Dolin Rouge Vermouth

Rating: 15/23 N: Sweet, spicy, rich, kind of fruity and tart. It smells like a rouge vermouth, but definitely a good example. There's that classic herbal bitter funk going on. P: Sweet, rich, spicy, a bit savory. Bitter with some herbal characteristics and light licorice. It's quite sweet, but still very balanced and nicely complex. At first taste, I liked this a lot better than Dolin Dry, but now I think they're a lot closer together. I get a faint confectioner's sugar flavor here, but it isn't a problem. The fruit is reddish, but difficult to place. F: Sweet, fruity, a bit bitter, lightly herbal. Still surprisingly sweet. - Conclusion - This seems like the best rouge vermouth that I've tried so far. I wish it were more robust while maintaining this complexity. Still, I'm looking at at least a 13. 16 would be the max. I'm landing on 15. Done.

Dolin dry is probably my favorite dry vermouth out there. At the very least, it's the best value and a mainstay at my home bar. As for Dolin rouge, I would say it's decent enough, but nowhere near as strong as some others. The nose kind of reminds me of Martini & Rossi's sweet vermouth, with allspice and currants. It is pretty thin on the palate, with spice and caramel. The finish has no burn and is sweet with just a bit of bitterness. This bottle is more of a run-of-the-mill sweet vermouth. It's not offensive, it just isn't that interesting. It is pretty cheap however, and if I had to choose this or Martini & Rossi I would lean towards this, but it's nowhere near as good as Carpano Antica and I'm not even sure it's as good as another cheap option in Cinzano.

I’m just learning about Vermouth as a category and its versatility as an ingredient in cocktails. I tried this on its own and found it intriguing but slightly thin and underwhelming. I also get the oregano note that’s mentioned in the official tasting. Not something I’d sip on. BUT. This really livens up any spirit. I mixed a Manhattan at home this afternoon with a few dashes of bitters, an ounce of this and 2 ounces of Willet CS rye and it was a beautiful thing. Rather than masking the rye, the vermouth notes heightened the spiciness of the rye and added a substantive fruity layer to the drink. This will be a fun bottle to continue experimenting with. If you e got any suggestions on what else to do with it, I’m all ears. Cheers.

As a guy from Piedmont and a die-hard vermouth aficionado, my taste is obviously set towards the flavor profile of Vermouth di Torino. So you can imagine how Dolin Rouge caught me off guard with a totally different character than Italian's most famous PGI: much drier than Italian vermouth, I'd say less full-bodied in a very positive way, with a stunning aroma and a pleasant acidity that reminds of non-fortified wine and makes it dangerously easy to drink. Two big thumbs up, I can't wait to see how it works in classic cocktails calling for sweet Italian vermouth to give them a more floral vibe.

Aromas of sweet grape juice. Some winter spices. Flavors as expected. Very sweet. Very wine like. A little cloying. Actually nice to sip on.

French, not Italian (as overview review stated). Clean fruit wine flavor, lighter body and less bitter than some. Good for mixing cocktails.