See the Elephant Amaro di Rucola

Product of: Italy

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Launched by drinks industry veteran Kyle Harder in 2021, See the Elephant unusually features rucola (a.k.a. arugula or rocket) as its key botanical. This contributes flavours of eggnog, sarsaparilla, bubble gum, pepper spice and vanilla, distinguishing See the Elephant from other amari.

See the Elephant is made at a artisanal third generation family-owned distillery in Agropoli, on the picturesque Cilento Coast of Southern Italy within sight of the Mediterranean Sea and the ancient Grecco-Roman city of Paestum. The rucola and other ingredients are sourced within 30 kilometres of the distillery so See the Elephant is considered a zero-kilometre farm to bottle product.

The name refers to "Seeing the elephant," an American idiom dating from the early 1800s when the first elephant was exhibited in New York City, and people from across the States travelled to see the amazing creature. Newspapers were then the primary form of communication, and the huge animal's notoriety led journalists to interview people planning to go or who had gone to "see the elephant." The phrase was repeated in newspapers across the country so "see the elephant" came to represent travelling to experience something firsthand.

Kyle Harder, the amaro's founder, says, "For me, my journey through Italy to taste the world's most amazing amari was my journey to "see the elephant" which is why I chose it as the brand name."

The label design and overall branding were developed by Cody Gunningham, who drew inspiration from the Cilento coast, specifically the ingredients grown in the region and Grecco-Roman architecture.

Review and Tasting

Sampled on 30/10/2024

Appearance:

Clear, deep brown with amber highlights.

Aroma:

Liquorice, bubblegum, coffee, caramel, root beer, faintly smoky tobacco leaf, clove, cinnamon and citrus.

Taste:

Full-bodied and bittersweet. Caramel, bubblegum, cola, root beer and vanilla with coffee and light peppery (arugula/rocket) spice.

Aftertaste:

Bubblegum, caramel and vanilla with delicate peppery spice.

Overall:

I last tasted See the Elephant in July 2023 (and rated it 4 out of five). Looking at my notes from then and comparing that previous bottle to the newly supplied bottle (in October 2024), the new sample features much more liquorice and distinctive bubblegum notes throughout. Arugula/rocket adds a faint vegetal (tobacco leafy) enlivening peppery spice.