Rafa

I haven't had it in a while, but I remember Old Monk tasting closer to Cruzan Blackstrap than to the elegant Appletons, with a strong (but not overpowering like the Blackstrap's) molasses/maple flavor and a bit of a rough edge. A few dashes of Blackstrap mixed in with a more conventional gold or dark rum would be my suggestion.

It works well played against other stong components, or as part of a rum blend. The Dead Rabbit mixes it in equal parts with Smith & Cross and Banks 7 Island to make their house Jamaican rum mix.

Lost down some postal worker's gullet, probably. I suppose I can find it in my heart to forgive their attempt to Grinch your Christmas.

Speaking of rums: this Dead Rabbit cocktail, containing the minimally altered Smith & Cross and the clearly enriched Zacapa and Cruzan Blackstrap, is delicious, with a rounded rum flavor thick with hogo from the S&C and molasses from the Blackstrap, complemented with allspice, Bénédictine, and six healthy dashes of bitters.

True enough. Clement single cask rhum is a good example of a spirit that could well confuse a drinker because of its very whiskey like profile and lack of alteration. But it doesn't taste completely sugar free even though it is very dry anymore than a good bourbon does and we know neither of those can have sugar added. I do wonder about those tests done in Europe and what types of sugar they test for. Some products come up with zero sugar and yet no matter how dry it may test I find it hard to believe a product aged in barrels has no sugar in it at all. Are they also testing for xylose, lactose, galactose, mannose, etc? Is there a link for those government reports on sugar content? One of the purposes of putting anything in a barrel for aging is to pull the wood sugars out. The char used in bourbon barrels helps to pull the sugar forward and caramelize it a bit as I understand it. The high temperature of Caribbean means spirit may expand deeper into the wood and then return in cool of the evening. A high variation in temperature over time and even day by day can only help wring every bit of goodness from a barrel. Since El Dorado reconditions their barrels by stripping old char from used bourbon barrels and exposing fresh oak and fairly frequently reracks them I think they would get lots of opportunity to pull as much sugar in from the barrel as possible. I suspect this what is meant about the evaporation/"Angel's Share" comment. Water is evaporating from the barrel but most of the alcohol expands into the barrels and then returns to the distillate bringing lots of barrel influences, including sugar, back with it and then gets rather concentrated. So I think there is a lot of natural sweetness developing in any barrel aged spirit. Does it also get an assist, maybe a big one, from the distiller to have such a high sugar content? Possibly so. But I choose to turn a blind eye! From the Spirits Journal post: It's in Driscoll's professional interest to be credulous about producer claims, or at least to let them pass without challenge, especially when they're giving him wide access to their facilities and his choice of exclusive rums. The blog is upfront about its commitments and limits, and it's a useful resource as long as one reads it with skepticism when merited. I'm not opposed to altered spirits in general, but I do wish producers would be upfront about it. In DDL's case and in ED12 in particular, I am disappointed that such a historic rum made from such a variety of unique and storied distilliates has some of its character masked by what appears to be added sugar. It seems unnecessary. Richard Seale of Foursquare Distillery, who has long been critical of unlabeled additives in rum, pointed out in a Facebook discussion that he finds his own unadulterated product to be plenty sweet on its own. When it comes to most rums I agree: the scents of molasses, brown sugar, vanilla, etc that characterize barrel-aged rums create a perception of sweetness and the caramelized sugars imparted by barrel aging round out that perception on the palate. And unsweetened whisk(e)ys remain popular worldwide, so it's not clear that rum producers have reason to fear that their products can't compete without added sugar.

Glad you're happy with it, and sorry it took so long and so many attempts to reach you!

I've been reading this with great interest. I once met Shaun Caleb, DDL's master distiller, at a bar (Donna in Brooklyn) and talked the poor guy's ear off about how much I love his rums. I didn't want to impose so I stopped myself from asking about their stills but I'm glad the always chatty and inquisitive David Driscoll gets to ask all about them and report his findings.

I thought it tasted great on its own but wasn't distinctive enough to keep a bottle around. To me it tastes very much like Antica Formula with the bitterness and sweetness dialed down and the vanilla removed. I think it's closer to a rosso in flavor than to another bianco.

The Brazilians do (apparently) say that the worse the cachaça the better the Caipirinha.

I agree. I tried it neat recently and almost couldn't finish it. It was a shame; the sweetness masked a lot of the greath depth of flavor it brings to mixed drinks. ED15 is better for sipping, with the oak balancing some of the sweetness and all of the rich, tobacco-y flavor coming through. Is anything in life satisfying enough to fill the hole, Chris? We want more and always more, and then more of it. You might find some solace in the knowledge that I've updated the recipe to include more Cynar after feedback. "Life is empty: enjoy Cynar!" -Italian ad campaign of the '50s («La vita è vuota,» dal don Drapiero)

Well that doesn't sound disastrous at all. I'll have to try it that way. Mhdousa, I still recommend making the original when you can—it's fantastic. And Czequershuus, I think we'll have to save that name for another drink.

Will be interested to hear your thoughts once you have tried it. I really like it but recognize every palate is different! I tried a free sample at Astor Wines. Perhaps my palate was just tired that day, but I found it tasted very young, with bright and sharp malt flavors, albeit with the same wonderfully thick mouthfeel as Ransom's Old Tom. It wasn't as complicated, or as Irish-tasting, as I had hoped, and if the oats contributed any novel notes I didn't pick up on them. I'll have to do a more proper tasting soon to see whether it was just me or the poor tasting conditions (out of a plastic cup early on a Saturday afternoon). I'll have to see if Dead Rabbit, the bar nearest my office, carries it, though I think it might be insulting to order an American imitation of Irish whiskey at a bar that prides itself on its selection of authentic Irish.

Very possibly! A mix of dry vermouth and simple would be closer, but Punt + dry vermouth sounds like it could be compellingly disastrous, and I therefore now command you to try that and report back.

Cocchi Americano or Lillet Blanc, though they're imperfect substitutes—the Cocchi bitterer and more assertive, the Lillet sweeter and less herbal.

Did anyone submit a traditional sour? I suppose the closet we came is the bibulous Mr. haresfur and his voluminous list of 'ti punch variations, though as those generally use lemon/lime coins and not juice they're still sort of iffy. I'll throw some fresh citrus juice in the mix with a classic Hemingway Daiquiri (with Havana Club 3 year—thanks Santa), a Summer Hemingway, and my own Cotton Club—which originally called for cinnamon syrup, but I liked this mix of St. Germain and Sorel better. Oh, and because great minds prefer citric acid, I also mixed my original idea for this MxMo, a Jack's Acid Trip with apple brandy, grenadine, lime bitters, and citric and malic acids. The malic acid has a green apple bite which put me in mind of the most famous (relatively speaking) and Rachel Maddow-approved of applejack sours.

Try adding the simple with a dropper.

Ha. Nearly, but not near enough. Happily for me Pouring Ribbons offers a variety of delicious and not absurdly boozy options, which is good as they kept buying me drink after drink. I felt like a Chinese party official. I'm glad you antipodeans liked the P.P.X. I wasn't sure whether I had finished tinkering with it but it got good reviews here so I thought I'd publish it. I imagine the kittens helped, Leslie. The steampunk drinks seem like good clean (steam-powered) fun. I think I'll try the Difference Engine, both out of respect for Babbage and Lovelace and because I enjoy bostonapothecary's walnut oil-augmented Roasty Toasty.

Just the drink I was putting the last touches on this evening. This being you, Leslie, you may want to increase the Cynar somewhat—say by an ounce or two... :-) And that would have been quite enough for my liver this evening, but my coworkers are taking me out tonight, and they've promised to get me wasted. I hope they don't kill me.

I believe it's always been available in liter bottles ("always" meaning the duration of its current incarnation), and its age has been trending downward for a while now. Straight bourbons and ryes are required to announce their age if it's less than four years old.

I need to get my hands on that dry rye gin. I want to try it in drinks that emphasize ye's herbaceous/forest-y qualities, like the Doe's Path and the Teenage Riot. And of course in Old Tom/genever cocktails like the Martinez.

It should make a banana Daiquiri even Dan can get behind.

Holy crap, banana-infused Smith & Cross. Great rum choices there.

Astor. Though I don't believe your state allows interstate booze delivery. If you'd like a bottle mailed let me know.

I am a stubborn and foolish man, and I will not trade up unless I'm made to.

Requiescat in pace, my dear recipe-spangled, glass-hewn, decidedly un-pro shaker. I awoke to find you in pieces with an apology attached from my dear roommate, written on what I can only assume was the dirtiest piece of paper he could find. It looks like I will finally have to invest in a real pro shaker.