Okay, finally have some REAL Averna in the cabinet and remade this cocktail, adding a couple extra dashes of orange bitters. And I dig it!

It's a great riff on the classic Manhattan with heavy emphasis on the spice, which in the classic cocktail is corralled a bit by the vermouth, but it settles well. Using real Averna instead of the local nonsense I'd bought helped removed the heavy maple syrup taste. Great sipping cocktail.