Fernet-Branca

Nose - menthol, licorice, black cherry, chamomile, cardamom, floral and herbal spice I don’t have the vocabulary to identify, low ethanol burn. Taste - menthol, spearmint, cardamom, chocolate, chamomile, licorice, more of those elusive herbal and floral notes, mild alcohol bite, finishing long, minty, and naturally sweet. This is very interesting. The mouthwash sensation is definitely present. Not sure I would reach for it again, but the sipping experience was pleasant.

Appearance: Transparent black-brown. Like a cup of weak drip-filter coffee. Against a strong light or a white background it's more like dark sienna. Aroma: Menthol, peppermint, incense resin (frankincense, myrrh), pyrethrum daisies, licorice root. Flavour and Texture: On arrival, at the front of the mouth, Fernet is quite sweet with a deep earthy herbal quality. However almost instantly an intense mentholated mint note develops which, if you are not used to this liqueur, will seem disarmingly like mint-flavoured toothpaste. This is followed by a bitter tang that betrays the presence of gentian, quinine and bitter aloes. The palate is very long and singular, but after a while it gains an earthy sweetness that is like bittersweet sarsparilla. The texture is full but not syrupy. Fernet is an acquired taste. Boy, is it an acquired taste. On first acquaintance you *will* compare it to cough drops, toothpaste, mouthwash - in fact anything that is overwhelmingly minty and herbal. It's not unlike spearmint flavoured Fisherman's Friend cough lozenges with added bitterness. That probably sounds awful and if you do taste this and recoil in horror don't worry because you are in good company - most people dislike it the first time. However this genuinely is an acquired taste. The classic way to take Fernet-Branca is neat as a digestif. It can also be used as the bitter note in cocktails but a little goes a very long way and it is nowhere near as adaptable as other amari because it always takes charge. In Argentina they drink Fernet & Coke which is pleasant, and if you also add some orange bitters and a slice of orange it becomes vaguely like chinotto. Personally my preferred way to take it is as a very small amount added to highly sweetened Greek coffee. “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)

Bitter, herbal and minty aftertaste. Unlike anything else. Asking for it neat at a good bar will earn you respect for the craft (and may make it easier to get drinks later once it's busy)

Nice mix of bitter herbs and menthol. My favorite way to use it is with gin and green chartreuse.

This tastes like a cough drop. The menthol is unbelievably forward. The finish is grossly bitter. There's a bit of sweetness and unplaceable herbal character here, but it is mostly menthol. There is just enough herbal character to make it taste like cough drops rather than breath mints, but that is mostly a disappointment. The herbal notes make it taste like Jagermeister mixed with creme de menthe, but in no way good. At least there are no weird alcohol flavors here ruining things. A bit of licorice, a tad of salt, and a hint of wood hang out in the herbal elements. The depth eventually becomes clear and the finish avoids objectively bad flavors, but it still tastes like cough drops. There is some interesting smoke and a bit of sweetness, but the flavor is mostly menthol so this is a really hard drink too palate.