the night, Cynar is known for the artichoke on the bottle. I'm not sure if that scares people away, but if you give it a try you will be pleasantly surprised and no, it doesn't taste like artichoke, it's just one of the thirteen botanicals used to make it. Cynar is bottled at 33 proof, although they do offer a 70 proof bottle nowadays, but I haven't gotten to try that yet. 33 proof is a bit low for me when it comes to drinking it neat, since it comes off as too sweet, but it's not terrible. The nose features oak and lemon peel. On the first sip you may wonder if this is even an amaro, there is almost no bitterness. It's sweet, but not cloyingly so, with some spice, toffee and caramel. The finish lasts a decent while, with absolutely no burn, but it is still a bit too sweet. For being so low in proof I expected worse, but it held its own and doesn't come off as syrupy or too sweet, even when put up against Meletti and Ramazzotti. Cynar definitely makes a solid low ABV drink, however, I find it more useful in cocktails than I do just drinking it on it's own. It doesn't have the backbone to stand up to other amari, but as a cocktail ingredient you can make a lot of unique drinks with it. So I would say, if you plan to drink this neat, consider others, but if you plan to make some cocktails or simple aperitif drinks, then this would be a solid choice.
The Mrs. and I are fortunate that while much of the US is forced into round two of lockdowns for COVID, it is still quite warm here in central Texas and we can still safely do outdoor dining. November is patio weather here, and we were able to go out last night and enjoy a fine Italian meal in Austin. Members of the community here have spoken highly of this bottle, so I ordered it as a digestif at the end of the meal. It’s an alluring nose, with vanilla, herbs, nuttiness, bitter chocolate, and a slight vegetal hint (which went well with the mezcal cocktail I had with dinner). Pleasant follow-up of those flavors on the taste, and for once, I was grateful for the low proof. The finish was the star of this one. A nutty, chocolate, and slightly vegetal aftertaste lingered long after we got home. This was very well balanced IMHO. I enjoyed this more than the Montenegro I tried a few weeks back, and I look forward to trying further Amari. Sálut!
Amari in general is a new pursuit for me, and I’m still learning the regional and botanical variations. That said, Cynar has proven to be one of the better ones I’ve tried. The sweetness at the front is balanced so well with the vegetal finish. I love the color, and I love how it holds its own in a cocktail. Pair it with a funky Jamaican rum and some Dolin Rouge, a couple of dashes of orange bitters. Better than a Negroni.
Nose shows quinine, peppermint, brown sugar, grapefruit, cinnamon, and dried basil. Rich mouthfeel. Palate is quite sweet, mildly bitter, and has more notes of quinine, peppermint, grapefruit, and cinnamon, plus subtle artichoke, fennel, and caramel. Finish is medium-length. Slightly oversweet on its own, but otherwise pleasant. 3.25/5.00 – Quite Good (neat)
One of my favorite amari. Bitter herbal, wood bark, and vegetal base, with cola and a hint of dark chocolate sweetness, delivered in a bitter orange citrus package. Full and rich mouthfeel. Works really well in cocktails.
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