Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino

I have seen this vermouth on the shelf at my local store for a while now but never pulled the trigger. I have really enjoyed the Cocchi Americano but for some reason, I never tried this until now. I opened the bottle last night and made one of the best if not the best Manhatten I have ever tried and this is the reason. In a glass, the vermouth is dark tea or reddish-brown in color. The is soft chocolate and bitter notes but they intermingle wonderfully with the first sip. The body is full but not overwhelming with bitterness and the finish is medium with sweet and bitter notes changing places in my mouth. For the price, this is one of the best vermouths on the market today. The only thing I am not sure of is how fragile it is as I have had Carpano Antica go bad after just a few weeks I do not know how long this will last. But I will have plenty of Manhanttens and Negronis during that time. I am looking forward to having friends come over and try this it really is outstanding. Enjoy!

Way too sweet and way too much vanilla for me. Takes over any cocktail I've used it in, and not to the drink's benefit IMO.

Medium brown. Orange, cola, raisin, and hint of menthol and bitter roots on the nose. The palate is the nose, amplified. I can’t escape the notion of a cherry coke, but sweetened only with pressed raisins. A relatively thin body, considering the weighty appearance. The sweet fruits and vanilla start, then turn to raisin/port, then the mint notes and bittering agents take over, finally coming full circle to off-sweet citrus, cherry and vanilla to linger and dance with a gentle bitterness. The sugar is just right on this, and the flavors are complex but cohesive. Great value for a higher quality vermouth. Side-by-side with Carpano Antica, and I’d select this one for the more interesting bitter notes and is only 60% of the price.