Spain Archives - First Pour Cocktails

Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva

Posted on July 9, 2021July 7, 2021 by Nick

Most people have a vermouth. It’s the one they’re most familiar with. Possibly from drinking it in college, maybe at the first cocktail bar they attended, or from seeing their parents make martinis. As you get older, you see a lot of these brands in the store. The same boring selections, over and over and over. But sometimes, you might just see something unusual, something like Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva.

Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva

Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva is a Spanish vermouth. I purchased it from Wine.com for $19. It macerates for approximately 18 months with various herbs and spices.

Sight: Brown – leaning toward bittersweet chocolate, but more milk chocolate brown around the edges. No issues with transparency though.

Smell: A mélange of berries jumps out of the nose, ranging from raspberries and currants to sumac and cranberry. Notes of dark cherry, vanilla, dark chocolate, and earthy spices run through as well. Some herbal notes are present, but more subdued.

Sip: The palate leads with baked berries drenched in vanilla, clove, and other baking spices. As it opens up, it becomes vibrant, pulling out chocolate, hints of forest floor, flourless chocolate cake, turmeric, and pops of sumac. There’s a nice sweetness that runs all the way though, but isn’t cloying. The mouthfeel is kept light by the brightness, despite the sugar.

Savor: The ending is the first hint of some bitterness that gradually grows with a subtly. Before the bitterness creeps in, syrupy, jammy berries come through covered in cloves in icing sugar.

Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva is an incredible and unusual vermouth that leans heavily into the spice and fruit side of possible combinations. The result is something that’s inviting to sip on it’s own. The delightful mix of baked berries, fresh berries, spices, and sugar leads to something akin to a dessert wine. Thankfully, the slight bitterness and earthy tones help rein things back in. As a sipper, it’s a delight.

In Cocktails

Things got a little more challenging with Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva when we made a Manhattan with it. While most Manhattans have a bourbon or rye forward character with harmonies from the vermouth and bitters, a Cnia Mata Manhattan is a duo. So strong is the flavor that it imparts red fruit characteristics into bourbons that don’t typically display them (like Wild Turkey, Maker’s Mark, and Rittenhouse). This isn’t bad, as the spice increases, but the profile can be a little jarring switching from Carpano Antica or Martini & Rossi.

Looking in different directions, it plays better in a Martinez, complimenting the botanical notes of the gin and the spice of the maraschino liqueur. Being somewhat more powerful, it does well managing to find a home between the flavors, giving a nice amount of levity and fruitiness to the cocktail. Finally, from a base swap standpoint, it seemed to do well in a Manhattan, swapping the bourbon for Plantation Original Dark. The rum notes played well off the fruity flavor, adding to both the tropical elements and the berries.

In Review – Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva

Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva is a beautiful vermouth that’s gorgeous on it’s own, but has a tendency to forcibly exert itself in the cocktails it is invited to. As a result, you may find your favorite drink isn’t quite what you’re hoping for when you first make a drink. For that reason, we strongly suggest that you try a bottle before stocking up on a case. All that said, if you find you do like it, the $20 a bottle value proposition for 750 ml is more than adequate for the quality presented. Give it a try.

Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva

Posted on May 21, 2021May 21, 2021 by Nick

Cognacs and brandies are aged like whiskeys, first distilled, and then aged in oak casks. While the minimum aging is usually around 2 years, many producers extend there aging beyond that point. This isn’t the only way to age a liquor though. Enter Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva, which utilizes the Solera method to craft a brandy utilizing Spanish white grapes.

Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva

Aged in ex-American oak casks used for Amontillado casks for three years, Lustau Brandy de Jerez is produced in the Solera method.

The Solera method is a method of aging multiple vintages and blending them over time. When in a Solera, wine (or in this case liquor) is placed in tiers, where the youngest wine is at the top of scale, the oldest wine is placed at the bottom. The wine is then removed from the lowest level in parts for bottling, and is replenished by the layer above. Depending on the size of the solera, this layer is topped up with the layer above it, until top is reached – where new wine (or liquor) is added. By this blending method, multiple vintages of wine are combined so that the end product is consistent.

Sight: A lovely brownish caramel with hints of aging pennies.

Smell: There’s a beautifully raisined smell that comes off in heady waves. It mixes dark fruits and caramelized, dried fruit sugars. Touches of candied sugars and yeastiness join in with touches of candied orange and dried apricots.

Sip: The caramelized fruit sugars continue onto the palate with a light sweetness that gradually fades. Notes of oak and yeast come in, with a bit of baking croissant. Touches of raisin and an earthiness continue throughout with a hint of spice and nuttiness.

Savor: The ending is gentle, tannic, and dry. Flavors of spice and toast mix with touches of dried dark fruit and a hint of caramel.

Lustau Brandy de Jerez is slightly sweet and delightfully layered. While there is a definite grape flavor going on, there’s also a lot of great dried fruit and caramelized sugar notes that don’t show up in all brandies. The complexity leaves it in a lovely spot below the price of cognac, but with significantly more complexity than basement dwellers. While it isn’t the most exciting sipper, there’s a lot here you can work with in a drink.

In Cocktails

In testing we found that Brandy de Jerez adds a lot of caramelized sugar, bready notes, and hints of fruit. As a result, it helps express complexity with Amaros or other spicy ingredients. In a sidecar it gives a delightful roundness and a dark fruit, spice, and nutty note that plays nicely off the citrus. In our upcoming cocktail book, you’ll be able to find one of our favorites, the Snickerdoodle.

Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva Overall

Lustau Brandy de Jerez was one of my favorite finds of the last year. It’s particularly fun to craft around, thanks to it’s deep complexity. If you need to split a difference between Christian Brothers and Pierre Ferrand 1840, this comes in at a price point that’s certainly worth a try. For these reasons, we feel that Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva deserves a spot on our recommended bottles for starting a home bar list.

Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva Cocktails

Lustau Red Vermouth

Posted on August 20, 2020 by Nick

Lustau Red Vermouth isn’t quite the normal sweet vermouth you might be expected. Made in Spain, it starts with grapes that would be more at home with sherry. The result is a nutty, sweet vermouth that has a ton of personality, but doesn’t quite function exactly as you’d expect. In fact, the story of how I ended up with a bottle is a little bit similar. Delightful, but not quite what I was expecting.

You Can’t Always Get What You Want…

Coming back from Albany, NY, I had picked up a bottle of Cocchi di Torino Sweet Vermouth. Being delicious in Manhattans, I happened to finish the bottle, and sadly had neglected to purchase another. So one night in February on a drive home from the supermarket we stopped at a local wine shop I had enjoyed success with back when I ran First Pour Wine. What followed was an interesting insight into the occasional division between wine and liquor, and why you shouldn’t drink and run a wine shop at the same time.

I’ll admit, the fact the store was closed for a private party should have been sign enough to leave. However, the owner was gracious and invited us in – asking what we were looking for. The exchange went something like this:

Owner: What can I help you find?

Me: Well, I’m looking for a bottle of sweet vermouth.

Owner: Great, I have plenty of vermouths. This one is really great! [Proceeds to hold up a bottle of Dolin Dry Vermouth]

Me: Oh, no, not that one, I’m looking for a sweet one.

Owner: [Looking confused] Oh yeah, it’s sweet! It’s delicious.

Me: No, no. The sweet vermouth, it goes in a Manhattan.

Owner: Oh! That sounds fantastic, what else goes in it!

Me: Uh… well, there’s bourbon or rye, sweet vermouth, and bitters. You know sweet vermouth, it’s the red one.

Owner: Red! I have this one [holds up a bottle of Lustau Red Vermouth]

Now, the owner was positively delightful, and after some more explaining, told me they could order the Cocchi if I’d like. The exchange was disarming, in the way that ‘trying to explain something you thought someone might already know’ only can be. Not wanting to be impolite, but also not knowing precisely how to correct someone with a very deep seated conviction to what they assume is right, is always a challenge. Yet, we got there in the end, and this bottle of Lustau Red Vermouth came home with me. Partially because of the awkwardness, but mostly because of the sheer curiosity of trying a new vermouth.

He Was A Bold Man That First Ate An Oyster

In both wine, and cocktails, I firmly believe that you should always be open to new experiences. There is nothing wrong with favorites, of course, yet exploration can yield true expansion of the mind and palate. While you could continue to buy nothing but the same old Dolin, Carpano, and Martini, it is worth the time to take a chance from time to time and venture forth into the unknown. You might even find something delightful. In this spirit, let’s dive into Lustau Red Vermouth.

Lustau Red Vermouth

Sight: Clear – borderline hickory – cola in hue. (Contains Caramel Coloring)

Smell: The nose starts off nutty – with hits of almond and walnut. Herbal notes quickly come in giving touches of cool climate herbs, floral nuances, and a spicy sort of caramelized sugar. Elements of fruitiness – like raisins, dates, and prunes are strongly prevalent as a backbone.

Sip: The palate starts rich and sweet, and then quickly brings in a bright backbone. Flavors of toasted nuts explode forward bring with them macerated raisins, dried plums, and touches of spice. The overall mix of fruit and nuttiness is punchy – with quite a strong acid component that keeps it feeling lively. The herbal notes are somewhat subdued.

Savor: The ending lingers with a forest floor, black chocolate cake, and almond finish. Touch of herbal notes and nuts continue long after in a smooth and somewhat sweet ending.

Benefiting from Pedro Ximenez and Amontillado – the nuttiness compliments the preserved fruit well in Lustau Red Vermouth. The dried fruit flavors are powerful and direct. Thanks to the acidity it’s well balanced with it’s sweetness. The caramelized notes give it a slightly more robust and fortified flavor. It is however, quite low on some of the more herbal components in some Vermouths.

In Cocktails

In a Maker’s Mark Manhattan, the Lustau Red Vermouth adds some notes of dried fruit and touches of nuttiness. These notes that it adds are quite subdued – and play considerable second fiddle to both the bitters and the whiskey. In a Negroni – a similar experience occurred – where the vermouth was overshadowed by both the gin and the campari.

…But If You Try Sometimes, You Get What You Need

While I can’t say that Lustau will find a permanent home on my shelf, I find it to be a delightful vermouth to enjoy on it’s own. Sadly, it lacks the punch to stand up to most classic cocktails, meaning it’s applications in crafting drinks will require more imagination from the drinker. That said – for delicate drinks or on ice – it’s certainly a delightful choice, and one I’m happy to have experienced.