Very interesting. These vermouths have more going on than the ubiquitous Martini & Rossi vermouths.
The French Dry Vermouth is very mild without much in the way of botonicals and spices, just a touch of bitterness in the finish. Otherwise it's much like a dry-ish white wine, but not the dry-est white wine Ive ever tasted.
The Sweet Vermouths were very different and I preferred the Cocchi Storico to the Carpano Antica Formula. The Cocchi Storico started off sweet and then moved into classic baking spices (apple pie, pumpkin pie aka nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, mace, star anise, etc) and finished with a lingering touch of bitterness. Whereas the Carpano Antica kind of maintained one flavor profile from start to finish, it had more bitterness combined with a prominent vanilla flavor. This Carpano Antica is favored for Manhattans and Rob Roys as the vanilla flavor accentuates the vanilla flavors in the whisky from oak barrel aging.
#Vermouth