Emilio Lustau Vermut Rojo

Lustau’s red vermouth is a beguilingly spicy, herbal, caramel, cardamon-flavoured example along with other exotics, intensely concentrated, made from a sherry base as would be expected, 80% amontillado and 20% sun-dried Pedro Ximenez. It’s more of an after-dinner sipping vermouth I find – it’s heady, rich and satisfying, and marvelously complex – and as such, it’s not a great cocktail (i.e. Negroni option) – it’s a little too sweet (155 grams/liter of sugar, according to LCBO.com, also arguably too flavourful, to the point is would dominate all other components. Or, just use more sparingly – it will certainly add complexity to whatever mix it’s added. Tasted February 2022. Score – 93. (John Szabo, MS, winealign.com)