Tosti Giovanni Bosca Cardamaro Vino Amaro Liqueur Piedmont, Italy (750ml)

Critic tasting note: "Tawny almost amber colour, with a green tinge. Very classic Amaro nose of dry wood, spices, dried sweet fruit, almost some grapey hints, and pickled or candied ginger actually. Very nice, very spicy with a lot of character for this style of beverage. Palate is immensely sweet, but I think that this sweetness is nicely backed up by that classic bitterness; it really gives a nice lift. Very persistent on the palate, and I think in the end the bitterness wins over the sweetness, as it finishes dry with tobacco, dry wood, a very discreet spiciness. It’s really good this one! I like it." - 92/100, Andreas Larsson - Tasted

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Cardamaro is a longstanding product of what is today a 4th-generation winemaker in Canelli d’Asti. The primary flavors of Cardamaro are cardoon and blessed thistle, with a short repose in oak for spice and and texture. Drink as a digestif. In cocktails, outstanding with cider, whiskey, or use in place of vermouth.

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This secret family recipe was developed over the last century by the Bosca Family. Using Cardoon, Blessed Thistle, and several other botanicals. This distinguished expression of traditional Piemonte flavors is a wine-based Amaro, a predecessor to the now more common styles of Amari. It is prepared by an infusion of Cardoon, Blessed Thistle, and other botanicals in the estate wine of Bosca, then rested on new oak for at least six months. The recipe originated with the founder of this now 7th generation winemaking family. Appreciation of Cardoon and Blessed Thistle dates back to antiquity and today they remain popular in Piemontese regional cusine.

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Rachele Torlasco Bosca, an herbalist and scholar, created Cardamaro in the 1950s. She was fascinated by the physiological properties of the locally grown cardoon, a thistle-like plant also known as "artichoke thistle". The recipe was refined over time by the family's herbalists, who added 23 more botanicals to the local wine base.