Carpano Sweet Vermouth
by F. Sot Fitzgerald
Magnificent.

Shall I end my review there?

I suppose not.  But that is the nut of what I think about Carpano sweet vermouth.  Carpano comes from Italy, imported by Branca Products of New York City.  It's 16.5% alcohol, though you wouldn't know it when you drink it. 

Carpano is a vermouth like none other I've tasted.  Pour it and you see that it is caramel-brown colored, not ruby red like many other vermouths.  Carpano is rich, viscous, and loaded with botanicals. 
When I sipped it I could taste licorice, toffee, mint, rock candy, and I could tell there were other flavors that I just couldn't put my finger on.  This is a vermouth that you should gleefully drink straight, at room temperature. 

If you have a date or lover who you would like to surprise and impress, grab a bottle of Carpano and pour this person three or four ounces as a pre-dinner aperitif or a post-dinner dessert wine.  Some might object to this suggestion on the grounds that aperitifs are
bitter and are for drinking before meals while dessert wines are sweet and come afterward. This is true, but this rule does not hold here because Carpano is both bitter and sweet. It begins sweet then finishes bitter.  As such, I feel it can be served as either an aperitif
or a dessert wine.

However, if you are in the mood for a cocktail, you can mix 1 ounce of Carpano with 2.5 ounces of Maker's Mark bourbon to create a magnificent version of the Manhattan cocktail.  The richness of Carpano combines nicely with the smooth, vanilla flavor of Maker's Mark.

If you want to do something really wild, you can use Carpano as a glaze or mixer with vanilla ice cream.  Either pour a little on your ice cream or take two ounces of Carpano and two scoops and whirl them in the blender just long enough to marry them.  Then eat up. (Rating ****1/4)