what amaro should I try next?

[antimony]

I've been slowly trying my way through various amaros (for sipping neat and/or cocktail usage), and I was wondering what I should try next. Some impressions of amaros and other herbal liquors to show my preferences:

Averna: candy-sweet, but good in cocktails. A little too sweet for me most of the time by itself.
Ramazotti: I like Averna slightly better, but it's very similar.
Luxardo: I...don't remember what I thought of it? I think I liked it a little better than the Averna because it wasn't quite as sweet, but haven't seen it available since the one bottle I bought.
Meletti amaro: the only one I've really disliked -- maybe it was the saffron? I actually dumped the end of the bottle because I just wasn't drinking it.
Cynar: currently my favorite as a digestif -- sweet, but not overwhelmingly so.
Aperol: lovely in soda water in summer, don't tend to drink it neat
Campari: just plain awesome -- like it in cocktails, neat, in soda, everywhere.
Green Chartreuse: a little too anise-y for me, but I like it in cocktails when in the right mood

So what should I try next? I'm not super big on mint or anise flavors.

[prio girl]

Have you tried Amaro Montenegro (my favorite)....

[antimony]

Whoops, chow put my comment in the wrong place -- I haven't, but I'll put it on the list, thanks!

[prio girl]

Let me know what you think - cin cin!

[davis_sq_pro]

I do not recommend Montenegro for this case. Reason being that Montenegro is perhaps the sweetest and least bitter amaro available, and the OP mentioned that Averna--which is significantly more robust--is too sweet.

I also find Montenegro to have a weird chemical aftertaste, but perhaps that's just me.

[prio girl]

Oh, that's interesting. I'm not big on sweet flavors but I do prefer Montenegro because of it's mellow and fragrant taste. I never noticed any chemical aftertaste.

I have a few amari, including http://www.cappellettinovasalus.it/?p...
Amaro Trentino by Dr. Cappelletti - it is very herbal. I don't know if it's available here in the States, mine was a gift from relatives in Italy.

[EvergreenDan]

Chartreuse isn't really an amaro because it isn't bitter. It is herbal.

Luxardo makes three. "Bitter" is red and Campari-like. "Abano" has a strong black pepper flavor, and makes interesting cocktails. And a Fernet (see below).

And that Meletti makes an interesting flip. I think you gave up too soon.

See if you can find Nonino. It is similar to Averna, but much less sweet and higher alcohol. It is grappa base, and a bit on the expensive side.

Ramazzotti is very useful in cocktails and pretty widely available. Despite having something of a cola flavor, it is very good. A bit sweet for sipping, probably.

Very hard to find, but both Sibilia and dell'Erborista are very high quality, very expensive, very bitter, and very good.

And then there's Fernet Branca (or Luxardo or other Fernet-style amari), which is an important cocktail ingredient. It has a heavy menthol flavor, so I like it mostly in small doses.

If you like Campari, Gran Classico is similar, but more floral. It is interesting and worth seeking out. Use it where you would use Campari.

--
www.kindredcocktails.com | Craft + Collect + Concoct + Categorize + Community

[davis_sq_pro]

Dan, after the prior thread on this I've visited the parking lot of Liquor World in Porter on three occasions, hoping to get bottles of Sibilia and dell'Erborista. All three times I've given up after circling for 10 minutes or so. That place is a complete zoo. Any other local sightings?

[EvergreenDan]

What!! I've never, ever, been unable to find a spot. You driving a Hummer?

There is also parking behind the building next door where Pier One used to be. It's for shopping in that building, so be sure to, uh, buy a taco from Anna's Taqueria.

There are also meters on Mass Ave. If you head toward Arlington, you will eventually find a spot. You may have to walk a little.

No, I have not noticed it elsewhere.

[antimony]

That's why I said impressions of "bitters and other herbals" -- mostly I wanted to give an impression of my level of anise tolerance. Fernet and its brethren would probably be too menthol-y for me.

The Meletti had an overwhelming rubbing-alcohol scent to me; the rest of the flavor wasn't enough to find ways to mix it to get rid of that. Maybe I'll try it in a bar at some point to see if I had a bad bottle.

The Luxardo was the Abano -- I liked it, I just couldn't remember exactly what it was like, but black pepper reminded me.

I'll look for the Nonino and the Gran Classico next, I think. Thanks!

(And apparently I should drop by Porter Square to do so. As I don't have a car, I won't have trouble finding parking.)

[monopod]

Weird, I definitely wouldn't say Meletti has a rubbing alcohol scent - it's sweet and almost chocolaty to me. It took me a while to get into it, but now it's a favorite (I add a bit to manhattans, along with some mole bitters, to make a "chocolate manhattan" - doesn't really taste like chocolate but evokes it somehow). Try another taste at a bar!

[EvergreenDan]

I too get chocolate from Meletti. More of a gestalt of chocolate. Try using it where you see Creme de Cacao. It's not my favorite, but it is fairly widely available and quite different from other "pie spice" amari.

--
www.kindredcocktails.com

[antimony]

I really think there must have been something off about the bottle I had, then, since it was very bland aside from the cheap alcohol esters.

I did, however, manage to take both the explicit and implicit suggestion and dropped by Porter Square last night -- wow, I hadn't realized how nice of a selection they have. I associate that store with cheap wine, as that's what I bought there when I was a broke grad student and it was closer to where I lived.

I picked up the Nonino (and a bottle of Laird's Bottled In Bond). I only had a sip -- didn't really want a drink when I got home, but did want to taste it, and I really like how not-sweet it is. At the price I'll keep it for when I want amaro neat rather than in a cocktail.

They had the Gran Classico, too, but there's only so much room in the liquor cabinet; I'll pick it up some other time.

[antimony]

Nope! I will put it on the list.

[JMF]

I like Gran Classico a lot. I actually have a bottle on a shelf above my desk so I can have a wee sip every now and then to settle my stomach, or liven my day. The flavor is great, but at times the extremely long bitter finish can be a bit much. in cocktails it really shines.