Tonight's experiment: a Bronx. (Incidentally, the site of that recipe, Drinkboy, is a large part of my inspiration for this whole endeavor.)

Brands used: Martini&Rossi dry white vermouth, ditto sweet red vermouth, Seagrams gin.

First impressions:
1. Smell: I still think sweet vermouth smells like spaghetti sauce. Do they use oregano in it?
2. Sight: The presentation isn't all that appetizing. A muddy orange color. Although given that tonight is Halloween, I suppose it is nicely apropos. Still, I'm not sure I care for opaque drinks in a cocktail glass.
3. Taste: cocktail has a strangely savory taste to it. And a tingly spicy kick on the front of the tongue as an aftertaste. I think that the slight bit of pulp in the orange juice is not good. But the overall balance of flavors is good--sour, bitter, sweet, and alcohol flavors are all present, but none stand out strongly. However, the combined herb tastes of the gin and vermouths is what I notice most. It's still pretty unfamiliar to me, so I'll have to try this one again in a few weeks and see what I think of it then.