#4 | Gabelle Amaro Salato di Torino
Origin: Italy (Torino) / 22% / Price: ca. 28€
This little amaro review covers a very interesting case. First of all, let's get one thing straight: Who comes up with the idea of bottling “salty amaro”? The answer is Dennis Zoppi, who has long been quite a big shot on Instagram when it comes to the mixology game, even though he hasn't been nearly as active there for a while now as he was a few years ago. He attracted particular attention with his drink creations, which were reminiscent of modern star cuisine in their appearance. He has been in the hospitality business for 20 years, developing products for restaurants, bars, etc. since 2012, and in 2019 he officially launched his own micro-distillery under his name, Zoppi Distillery. You can read a short article about him and the distillery here.
But let's get a little more specific about the bottle. Among the distillery's very diverse portfolio, from its beginnings (with gin, of course, what else?) to shochu and liqueurs, some of which have already won one or two prizes, we also find Gabelle Amaro Salato di Torino. Its name already contains a reference to salt, inspired by the Via del Sale. A historic salt trade route in the Liguria-Piedmont region, part of a network of trade routes connecting the Ligurian coast with the Po Valley and Provence in France and, in turn, Turin in northern Italy. The bottle has since been redesigned. But to be honest, I much prefer the more elegant, old design with more details and the rounder bottle as seen in the picture above.
The ingredients that are known include rhubarb, chinotto, salt, lime blossoms and also oregano. You can already see the focus on rather gentler flavors compared to other amaros. The notes below also already reveal what is a bit of my conclusion: for me, it's more of an exciting aperitivo than a “real” amaro. For example, expert Brad T. Parsons defines the latter as something you drink after a meal as a digestif. Here we have something that is somewhat reminiscent of Aperol, mixed with a hint of Suze and a pinch of salt. So, for me, it would make more sense to use it less as a Campari substitute and more as a replacement for Aperol. Then it can work well, and its saltiness also makes it an excellent candidate for combining with dry sherries in stirred drinks or even a long drink with soda or a subtle, different filler. There, it can certainly add a culinary touch that you wouldn't otherwise find. On its own, it is too uncommonly sweet and salty for my taste, and even without the salt it lacks character to keep up with other, more intense amaros.
Nose:
This is one of the most subtle amaro aromas you will find, which is not surprising, as the focus here is on somehow marrying something subtle like salt with amaro, while other amaros rely on the power of the most aromatic, bitter substances, you will also find some citrus peel such as mandarin and bergamot, plus indeed subtle salt notes and some toffee, a little gentian, cinchona bark and rhubarb
Taste:
Rhubarb, more reminiscent of light bitters aka Aperitifs such as Aperol, to name a better-known comparison, or Nonino, cinchona bark, plus citrus peel from bergamot in particular, perhaps a little grapefruit, gentian and subtle salty notes
Finish:
This is where the salty notes really get more noticeable, with a fine salty finish including more rhubarb, dried citrus peel, cinnamon, a little camomile tea and fennel
