Appearance: Dark brown, almost black. Very like the appearance of black coffee. Aroma: Charred wood, bitumen, liquorice, orange peel, aniseed. Flavour and Texture: Sweet arrival with a burnt-cola, toffee and chocolate quality. Background notes of orange zest and cinchona. Deep and mouthcoating. Zucca has a similarity to some of the “alpine” amari such as Braulio, but it is not as herbal, and it is also similar to Cappelletti's Rababaro Sfumato, but that amaro is a lot smokier. The keystone ingredients here are extract of Rheum palmatum (which gives it an asphalt-like smoky note) plus sweet liquorice and orange oil. It also bears a resemblance to Cynar but it does not have as much complexity as that amaro and the stage here is very much dominated by the star ingredient. Good as a digestif, particularly good if warmed slightly and served with a slice of lemon or orange as a winter warmer. The only thing about Zucca that I dislike is its tendency to become cloying or overly sweet after a while. As an amaro it measures fairly low on the bitterness scale which makes it more immediately accessible but less compelling over time. It's not an amaro I buy frequently but I have had several bottles over the years so there is definitely something attractive about it. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)
About this bottle
The recipe for Zucca Rabarbaro dates back to 1845 when a doctor prescribed rhubarb and medicinal herbs to Tilde Zucca to aid her digestion. Her husband Ettore decided to add alcohol to the concoction. It became quite popular in cafes as an aperitif in Milan among other European cities. In the early 1900s, a descendant of Ettore, Carlo, established the Zucca Company to bring the product to shelves. Rabarbaro is Italian for "rhubarb" and is the only disclosed ingredient by the brand. The rhubarb root is sourced from the Gansu province in China. Note: In Spring 2016, this product got an updated label and recipe upping the proof from 30 to 60.
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 6 parsed reviews.
Similar profile to me of an amaro like, say, Cynar, but with clear notes of rhubarb adding a subtle fruitiness throughout. Also a little smokiness in there on the nose and back end. Won’t be my go to amaro, but is quite pleasant and will be a nice change of pace during summer months.
Good to mix as a 0.5 added. Pretty strong. Not overly rhubarb but delicious. Can make it with a 1:1:1.
Perfect combo of smoky fruit and cola-esque amaro flavor. A lovely after dinner sipper.
Bitters a top notch. Beautiful favors
Yum. Sweet mild syrup rhubarb amaro
Tastes like this
Closest flavor profiles across the whole catalog.
