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Vermutpedia

Rojo

Vilassar de Mar

Red · Reserve · Medium-sweet

Espinaler Reserva Especial 125 Aniversario

Espinaler

Vilassar de Mar , España

7.3 /10

Vermutpedia Score: 7.3/10

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Overall impression

Espinaler Vermut Reserva Especial 125 Aniversario commemorates the house's 125th birthday (1896) with a limited edition of 5,000 numbered bottles, presented at tienda.espinaler.com as an authentic gourmet vermouth and Special Edition for Collectors. After more than twelve months in old oak barrels, a unique recipe distinct from standard Vermut Rojo Reserva emerges: great-vintage white wine as base, botanicals including absinthe, coriander, rhubarb, vanilla, sage, ripe citrus, cardamom and more, balanced with just the right dose of wood. Intense red with coffee-caramel hints; elegant, powerful and persistent assembly according to the sheet. 16% vol., 75 cl. Closes the Espinaler vermouth range alongside Rojo, Blanco, Rosé, Reserva and Vintage. For Vermutpedia, it is the premium commemorative piece of a brand tied to Catalan aperitif and quality preserves.

Nose and palate

The official description emphasises intense red with coffee-caramel hints and an assembly where wood, spice and botanical bitterness coexist without dominating the whole. Absinthe and sage provide the vermouth skeleton; coriander and cardamom add spiced freshness; rhubarb and ripe citrus bring acidity and fruity complexity; vanilla softens the passage through old oak. More than twelve months in barrel explain the persistence and toasted-caramel note that distinguishes this edition from the entry red. On the palate, powerful but elegant: integrated semisweet sweetness, fine bitterness and a long finish with contained wood imprint. Compared with classic Reserva, the commemorative recipe bets on greater depth and limited-ageing character. Ideal for palates seeking Catalan red vermouth with gourmet table ambition, not just bar service.

How to serve it

Espinaler recommends consuming it cold with ibérico, cheeses and preserves — coherent with Vilassar de Mar house tradition — or even as a dessert wine on a gourmet table, given its body and persistence. Serve in a balloon or wide glass with moderate ice so as not to cancel the wood; also solo, lightly chilled, where coffee-caramel and spices unfold in layers. Works in premium Negroni or Manhattan when wanting a red with more weight than commercial vermouth, though its vocation is the elaborate aperitif table. The 5,000 numbered bottles invite slow tasting more than high-volume cocktails. Pairs with anchovies, cockles, aged cheese and gently reduced dishes that respect the product's intensity.

Production context

Declared ingredients: white wine, sugar, water, rectified ethyl alcohol from molasses, botanical extracts, colourant E150d (sulphites), acidifiers E330 and E334, preservatives E202 and E224 (sulphites). Legal denomination: vermut reserva rojo; origin Spain, Catalonia; 750 ml; 16% vol. Production: more than 12 months in old oak; unique commemorative 125th anniversary recipe (1896–2021). Limited edition 5,000 numbered bottles. Distinct from standard Vermut Rojo Reserva in recipe and presentation. For Vermutpedia, Reserva Especial 125 Aniversario synthesises commemorative Espinaler red vermouth: reserve, semisweet, barrel, collector edition. Piece verifiable at tienda.espinaler.com.

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