Averna Amaro

My second favorite amaro out of the five that I tried today. I wouldn't say it's head and shoulders above Cynar and really it's pretty close to a toss up, but I went with this one because it has a bit more bitterness which is what I want from an amaro. Averna is bottled at 64 proof (although I hear it can vary to as low as 58 proof), so right around the sweet spot for where I like my amari. The nose starts with citrus peel and a bit of vanilla, maybe some cola thrown in there. The palate balances the sweetness and the syrupy feel with just enough bitterness, as well as some licorice notes. The finish doesn't last too long, but there is little in the way of burn and you still get that sweetness on the way down. Averna is probably one of the more common amari that you can find, it's in most bars and there are a lot of cocktail recipes that call for it when they are asking for an amaro. For the cost, it has a lot of value. I wouldn't say it's the best sipping amaro out there, it's solid, but combined with it's use in cocktails where it can provide some richness and sweetness, along with a little bitterness and it won't overpower the drink, it's well worth having around. If you plan to drink this by itself, I would say it's more like a 3.5, maybe a 3.75, but for the value and it's use in cocktails, I'll give a 4.

Strange sweetness with slight citrus note. Good with rye whiskey for black Manhattan