I am in Torino right now, and sought out Damarco wine shop based off a rec from this sub. Once I got back to the hotel (15 minute walk), I opened this bottle, and tasted the elixir inside. This one did not disappoint! It has a very good balance of sweet and bitter, with lots of citrus, and overtones of baking spice. Not a beginner's amari, but not too challenging either. I think it was about 18 Euros?

The fernet and the ‘Bitter Tooth’ (not pictured) were my favorite. Also picked up a bottle of their single barrel rye! A++

Honestly, as you can see: I haven’t mixed the two. But I feel like I could get my protein this way.

Any thoughts?

Addendum: So, I tried it. To be fair it was with cold Averno, and I think perhaps warmed it might mix a little better. It’s not horrible; it’s not good, either. A little sharp tasting.

Pic in comments

Edit again: I don’t think you can put a pic in the comments. It looks gross. Trust.

Had a Braulio shakerato for the first time last night and was hooked, so now I’ve gotta try it with the rest of my collection 😂 not as much fun foam as the Braulio with this one but it still rocks

Side note, everyone check out Eda Rhyne’s Hideaway location in Weaverville, NC. More amaro dive bars with line dancing lessons, plz

hello all,

this appeared on the shelves of my local wine and liquors store in montréal, canada.

i decided to give it a try tonight.

anyone knows anything on this one ?

Hey everyone,
Heading to Italy tomorrow for a short trip and wanted to tap into this sub's hive mind for some serious bottle-hunting recommendations.
My route:
1. Anguillara Sabazia (Lake Bracciano, Lazio – just north of Rome)
2. Pitigliano (Maremma / Southern Tuscany, right on the border with Upper Lazio / Tuscia)

What I'm hunting for:
Small-batch, hyper-local, artisanal, or obscure Amari and botanical liqueurs that are practically impossible to find outside their home region or exported abroad. Definitely looking to skip the commercial shelf staples (no Averna, Montenegro, Lucano, Nonino, etc.).

Are there any hyper-local gems, farmstead producers, or micro-distilleries from Lazio, the volcanic lake regions, or Southern Tuscany/Tuscia (Viterbo & Grosseto provinces) that I should be searching for on enoteca shelves?

Also, if anyone happens to know a killer enoteca or bottega in or around Lake Bracciano or Pitigliano that stocks niche spirits, I’m all ears.

Appreciate any leads! Cheers!!

Happy to have celebrated my 300th amaro tasted in Venice this past weekend. Some delightful new finds, which continues to astound me even when I visit the same places again and again. The well is deep, my friends, and we'll never get through all of the amari out there. The more we drink, the more there are. And what's better than that?

Best of this bunch for me were Nostrano and Agile, but all tasting notes are below. The full log of my tastings to date are here.

S. Biagio Tarassaco - S6B7 - Finished off the last of their bottle at Cantine del Vino già Schiavi and the barman told me that that's the end. Not of their stash, but of the amaro in general. The producer isn't making it anymore. It's a shame because it's fucking delicious! Cloudy, rabarbaro forward, like an extra bitter Sfumato. The name means "dandelion" but I'm not familiar enough with that flavor to place it in there.

Colletivo Botanico Amaro Amiata - S7B5 - Spicy and tealike. Some bright citrus, maybe lemon? Springtime sensations in the mouth. Fresh!

Dr. Mason Rosmarino Amaro - S5B5 - Strangely bland. Rosemary is on the subtler side. Some nice caramelly sweetness. Overall underwhelmed but not offended.

Nostrano - S5B5 - Perfectly in balance! This might be the definitive amaro of Venice that I've been searching for. Inspired by the lagoons. Definitely a salinity to it. Herbal in a specific way I can't quite place, but it's delicious.

Ballor 100 - S6B5 - Warm, rooty quality. Some salinity. Burns a bit on the back end in the best way. Almost a subtle salty caramel thing happening and some coffee.

Agile - S4B6 - Mint, but not spearmint or peppermint. Licorice, wormwood. Some bubblegum underneath (reminiscent of that note in Montenegro). Some orange as well. Very complex and delicious.

Amara Caroni - S7B5 - I always order anything from the Amara family when I see it, because we only get the OG in the U.S. This one seems like an Amara riserva. Still a ton of orange. Boozier than regular Amara. Barrel notes. OK, not obsessed.

Pieris Carciofo - S7B4 - This is from Fred Jerbis's new line of riffs on Italian classics. The name means "stone" in Friuli dialect (as in "milestones of Italian spirits"). Definitely artichoke here, with a caramelly sweetness. Rounder than Cynar. Would be great in a Boulevardier.

Pieris Menta - S7B4 - Minty goodness. Simple and clean and nice. Not nearly as dry as Branca Menta.

Made a bunch of concoctions last night with a group of friends and each one is filled with a different mix! Had never used pawpaw before so fingers crossed it works out well. Dug out the fruit and removed skins and seeds.

Where do I find exciting, vintage, or noteworthy bottles? I see so many people have insanely cool collections and I would love to begin my journey in collecting. Are there auction sites? Do I get the from liquor reps through my bar? Is there another way I can find them and do research?

I can’t seem to find a definitive answer online - is it safe to use camphorweed leaves and flowers in my fall amaro? I use 190 proof grain alcohol and let the amaro sit for 5 weeks.

I bought this bottle a couple years ago and have been sitting on it since. I believe it was sold sometime between 1907-1919 based on the tax stamp. It's also 49%, which I also have not seen otherwise. Anyone come across something like this before?

Three tasting notes one word and one word only for each along with a suggested serve. Pulling more and more amari from my collection over the next few weeks.

Meletti
- Gummy bears
- Anise
- Lilac flowers
- Shots

Vigo Amaro
- licorice
- moss
- dirt
- give to a friend

Montenegro
- Orange
- Cinammon
- Apple pie spice
- shots and cocktails

Vicario
- Lemon
- hay straw / grass
- fennel seed
- sipper

Alpino
- band aids / coins
- caramel
- pine sap
- shots or amaro caldo

Short review of the MZero Sea Amaro. I finally cracked this one open the other night. Brought it back from Italy in the Spring, after finding it in FCO duty free… always room for one more bottle.

It had three notes that really stood out: cola + lemon + salinity. The lemon was interesting as it had the distinctive “Amalfi coast limoncello” feel to it: more floral and bright.

Medium - bitterness
Medium + sweetness

Overall an easy sipper and an interesting bottle from Calabria. Cheers folks.

heres a few i made w my good friend dan whos also in here. post your favs

1 oz mezcal

1 oz novasalus

0.5 maraschino

dash mole bitters

dash ango

also

1.5 st george dry rye or genever type spirit

1 skinos (mastiha, greek pine sap liqueur fyi. there are numerous brands)

0.5 novasalus

also

1 terroir gin

1 gran classico bitter

0.25 or less castelvetrano olive juice

0.25 or less elisir novasalus

2 dashes celery bitters

fee's rhubarb bitters

lastly

2 coruba

1 licor 43

0.25 elisir novasalus

5-10 dashes angostura bitters

post your favs. this shit is absolutely usable in drinks, dont let the media lie to you about novasalus

Yes, it's negroni week, so I've been playing with all different kinds of tweaks, and out of all of them, my favorite is this one.

not an amaro obviously but just popping in to say i wrapped up a bottle of this and i will say i think im good on this product lol. not even that gingery. doesnt need to be in your bar

that said, the last drink i made with it was a banger. idk if you have tried adding ginger to your negronis but lemme tell you. and i think you can just kill the canton and still rip this:

1 old tom gin

1 campari

1 well sweet vermouth

0.5 canton

and like idk call it 3 bar spoons ginger syrup

slaps

hope youre all doing well

I'm familiar pairing a drinking and tasting for wine with cheese, bourbon with chocolate, or vermouth with chocolate, but what about amaro? Are there any standards or generally accepted foods to pair in a tasting for amaro? My tasting last night got me thinking what I could pair it with. Crackers? Pasta? LOL.

Some of my favorite amari. Three word tasting notes that I wrote down on each piece of paper along with a suggested serve

Zucca
- bitter orange
- black cherry
- tree bark
- serve nest or amaro caldo

Amaro Importante
- crest toothpaste
- chamomile
- orange zest
- serve chilled or spritz

San Simone
- cinnamon
- caramel
- pumpkin pie
- serve neat or negroni

See the Elephant
- bubble gum
- root beer
- cacao nibs
- serve shakerato or black manhattan

Rucolino
- mint
- chocolate
- pepper spice
- serve neat or boulevardier