Cappelletti Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro

Appearance: Umber brown with gold edges. Cloudy and opaque with a slightly chalky look, but the fine particulate matter does not negatively impact the texture. Aroma: Earth, damp aged wood and root extracts. Sarsparilla, cedar planks, Latakia tobacco. There's an immediate smoky aroma, but it's not like peat smoke or a campfire. It's more akin to lightly charred barbecued vegetables. Flavor: Sweet smoky rhubarb, as if the plant had been grilled with a sweet marinade over mesquite wood. Licorice root, herbal tea, bitter citrus peel. The sweetness lessens during its development but doesn't become overly bitter or sour, settling into a balanced dryness in the finish with a smoky herbal aftertaste. Sweet, but less so than other rabarbaros I've tried (for example, Zucca is much more syrupy). This amaro possesses a pleasant dryness and smoky strength that distinguishes it from other examples in this category. Enjoyable as a digestif, in which role it does seem to aid digestion. If the bitterness is too intense, try adding an orange slice. I haven't tried this in mixed drinks, but I believe a half teaspoon could be an interesting addition to almost any drink that uses sweet vermouth as an ingredient, as it would provide a pleasing background texture and balancing dryness. “Very Good”: 85/100 (4 stars)

A powerful scent emerges immediately from the bottle; no need to even smell it. While it leans towards pungent, there's an interesting quality to it. Earthy notes, bitter roots, medicinal hints, some citrus, and the smell of ash from a campfire extinguished by rain. It's not phenolic like a peated scotch, but rather "evocative" of smoke. It's not inherently bad, but it doesn't stand out as a positive either. Undeniably unique. Unusually hazy. Most liqueurs are clear, regardless of their dark color, but this one is milky and opaque—a chalky, chocolate brown. It's not inherently bad, but it doesn't stand out as a positive either. Undeniably unique. An above-average sweetness starts the palate, quickly revealing hints of smoked vegetation and a rich, molasses-like pumpernickel rye, then rides a growing wave of bitterness throughout the mouth that lingers for minutes. Rhubarb, naturally, but not like your grandma's pie (perhaps your nonna's, though). Cola. Oregano. Citrus. Menthol. Walnut. Toothpaste. Cocoa. Fennel. Explicitly: not bad, and it becomes more appealing as you understand how it all connects... that's the selling point. Undeniably unique.

I suspect I'm in the minority here, but I'm not a big fan of this. Perhaps I received a flawed batch, but this seems very unfocused. The aroma is minty, with some rhubarb. I also detect something I can only describe as moldy. That might just be me, though. The palate is dominated by smoke, almost like burnt rhubarb with significant bitterness. The finish is rather short with a slight burn. I really didn't enjoy this neat, but surprisingly I do like it in cocktails. I would rate this a 2/2.25 neat, but it's unique enough in cocktails (only where it enhances rather than leads) that I'm going to raise it to a 2.75. I have a feeling, however, that it might just be me who doesn't really like it neat.

The nose has a lovely smokiness, but the palate is disappointingly weak in smoke presence. The subdued smoke is my primary critique; otherwise, this amaro blends some of my favorite botanicals – rhubarb, gentian, cinchona, and wormwood. Beautiful rhubarb notes lead, with an underlying fruitiness and an almost chocolate character. A personal favorite.

I adore Amaros, especially the more unconventional ones. This one, a free pour (or two) generously provided by the manager of one of my favorite Italian restaurants, was right up my alley, as the locals might say. Rhubarb is present upfront, followed by a hint of smoke. It's sweeter than it is bitter and worked well as an after-dinner drink. If you like Cynar, you'll enjoy this.

I still absolutely adore this offering. Compared to the overly sweet Nardini Virtu di Rabarbaro, this one finally offers some smoky depth. Most importantly, it's an intense rhubarb flavor with fitting bitterness at the end.