Amaro Secondo

Following up on my last post, I processed my second batch of amaro last Friday. So far, I am using the clever name "Amaro Secondo" for it because I cannot think of anything else. Rather than following a formal recipe, I simply grabbed a bunch of things that I thought would be good together. I had some my help from my wife in finding and considering ingredients, and this is what I ended up using.

• 2 tsp gentian root
• 1 cardamom pod
• 1 tsp dried orange peel
• 8 dried juniper berries
• 1 tsp lemongrass
• 1 pinch dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp fennel seed
• 1 tsp coriander
• 3 crushed roasted hazelnuts

I kept roughly the same volume of ingredients as in the first batch. I used a lot more gentian root after reading an article that suggested a much higher ratio of bittering agent to alcohol compared to the recipe I followed the first time. I did not include any fresh ingredients, in part because my friend who inspired me to try this had himself made two batches, one with fresh herbs and one with only dried. I also did not use the blender this time but instead beat up the ingredients by hand using a wooden muddler; this was not as effective as a mortar and pestle, but it did break up things like the cardamom pod and coriander seeds.

Whereas my first amaro was beautifully green during maceration, this one was a pale brown. However, after processing, I would have told you that they were about the same chartreuse color. Putting them next to each other, we can see that the first one is noticeably more colored than the second.

Two Amari (first batch on the left)

Tonight was the first time I tried them side by side. There's probably a right way to taste test amari, and my approach of just swishing some water between was almost certainly not it. The first batch has a more pleasant aroma than the second: hold it under your nose, and you pick up something between camphor and anise. The second one has almost no aroma at all. Sipping the first, it's again that camphor/anise that hits you first and strongest, with bitter undertones. The second one has a more bitter foundation that seems to change more in the aftertaste. I also pick up subtle notes of what I think is the coriander but may be the citrus peel, a sort of lemony flavor that is unlike the first.

I have a lot of amaro in my cupboard that I need to share before making more, but I do find myself thinking about what I would try next. If I were to go in this citrusy direction, I would include some fresh ingredients along with the dried ones, perhaps citrus peel. I also wonder about adding just plain more ingredients. Some recipes I find online use ratios about like what I have, while others encourage adding much more stuff.