Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Rating: 19/23 I've never attempted to rate bitters before. While some spirits and cocktail components aren't intended for neat consumption, bitters are in a category all their own. I fully anticipate my typical rating method to falter and to ultimately settle on a simple approval or disapproval. Still, I'll proceed, if only for the potential for amusement. Nose: Herbal, bitter, orange peel, bergamot, tea that's been steeped too long, menthol, hints of baking spices, and perhaps a touch of licorice. I detect some alcohol, but I'm quite sure it won't be noticeable given the small amount used in mixing. Adding a drop of water (which here constitutes about half the liquid volume) amplifies the baking spices, with prominent clove and candied ginger, alongside more discernible cinnamon and possibly allspice. It shifts from predominantly bitter and austere to slightly sweeter, evoking a Christmastime feeling, specifically like Christmas cake. Palate: Bergamot, over-steeped tea, menthol, orange peel, candied ginger, baking spices (especially clove and cinnamon). It mirrors the nose closely, but tasting only a milliliter or so causes the palate experience to pass by quickly. Nevertheless, there are many enjoyable flavors present, with good balance and complexity. Finish: Over-steeped tea, clove, and menthol. It's numbing. In the extended finish, there's even a hint of minerality. This is the sole aspect I find disagreeable. The closest I've come to drinking bitters neat previously was with absinthe or Fernet Branca, the latter being more similar. This offering is significantly more potent in flavor, considerably more complex and palatable than Fernet Branca, with less mint. I wouldn't particularly desire to drink this straight (nor is it advised), primarily due to the finish. The aroma and taste are actually quite pleasant on their own. The finish isn't bad either, but its numbing quality and excessive bitterness/mintiness make me hesitant to embrace it fully, even in a cocktail. Ultimately, I've incorporated this into numerous cocktails and generally found it enhances bland or somewhat bland bitter/fruity drinks with a nice touch of complexity. It's not a guaranteed success every time, but adding this is about as close to adding salt to a dish for cocktail mixing as I've found, so it belongs in your bar. Thumbs up. To assign a numerical score, I estimate it falls within the upper teens. Rating this is quite challenging as I have limited comparative references. The finish is rather mediocre, placing it likely between 10 and 13. However, the nose and palate are genuinely enjoyable: certainly no less than 16, potentially as high as 20. Thus, I'm working with broad ranges here, two distinct ones. I wouldn't say more than a milliliter or so is drinkable neat, but that's not the intended use. It serves as an excellent accent in many mixed drinks, and I won't penalize it for not being a perfect ingredient in every application. Considering I was (surprisingly) inclined to give a small amount neat a score around 16, it's hard to view this as less than a 17 or 18 for mixing purposes. Honestly, in a completely arbitrary decision, I'd say it's around a 19. I do find the clove and mint can sometimes be a bit too dominant, overshadowing the other excellent flavors present. It doesn't exactly astound me either, but it's a superb addition to many cocktails.

I recently learned how great this is mixed simply with soda water. The aroma has spicy orange and grapefruit peel, cinnamon, and allspice. It possesses all the qualities of a complex amaro, with bitterness, spiciness, and bright citrus. I've always enjoyed this in old fashioneds, but now I see its merit on its own. A bit in some soda makes a perfect drink for those times you must be "a responsible adult".

These bitters have a marvelous aroma with sweet and spicy notes. It offers a sweet scent of cane sugar with a distinct citrus note of orange zest. The spice is reminiscent of anise, allspice, and cloves. The bitters are precisely that: bitter. However, a careful taster might detect a floral flavor alongside the taste of roots. It has an earthy flavor and is excellent enjoyed in Manhattans.

This is 45% alcohol by volume??? I never considered its alcohol content before. I haven't tried it on its own until now. It's surprisingly not bad. It has a gingerbread-like flavor profile with abundant molasses, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Costs $10 in Ontario.

A renowned and classic bitter, excellent at its job. It has an almost medicinal scent with notes of molasses and clove, plus some more earthy notes on the finish.

Without bitters, especially in today's world, cocktails simply don't exist. Angostura, in particular, paved the way for many classic drinks to be invented.