Review: Regal Rogue Vermouth, Complete Lineup
Regal Rogue Vermouth (aka RR Vermouth) hails from, of all places, Australia. These are organic products, made from Australian wine and Aboriginal herbs and spices, sourced directly from Aboriginal farmers. Four varieties are on offer, a lot of them flavored with stuff I’ve never heard of. Let’s try them all.
Regal Rogue Vermouth Lively White – A semi-dry vermouth made with unoaked chardonnay and flavored with lemon myrtle, desert limes, finger limes, thyme, elderflower, lemongrass, grapefruit, and chamomile. It’s quite dry on the nose for a bianco-adjacent vermouth, heavy on the lime elements and more bitter than expected, with a green and significant quinine-like finish. It’s missing on balance, but I could see using this in lieu of a dry vermouth. 16.5% abv. B- [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE]
Regal Rogue Vermouth Daring Dry – Extra dry, made with sauvignon blanc with anise myrtle, quandong, thyme, white pepper, gentian, olive leaf, and juniper. Aggressively oxidative, this is a very bitter offering that may challenge the more casual drinker looking for a martini booster, though its elements of green olives, pepper, and green herbs may complement some gins better than others. 18% abv. B [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE]
Regal Rogue Vermouth Wild Rose – Semi-dry. Rose of cabernet sauvignon, with native illawarra plums, rosella, strawberry gum, fruit spice, rhubarb, and kina. This is quite approachable, an approximation of Lillet Rose, featuring notes of rose petals, strawberries (lots of strawberries), and a gentle bitterness weaving in and out. For straight sipping on ice, this is the expression to reach for. It also mixes nicely with white spirits. 16.5% abv. A- [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE]
Regal Rogue Vermouth Bold Red – Semi-dry. Shiraz and unoaked chardonnay with pepper berry, wattle seed, thyme, cinnamon, clove, star anise, nutmeg, ginger, bitter orange, dried fig, and dried cherry. Complex and intriguing, this is closer to sweet than “semi-dry,” with a strong vein of chocolate and spice, atop a lightly (red) winey base. There’s just a hint of licorice on the back end, which pairs nicely with the cinnamon and clove notes. Gentler than most craft sweet vermouths, it drinks well on its own and works great as a mixer. 16.5% abv. A- [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE]
each $20 (500ml) / regalrogue.com
Regal Rogue Vermouth Wild Rose
$20
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