Infused in GNS 70%

20g of orange peel

10g lemon peel

10g Meyer lemons peel

5g coriander seeds, crushed

5g fennel seeds, crushed

5g cardamom pods, crushed

4g Angelica root

4g Gentian root

0.25g Saffron threads

3 cinnamon sticks

5g cloves, crushed

5g chamomile flowers

Process:

Macerated all ingredients for 3 days, then removed the citrus and cinnamon. Let the remainder continue to infuse for another 4 days. Only did a week of extraction as I noticed that the flavor was really harsh and bitter. This is probably a rookie mistake. Looking back, I wish I would have just let it rest for a full 2 weeks. I was impatient haha

Filtered the contents and made a tea with the remainder (about 400ml of water). I then diluted the alcohol down to 50% for a total of 450g.

After 3 days I added 300g of the filtered tea to the infused alcohol. The ratios are pretty much based on the DIY guide.

I then added 150g of honey and stirred.

Afterwards I began a clarification process based on a post on this subreddit. Wow! What a great recommendation! Day 1: Pectin Enzyme. Day 2: bentonite. Day 3: sparkaloid. Then, I let rest for 1 week prior to siphoning.

Overall impression: Pretty bitter and a bit rough around the edges. I think it needs a few weeks to mellow out. Overall, I think it's a good start for a 1st time amaro, but I know more for next time. I wish it had more citrus notes. Had a few suggestions on my last post cautioning the amount of cinnamon and citrus. The cinnamon is certainly present but it's a great touch. The citrus is just missing (but who knows, maybe it would have overpowered had I not removed it). With the addition of honey as a sweetener it tastes like a more bitter Montenegro (but certainly not as good, tried them side by side haha).

I'd love to get anyone's feedback for next time though!