Martini & Rossi Rosso Vermouth

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word vermouth is cocktails. Martini & Rossi Rosso is one of, if not the most well-known, sweet vermouths out there and for $10, if not less, it's a pretty good value. The nose is spicy, with pepper, dried citrus peel and bay leaf. It's definitely the best part about the vermouth. The palate is very thin and pretty sweet with some raisin and anise notes. The finish is pretty short, with a touch of oak and pepper and no burn. I would probably forgo drinking this neat and stick to cocktails. It's not bad, there are just better sweet vermouths out there for drinking neat or on the rocks. The value though is hard to beat, so having it around to make a manhattan or a negroni isn't a bad idea (although there is better one's for those cocktails as well if you are willing to spend the money). In the end, it works well in cocktails and average at best neat.

Although this is a cheaper vermouth, it’s surprisingly good. It has a red grape sweetness with some herbal tones (oregano, rosemary, thyme) and a touch of wormwood bitterness. It’s not complex, but still quite pleasant and jammy. Although I still prefer Antica, it isn’t always easy to find, and this can be found everywhere. It’s good enough to mix with top shelf whiskies and makes a really solid Manhattan. Tasty stuff.

It’s a step up from the bottom shelf stuff that I had before, but honestly this smells like wine that’s had pencil shavings steeped in it. It works well in rye and bourbon cocktails (where the spice fits in) but actually makes a worse negroni than the bottom shelf stuff imo. The Martini dry vermouth is perfectly pleasant so I’m scratching my head as to why this is so bizarre.

I’m not a Manhattan person, but I love a Negroni or a boulevardier. M & R is pretty ubiquitous in liquor stores across the country. Sour and tart on the nose. Has a decent balance of sour and sweet on the palate. Not a top tier vermouth with anything extra but a solid budget/mid level option.

On the nose, notes of balsamic reduction, chamomile, quinine, tobacco, and candied orange. Rich mouthfeel. On the palate, more quinine, candied orange, and balsamic reduction – plus more chamomile and distinct star anise on the sweet, short-medium finish. 3.00/5.00 – Good (neat)

Another standard classic, and I can’t atom mad at it. Definitely not something I’d recommend to drink by itself, this sweet vermouth certainly serves as a component of explanation for why a Manhattan has been my favorite cocktail for years.