Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth

Classic vermouth

Relatively deep mahogany brown. Caramelly vin santo nose. Not as sugary as expected based on how this one is often described. Offers a pleasing, modest sweetness that plays cherry and vanilla well to the forefront, but I think it presents sweeter than reality because it isn’t tempered by much of any acidic or bitter elements. Bittering agents stay well in the shadows, and the herbal components are present but very subtle. Gentle nutty, cola notes. Extremely well-executed and high-quality, but… perhaps not quite all that interesting? Still, it's good-to-great and makes a knockout “sweet” Manhattan just begging for those amazing candied Italian cherries - Maraschino or Amarena... pick your favorite. Side-by-side with Cocchi and I wouldn’t see a reason to pick this one given how much more expensive it is and surprisingly less complex.

My go-to for years

Appearance: Brown with deep red and old gold highlights. It looks like a bourbon or sherried whisky. Aroma: Baking spices, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, liquorice a hint of raisin and citrus peel. Flavour and Texture: Elegantly sweet, warming and spicy like mulled wine and akin in some ways to semi-sweet sherry. A touch of vanilla, grape and plum with the merest hint of bitterness in the finish. The bitter note becomes more obvious with repeated sipping. A wonderful vermouth that took me by surprise the first time I tasted it as I had no idea that vermouth could be this good. The profile is like a combination of excellent medium sherry, sarsparilla and mulled claret. It is deep and rich but also light and the palate retains a crisp quality throughout. This is so good it is almost a shame to use it for mixing. I very much enjoy a glass neat (but chilled) and it also makes a very good spritz, particularly with a semi-sweet sparkling wine. For a long time I only used cheaper vermouth and I never got the attraction of the drink, but one taste of this and I was hooked. If you are serious about your mixed drinks that call for sweet vermouth, then use this – that’s all there is to it. It will transform your recipes. I’m not saying this is the “best” vermouth but it stands proudly alongside the finest examples on the top shelf. Like all vermouth it should be used fairly soon after opening as it will oxidise strongly – think of the time frame over which you would keep a vintage port after opening, it’s about the same, but definitely keep this one in the fridge. If you do not think you will get through a bottle then decant some and give it away to friends. “Outstanding” : 90/100 (5 stars)

I recently finished a 375 ml bottle of this excellent vermouth and all of the great things said about this are true. The flavors are amazing and either by itself or in a mixed drink it tastes delicious. The only drawback to this pricey wine is that my turned in only 2 weeks and ended up tasting like burn pencil erasers. I kept it in the refrigerator from the time I bought it and I had made some of the very best Manhattans and a Martinez. However, when I made a Negroni the flavors were not playing well with each other, so I will revisit the recipe again with different gins and maybe Aperol instead of Campari. This stuff is almost the perfect sweet vermouth with the sweetness upfront cut by the bitter herbs. On the nose, you really get the dried fruit like raisins or even dates it is that sweet. The body is full and delicious. I had this neat and on the rocks and they were both nice even though I am not a real wine fan. My only criticism is that mine had such a short shelf life and I do believe that this is worth the price you pay for it. The turned liquid I used to cook with and it added a wonderful flavor to the meat. This is an excellent product that I will continue to buy. Enjoy

Best sweet vermouth I’ve ever tried. Perfect fruity vanilla taste, lovely aroma.