Yzaguirre Reserva Dry Vermouth
Yzaguirre Reserva Dry Vermouth is the cocktail vermouth of the Tarragona house — 36 proof (18% ABV), 1L, a pale straw-yellow dry vermouth on a Macabeo white-wine base, aged a full year in oak barrels to settle its aroma and colour before bottling. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 18% (36 proof)
- Size: 1L
- Style: Dry (extra-dry style) reserva vermouth
- Base: Macabeo white wine (range base; resists oxidation)
- Aging: One year in oak barrels
- Origin: El Morell, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain (Bodegas Yzaguirre, founded 1884)
A Dry Vermouth That Spent a Year in Oak
Most dry vermouths never see a barrel. Yzaguirre's Reserva Dry rests a year in oak, which rounds the house's secret herb-and-spice maceration into something the producer describes as highly glyceric and velvety for the style — dry and savoury rather than floral, and built for the cocktail the house itself names: gin and a lemon element. The bodega in El Morell has worked this way since 1884, by traditional methods and secret formulas. Stock the rest of the range from our liqueurs shelves, or see every tier on the Yzaguirre vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Light, pale straw yellow. Palate: A notably spirited first impression balanced by acidity, then velvety and smooth, with notes of wood, herbs and spices. Finish: Dry and savoury, fresher and less plant-heavy than many dry vermouths.
How to Enjoy
The producer's serve is a cocktail serve: a Martini or Gibson with gin and lemon. Its dry, savoury weight also suits a reverse Martini or a vermouth-and-soda with a lemon twist when you want the vermouth in front.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Reserva Dry different from Reserva White? Both are 18%, 1L and aged twelve months in oak — but the Dry is pale straw, dry and cocktail-first, while the White is deep yellow, aromatic and aperitif-first.
What wine is it made from? A Macabeo white-wine base, the Yzaguirre range's base wine, chosen in part because the variety resists oxidation.
Why is it aged in oak? The producer ages the Reserva Dry a year in oak barrels to stabilise the blend's aroma and colour and give it its glyceric, velvety texture.
Martini-grade, oak-rested — get Yzaguirre Reserva Dry Vermouth online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.