2 stars as written; 4 stars if you re-balance.  A reddit NCOTW post on the Astor Hotel Special documents Milk & Honey's variation, which is more pleasing to the modern tongue.

I wonder what sort of port was intended. I can't imagine the motivation for adding sugar to a drink that is already half port.

From Punch: Seeking a more consistent mouthfeel and flavor, Brooklyn bartender Selma Slabiak introduces orange bitters, gomme syrup and a lemon twist to the proceedings.

1 ounce Cognac, preferably Pierre Ferrand 1840

1 ounce tawny port

2 dashes orange bitters, preferably Regans'

1 barspoon gomme syrup (see Editor's Note) 

Garnish: lemon peel

Quite interesting because of its large amount of bitters. This is another of a small number of drinks from this era using it in more-than-a-dash quantities.

This is pretty tasty.

Note (re. the previous ~5 yr-old comment) that 1/4 tsp is actually less than 2 modern dashes of the product.

Perfect balance and great for showcasing the tequila and mezcal! I also like the way the Lillet is integrated here, it's in the background but nicely highlights the fruity notes and gives more complexity to the drink.

A bit too sweet for my taste, but I love the low key showcasing of the mezcal.

Another Negroni-style cocktail. It seems like there's no end to them. And thank goodness, I say! It is true that some of these variations taste alike, or at least so similar that it's hard to tell the difference between one and the other. Fortunately the "Vigoroso" does taste substantialy different, thanks to the barrel-aged Genever. Otherwise, it would be another same old same old.

When I considered the ingredients of the posted recipe, I thought the cocktail would be too sweet. With that in mind, I made a major change that resulted in a more balanced tasting cocktail. The change was to measure 1/3 oz of Aperol, and then add enough Campari to bring the mixture up to the 3/4 oz mark. The Campari added a much needed bitterness to bring a balance to the drink. The minor change had to do with the orange bitters. Instead of Regans' #6, I used Fee Bros gin barrel-aged orange bitters. I believe it was this year that Fee Bros put this product on the market. Its orange flavor is akin to Angustora orange bitters, which has a poignant but natural tasting orange flavor. Prior to the introduction of their gin barrel-aged orange bitter, the only orange bitters Fee Bros sold was its West Indies orange bitters, with an orange flavor that is subtle and somewhat sweet.

All in all, the Vigoroso is worth trying. If you think the posted recipe will be too sweet, or you find that it IS too sweet, add some Campari. But whether you use the posted recipe, or modify it, I believe you'll enjoy this Negroni-style cocktail. I rated the modified recipe at 4.0. Sometime soon, I'll try the recipe unchanged to see what I think of it. Who knows? It may be as good or better unmodified.

I think this is an extraordinarily good cocktail.  Very well balanced, rich and complex.  The ginger and the hint of caraway from the Aquavit are a perfect fit.  I made mine with Aarbrog Taffel...so may have more (or less) caraway than the North Shore...??  Lovely drink in any case.

I muddled fresh ginger (instead of cranberries) and used cranberry syrup (instead of ginger syrup). Kept everything else the same. It was great!

It's okay but basically just tastes like the ingredients rather than a carefully balanced cocktail.