KD1191

I keep all of mine on the bar, and have never had an issue with spoilage...of those I have (shown & listed below), I like Averna (rocks) & Nonino (neat) the most for sipping. Campari is obviously what I reach for most to use in Cocktails, with the original Picon being a relatively new addition that has been getting used quite a bit (making many a Brooklyn or Creole). Amaro CioCiaro Amaro Nonino Amer Picon (78 proof) Aperol Averna Campari Cynar Dr. Nielsen's Bitter Fernet Branca Fernet Leopold Gammel Dansk Gentiane des Pères Chartreux Gran Classico Bitter Picon Biere (36 proof) Picon 'Violet Hour' (? proof) Ramazzotti Suze Unicum (not pictured...in the freezer, because I tend to ony drink it neat and prefer it very cold)

1.5 oz George T. Stagg (Fall 2012 Release) 1.5 oz Punt e Mes 1.5 oz Dolin Dry 18 drops Bittercube Barrel Aged Blood Orange Bitters I set out to make a straight Stagghattan with Punt e Mes, but when I tasted it in the mixing glass it was powerfully sweet. Switching things up to a Reverse-Perfect formulation produced a very nice balance. I find the 2012 Stagg to be an improvement over last year's pure oak-bomb...there's a bit of nuance to this beast. However, it does not reach the heights of the 2009 or 2010 offerings.

I spent a very educational several hours at the Leopold Bros. distillery earlier this week, and the highlight of an extensive tasting may have been the Maryland Style Rye (high praise, as both their maraschino & absinthe are perhaps the best I've had). Complex and surprisingly fruity, it's a beautiful and rather unique expression of whiskey making. It's only spent 2 years in the barrel (a full sized one), but I didn't find that limited time to be in any way a detriment to the finished product (though I was nonetheless excited to learn they're also in the process of aging a bonded version). They are barreling the current expression at close to their bottling strength (49% barrel, 43% bottle), which they believe allows them to embrace the wood while still showcasing the extreme care taken in their distillation process. It also evidently produces a different mouth-feel, due the overall reduction in dilution of the aged product. While I found the fruitiness to be a surprise, once I'd heard about everything that went into making this rye, it became clear that it was actually their primary goal. We were told that Pre-Prohibition Maryland Style Rye was frequently augmented with some amount of fruit juice, and that they wanted to honor this style while not going to those lengths. Instead, the berry notes come from a relatively unique process (apparently Buffalo Trace does it to some extent, as well) of a bacterial fermentation step that results in the creation of additional esters, which present as aromas of raspberry & strawberry in the finished product. If you're interested in a bit more of the mechanics or vision behind the Maryland Style Rye, this thread over at StraightBourbon has a number of posts by the head distiller, Todd Leopold. For now, it seems destined to be a Colorado exclusive. So, if you're interested, I would get in touch with a local store, as their entire allocation for this year will be released in about two weeks.

Seconded...since visiting Phu Quoc, it's the only fish sauce I use. It's a bit more expensive, but it's worth it when you consider all the fillers/additives in other products.

Anyone tried the new Balvenie Doublewood 17 Year? I'm quite fond of the 12 and the 21...would appreciate any notes.

Well, Chinatown is close, if you've got a car... I've lived in and around Hyde Park for 10 of the last 13 years, and pickings have always been relatively slim. It's one part student/teacher enclave, another strangely situated bedroom community. Yes, Treasure Island was formerly the Coop Market...it is pretty much the only full-service market in the neighborhood. That said, things are looking up with the opening of a Whole Foods slated for 2014. Depending on where you're situated, Hyde Park Produce may be more convenient, though it's generally not the same type of one-stop shopping as TI. There are plenty of other specialty shops, a health food store (Bonne Sante), bakery (Medici) & coffee houses (Istria), of the types you'll find on or near college campuses across the country, but most of them are overpriced...catering to (generally) well-heeled students, their high-earning professors, and (less frequently) those of us who haven't managed to escape the neighborhood despite having long since finished our degrees & dissertations. I say less frequently, because I tend to do most of my shopping well away from home. The combination of a particularly affluent demographic, minimal competition and a captive market (students without cars and below-average public transit options) have generally made shopping in Hyde Park a poor choice. ETA: I'm sad to say it, but as a car-less student, I mostly stuck to Peapod for groceries.

Psst... not to self promote or anything, but don't forget about the Amère Sauvage. We may make it here in New York, but the wild, organic gentian we use comes right from Eastern France as well! To add one more data point, I'm also quite fond of the Gentiane des Pères Chartreux. I can't compare it to any of the recently available products, but we did do a taste test a few years back and I found the finish to be noticeably more bitter (and considerably longer) than the Suze of the time. Will report back once I open my bottle of new-make Suze.

At The Counting Room, Maks makes it with rye.

Vadouvan, perhaps? It seems like it became popular almost overnight...

Very interesting. I also recently had my first experience with Jurançon (Uroulat, also 100% Petit Manseng). At The Fat Duck, a few weeks ago, it was paired with the 'breakfast for dessert' course (nitro-scrambled egg and bacon ice cream, candied bacon, pain perdu). I enjoyed it enough to purchase a bottle when I saw it in a shop in Paris a few days later. That said, it wouldn't have occurred to me to mix with it. Now I'll be sorely tempted. It seems like it may be time for a 'Wine in Cocktails' thread...

Somehow, I agree with all of this, while still feeling that Buffalo Trace is probably a fine selection for Dave's group. Those sipping their first julep are probably not going to respond all that well to barrel-proof (or thereabouts) spirits. Call me paternalist, but the cocktail being served at the class on herbs can probably stand a bit of orthodoxy.

Well, it depends on how deep you want to go... There are the general spirits and aged-spirits truisms (proof is flavor; age is good, but more age isn't necessarily better), or since you're focusing on bourbon, you could track down mash bills and start talking about how total % of corn, rye vs. wheat as the 'flavor grain', etc. produce different results. But, as you're only going to be presenting one sample, I'm not sure how much comparing/contrasting you're going to be able to integrate into the presentation. Of those you mention, I might shy away from Knob Creek (the premium doesn't really buy you anything special, in my opinion), but they'd all make acceptable Juleps.

I put together a batch of punch for a party this weekend, working from the recipe for 'Canadian' punch in Dave's book. I took liberties, but it turned out quite good. Here's what I ended up with: 750 ml Rittenhouse Bonded Rye 300 ml Russell's Reserve Rye 300 ml Baby Sazerac Rye 120 ml Lemon Hart 151 Rum 120 ml Inner Circle Red Dot Rum 8 oz raw sugar dissolved in 800 ml water 4 Lemons, sliced thin 1/2 Pineapple, sliced thin The above was combined and left to sit in the fridge for about 6 hours, after which it was strained and added to a punch bowl with large-format ice (fancified with cherries frozen inside). A 750 ml bottle of Pomegranate Sparkling Wine was added just before service and nutmeg was grated for each cup to taste. This volume served 10 just about perfectly.

Best is certainly in the eye of the beholder, but in that price range, plain ol' Buffalo Trace makes a fine Julep (the Violet Hour had a single barrel bottling of BT that made the best Juleps I've ever had, sadly it's long gone). For something with a bit more character, Weller 107 would be a great choice.

I noticed it behind the American Bar at The Savoy in London last month...inquired as to whether it was a new release and was offered a taste. Only getting a quick glimpse of the label I initially mistook the 7 as an age statement. And, flavor-wise it actually does taste like a slightly aged version of the other Banks product. It's still a bit funky and rather complex, but it's more rounded and mellow than the original. They've done a good job with it, label ridiculousness aside.

Nope, found a lone bottle high on a shelf in Texas while hunting Wild Turkey 101 Rye. i have not seen the Savagnin de Montbourgeau before. what does it rhyme with aesthetically? a manzanilla like La Cigarrera? I first had it paired with the Turtle Soup at Next's Paris menu. At the time I remarked that I wanted to find a bottle to try in cocktails. I've been mixing it in places where dry vermouth is called for but doesn't stand out, as well as when both dry vermouth and sherry are called for, as thematically it strikes me as splitting the difference. I'm not familiar enough with sherry to provide much further context.

i went out and acquired a bottle of punt e mes to drink along. i used don cesar's "italia" for the pisco and the montbourgeau macvin du jura. what a drink! i love the interplay between the two grape based elixirs. i've used that theme in the past with the "me and my grand father" which is basically a cognac & pisco sour. fernet might be the greatest attentional feature for most people, but if you can see past that, the view is beautiful. Yes, the Fernet was certainly hogging the stage, and you're absolutely right that what was underneath was quite a treat. With the aim of bringing it a bit more to the fore, I tired this... The Esoteric Appeal is Worth the Beatings 1 oz Estirpe Peruana Pisco Mosto Verde de Moscatel 1 oz Secret de Montbourgeau 1 oz Savagnin de Montbourgeau (L'Etoile) .5 oz Unicum The thought was a more intense bitter, but in smaller quantity, along with a more verdant brandy. In the result, the bitter hits hard, but moves aside quickly, allowing for the full appreciation of the other elements. This is a keeper.

In London all I heard (over and over) was that I had to go to Gerry's...I happened to be traveling with a bartender friend on that leg of my trip, and we ran into several others who were on a junket with Plymouth. They all had heard the same. Well, one drink led to another and I never made it over there, but I spoke to a few who did and got conflicting answers as to the wonderfulness of Gerry's. It seems like it's certainly worth your effort if you're in the area (they carry Perique, for example), but their claim to sell "almost any drink under the sun" may be more than just a bit of bluster (no Dreiling, for example). Gerry's Wine & Spirits 74 Old Compton Street Soho, London, W1D 4UW P.S. Avoid the Chocolate Genever for sale in all the tourist/chocolate shops in Brussels...it's dreck. If you must give in to curiosity, limit yourself to a mini...and don't say I didn't warn you.

I quite like this little write-up from Kevin Pang at the Trib. I'll second the recommendations above for Schwa, Au Cheval, Publican, Avec & Big Star. Pleasant House Bakery would be a good fit for before/after the Sox game. If you have a car (and probably even if you don't), a trip to Birrieria Zaragoza is a must...I like the vibe at breakfast, but goat meat doesn't float everyone's boat that early in the morning. The hot off the griddle, handmade tortillas are some of the best you'll find anywhere.

i think the secret de montbourgeau is just another labeling for their macvin de jura which is produced like a pineau des charentes but definitely has different aromas; very grappa-like. i had some fun with a bottle of macvin a few months ago. pretty cool stuff. i finally acquired another bottle, but i've been putting off opening it. I think you're right...when I first got it home I had that suspicion, but the bottle clearly says liqueur and the more authoritative descriptions of macvin don't refer to it as such. Working off your combination above, I made the following: 1 oz Quebranta Pisco 1 oz Secret de Montbourgeau .5 oz Fernet .5 oz Punt e Mes I'd never had brown, bitter & stirred with Pisco, but it was quite nice.

A strange little number from Jones' Complete Bar Guide... Amer Picon Cocktail 1.5 oz Amer Picon 1 oz Lime Juice .25 oz Grenadine Shake & strain, serve up. I tried it both with the vintage Picon I found a few months back, as well as the modern Picon 'Biere' product. The former was a delicious but low-impact, bitter rose. The latter a weak, sweet mess. Even more glad I went back for that second bottle of the original...

Yes, the Suze sold on the Whisky Exchange is listed as 15% ABV and has a slightly different label as compared to what i got which is 20% ABV. How much difference it makes, whether in cocktails or on its own I wouldn't be able to say having never had the European version. I suppose there is some reasoning behind changing it for the US market but that is not always necessarily a good thing. I don't think this was done solely for the US market. They had the new bottling behind the bar at Zetter Townhouse in London when I was there earlier this month. One thing I can tell you without having tasted them side-by-side is that the new is certainly a bit more pricey...I picked up a 1L of the old-format at Duty Free in CDG for less than $10 a couple weeks ago. The new make runs nearly 3x that from Astor.

The mint should be singed via flaming chartreuse. Warm the chartreuse and set it aflame, then drizzle it over/down the mint sprig. What, you don't flame it out an atomizer like Boudreau does with Angostura? Oh, I wouldn't try to stop anyone from doing it that way (good way to lose your eyebrows). But, I've seen it made more than a couple of times, both at The Violet Hour & Cure (it's one of my wife's favorites), and it's generally been more of a slow burn dripping down the sprig than a quick flash fry.

The mint should be singed via flaming chartreuse. Warm the chartreuse and set it aflame, then drizzle it over/down the mint sprig.

Interesting start to the weekend... 1.5 oz Leopold Bros Navy Strength Gin 1.5 oz Secret de Montbourgeau (fortified vin jaune liqueur?) 4 Dashes Bitter Truth Grapefruit Bitters The liqueur is quite tannic, like sweetened black tea. It's an interesting pair with the notable bergamot of the gin. Ultimately, this was too sweet. I could have been even heavier handed with the bitters, or tried to find an amaro to dose the drink with, but instead I let it cook while I answered a few emails and came back to it a few minutes later. For an entree to the weekend, it'll do.