2012 Ramato Vermouth - the details

I decided to go with a variation of the Art of Drink description:

• 1.5 liters Ramato
• .5 liters brandy (I used Rodell on Ben Hagen's recommendation) 
• 3 g dried bitter orange peel
• 4 g fresh green green herbs (oregano, rosemary, time)
• 1/4 g chamomile (not that I can mesure below a single gram...)
• 2 g dried wormwood leaves
• 1 g gentian root
• 2 g vanilla bean
• 2.5 tbsp sugar

I added the herbs to 750 ml of the wine, brought it to a boil, simmered for 10 minutes, and set it aside to steep while I...

Combined the remaining 750 ml of wine with the 500 ml of brandy.

Carmalized the sugar and tried to mix it with hot liquid to keep it from solidifying and totally blew it.  Gave up and decided to go with straight sugar.

Readied two 750 ml bottles.

Strained (funnel and cheesecloth) the cooled herb-wine mixture into the wine-brandy mixture.

Added a tbsp sugar to each of the 750 ml bottles, filled them with the vermouth mixture, corked them and lay them in the cellar.  Will let it meld for a week before opening one.

I also had close to 300 ml left. to which I added a proportionate amount of sugar, jarred and put into the fridge.  I'll tast it tomorrow.

All in all, this should be more bitter and less sweet than my last walk down this lane.  No fresh citrus juice or peel, sugar scaled back to dry levels, and more bitter root.  Gonna beg for ice and a twist.