If you have one brand of bitters in your home bar, it’s probably Angostura, and for good reason: It’s one of the most called-for name brand ingredients in all of cocktaildom, and its versatility is unmatched in the world of bittering agents.

Angostura is named for the Angostura bark in its recipe, and it shows, offering a bracing punch of very bitter, woodsy elements, backed up by a healthy flavor of cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.

To celebrate 200 years of existence, Angostura recently dropped a special edition of its iconic aromatic bitters: A 200th Anniversary bottling with a different recipe than its standby and which was inspired by the original Angostura ingredients back in 1824. The ingredient list includes angelica, Roman wormwood, and nutmeg — none of which are on the standard Angostura label — plus the appearance of Angostura’s own aged rum as part of the base.

Let’s give it a whirl.

Angostura Bitters 200th Anniversary Edition Review

Pungent and, yes, very bitter, with gentian and clove dominating the experience, this immediately cuts a different profile than standard Angostura, which is much heavier on the spices. The rum used for the base liquid does make an impact, giving the bitters a hint of vanilla that, when paired with the cloves, evokes a spiced rum — albeit a pretty austere one. The gentian comes on thick and heavy, and the finish evokes the flavor of Fernet rather than the spice-driven flavor of Angostura as you may already know it.

Those looking for a dash of (very) bitter power in a cocktail would do well to grab one of the 120,000 (extremely expensive) bottles of Angostura 200 that were produced. That said, if you’re hoping for more of a nuanced cocktail experience, the standard Angostura will serve you just perfectly.

96 proof.

A- / $70 per 200ml bottle / angosturabitters.com [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]

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