Made with 40 botanicals using three processes: boiling, maceration, and distillation. Some botanicals include sweet & bitter oranges, petite dried oranges, coriander seeds, marjoram, oregano, artemista blend, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. 12 extracts are craftedfrom this process, thenblended to form “six aromatic notes” which are combined with alcohol and sweetened. Finally, a seventh ingredient called the “premio” is crafted from 5 botanicals which are micro-distilled. Created by Stanislao Cobianchi, he named it after Princess Elena of Montenegro who went on to become Queen of Italy in 1900.

The aroma has bright citrus notes with underlying spices of cinnamon and cardamom. The palate is medium sweet, with a slight floral backnote. The bitter intensity is on the low side making this an exceedingly approachable amaro. But there’s a complexity to the spirit which makes it a dynamic modifier for cocktails as well.