Review: Starlino Rose Aperitivo and Rosso Vermouth
Review: Starlino Rose Aperitivo and Rosso Vermouth
Starlino is a new brand of aromatized wines — and cherries, which we previously reviewed — hailing from Turin, Italy. Today we look at two of Starlino’s wine-based offerings, a sweet vermouth and an unusual pink aperitivo wine that’s great for mixing. (An orange-centric aperitivo was not sent for review.)
Starlino Rose Aperitivo – “A zesty and complex citrus forward blend of Italian Pink Grapefruit, Lemon and Orange with an intriguing bittersweet botanical distillation.” Additional ingredients include raspberry, strawberry, wormwood, elderflower, and coriander. Immediately punchy with notes of sweetened grapefruit, a floral element quickly emerges — elderflower on further inspection — with notes of fresh red berries coming along soon after. The finish finds a mild bitterness, but it feels driven more by grapefruit peel than the wormwood in the mix, with citrus peel lingering. This will work as a delightful mixer with Prosecco, soda, or any other sparkling product. 17% abv. A- / $25 [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE]
Starlino Rosso Vermouth – “A classic Vermouth di Torino made from a blend of Italian wines and blended with a careful selection of botanicals including wormwood, bitter orange and cloves before it is aged in bourbon barrels for six months to give a rich, spicy, vanilla flavour.” This does come across like a classic sweet vermouth, bittersweet and lightly oxidized, with distinct notes of orange peel and some macerated red berry elements. There’s not really any evidence of bourbondom in the mix here, although a light, bittersweet chocolate note percolates on the finish. Deftly balanced, this would stand solidly as the sweet vermouth in just about any cocktail. 17% abv. A- / $25 [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE]
Starlino Rosso Vermouth
$25
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