Nick, Author at First Pour Cocktails

Barrell Whiskey Private Barrel – r/Bourbon German Ice Wine Finish

Posted on February 5, 2023February 5, 2023 by Nick

As some of you might remember, my last experience with an r/Bourbon pick was a bit, well, unaligned with my palate. Since then, I enjoyed their Old Elk Wheat pick (“Bullwinkle” as my father calls it) but also had received a subsequent sample of a pick from a high profile brand that I was left unimpressed by. All that said, this doesn’t mean they’re bad picks. In fact, realizing you don’t share a palate with someone is one of the most useful things you can learn while tasting any spirit or beverage. So I figured I’d give it one more go with one of their most recent picks, Barrell Whiskey Private Barrel – r/Bourbon German Ice Wine Finish

Disclosure: This pick was purchased by a friend who provide me a 2 oz sample to enjoy. The photo was provided by t8ke, who is nothing short of wonderful to communicate with.

Barrell Whiskey Private Barrel – r/Bourbon German Ice Wine Finish

Sight: Deep copper

Smell: Sweet honeyed grape notes waft up with tinges of bright starfruit and green apples. There’s a pleasant cinnamon spice with hints of cloves that adds to a vanilla and caramelized sugar note. Light peaches and cream with a bit of oak joins in, but the warm honey notes are really a nice consistent backbone, with an almost fresh baked white cake element to it.

Sip: The body is smooth and nicely viscous, with a nice weight. The start has plenty of spice and honeyed notes, while roasted apples and poached pears pick up in the background. The oak notes play a nice baking spice background, and there’s an interesting char and vanilla notes in the background. A hint of sweetness keeps it all tied together.

Savor: The ending pops with this beautiful creamy, aromatic vanilla that laces with green apples, poached pear, baking spices, and honey. The finish has this lingering oak spice and char, but it has this pretty sort of vanilla cream that runs in the background. Despite some warmth, it really is mouthcoating and creamy in the best sort of ways.

Barrell Whiskey Private Barrel – r/Bourbon German Ice Wine Finish is fun, fruity, and creamy in all the right ways. It has a really intriguing aromatic, natural vanilla flavor that with the creaminess really brings it through. While this is an expensive bottle, it’s delivering complexity and dessert sweetness that really deliver on sip over sip. The flavors here are really great, and overall, it’s an enjoyable sipper.

In Cocktails:

Barrell Whiskey Private Barrel – r/Bourbon German Ice Wine Finish in a Manhattan creates a storm of caramel and honeyed notes. The initial burst of sweetness gives way to some of the poaching spices and honey, but the result is sweet and slightly muddled. While I lacked any additional bourbon to continue to experiment, I can’t help but feel this would make a really beautiful Old Fashioned base. Still this doesn’t really feel like a bourbon for making a cocktail out of, but rather one better enjoyed neat.

As a reminder, our testing procedure is to make Manhattans. If you buy a bottle of this, don’t make a Manhattan out of it. It clearly isn’t the best choice of drink. Rather I recommend thinking about a using a honey liqueur or Benedictine to make an old fashioned (which I would test for you if I had any more left). Simply put, avoid red wine / sweet vermouth here – it’s a poor fit.

In Review – Barrell Whiskey Private Barrel – r/Bourbon German Ice Wine Finish

Barrell Whiskey Private Barrel – r/Bourbon German Ice Wine Finish is so good neat. It pulls you in with a nose that drives home how tasty it’s going to be. Then it does one of the most important things that a whiskey can do, it delivers. Baking spices, honeyed notes, and plenty of pome fruit make this a ride worth taking. Now obviously, you’re not going to find this bottle (r/Bourbon sells out every week thanks to over 200,000 signups), but it should give you an idea about what Barrell can do with a German Ice Wine finish and a bit more confidence if you see one on the shelves of your local retailer.

While the quality is there, this brings us to the issue of price. While Barrell’s finishes whiskey clearly show great flavors even at the high price, this bottle comes in at close to $130 (after tax and shipping). That’s a lot, and is borderline starting range for Little Book / Midwinter Night’s Dram (if you can find them). This isn’t to say you shouldn’t consider buying an ice wine finished barrel product, but definitely check out your local retailer where you might be able to find one closer to $100 (thanks to avoiding shipping).

Want to Try r/Bourbon Picks for Yourself?

The Classics: Improved Whiskey Cocktail

Posted on February 4, 2023February 5, 2023 by Nick

In Jerry Thomas’ 1887 The Bar-Tender’s Guide (or How to Mix Drinks) he details an improvement to his originally published Whiskey Cocktail (published in 1862 and 1876). The cocktail takes a very reminiscent old fashion and tweaks it with Maraschino, more bitters, and absinthe. The results are more impressive than you might think, and create the aptly named, Improved Whiskey Cocktail.

The original recipe reads as follows:

Prepared in the same manner as the Improved Brandy Cocktail, by substituting Bourbon or rye whiskey for the brandy

The Improved Brandy Cocktail reads as follows:

Take 2 dashes Boker’s (or Angostura) Bitters.
3 dashes gum syrup.
2 dashes Maraschino.
1 dash Absinthe.
1 small piece of the yellow rind of a lemon, twisted to express the oil.
1 small wine-glass of brandy

Fill glass one-third full of shaved ice, shake well, and strain into a fancy cocktail glass, put the lemon peel in the glass and serve.

While this might be great for the 19th century, we can improve this recipe, and make it a little more readable.

Improved Whiskey Cocktail

2 oz

Rye

¼ oz

Maraschino Liqueur

¼ oz

Simple Syrup

1 Dash Each

Angostura and Bokers Bitters

1 Dash

Absinthe

Rinse a rocks glass with Absinthe. Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into the absinthe rinsed glass with a fresh large cube. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Improved Whiskey Cocktail is sweet, spicy, and herbal in all the right ways. The rye provides a beautiful herbal and spicy base to layer the cherry-almond spice maraschino on. The combination of bokers and angostura bitters I used really gives a boost to the cardamom and clove notes that run throughout. The citrus of the lemon perks the whole thing up. Overall, it’s a delicious and balanced rendition of an old fashioned.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The very original version of this cocktail calls for it to be shaken, but we really know better at this point. For best results, stir. The absinthe rinse is also a very modern twist on the Improved Whiskey Cocktail, but not a necessary one. Feel free to stir the absinthe in if you’re feeling lazy. Finally, if you don’t have Boker’s bitters, use all Angostura (or vice versa).

Rye – As the largest ingredient here, you’ll want to make a choice between sweet bourbon influences and earthy rye. The Maraschino will work well with either, but the sweetness will either compound (Rittenhouse, Elijah Craig) or balance (Wild Turkey 101).
Maraschino Liqueur – Not to be confused with the liquid that maraschino cherries are packed in. This syrup would result in a rich and strand drink. Instead we recommend using the class Luxardo Maraschino liqueur (which comes in the straw packaging).
Simple Syrup – A traditional 1:1 water to sugar simple is most often used here.
Angostura Bitters – These are the classic bitters for most cocktails, and we recommend you keep a bottle on hand.
Boker’s Bitters – There are few manufacturers of these bitters, and for a period of time, they stopped existing. The most oft recommended brand, and one we use is Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Boker’s Bitters*. Be aware they’re slightly pricey, but you’re going to be using a small portion of these most of the time.

* – This link is an affiliate link which may result in us getting a partial commission from the sale. In 2022 we made $13.34 from affiliate links in 2022, while we’ve spent well over $200 on just webhosting. Help us keep the lights on if you like our content, and please use our links!

Plantation Original Dark Rum

Posted on February 3, 2023January 17, 2023 by Nick

Rum starts lower than bourbon when it comes to cost, so finding reasonable rums for cocktails at under $20 isn’t a huge stretch. We’ve previously expressed our fondness for Plantation’s other offering, Plantation 3 Star. Slightly up the chain from a cost perspective, and with significantly more aging, is their Plantation Original Dark Rum. Sliding in at under $20, is this an addition your bar needs?

Plantation Original Dark Rum

Rum Info – Per Plantation’s Website:

Alc./Vol. : 40%
Origin : Barbados and Jamaica
Raw material : Molasses
Fermentation :
- Barbados : 72 hours
- Jamaica : 2 weeks
Distillation :
- Barbados : Twin Column and Pot Still
- Jamaica : Pot Still (John Dore)
Ageing : Blend of Barbados 1-3 year old, Jamaican Pot Still High Ester 10-15 year old, Finally blended into a wooden vat to age for 3 to 6 months in the southwest of France
Volatile Substances : 160 g/hL AA
Dosage : 15 g/L
Cane sugar caramel E150a (% vol) : Between 0% and 0.1%

Sight: Deep gold (Color Adjusted)

Smell: Caramelized tropical fruit and funky molasses rum ester come out at the start. The nose is sweet with fermenting bananas, overripe pineapple, and a mélange of orange notes. The brown sugar and caramel notes are rather prevalent as well. Possibly a hint of spice and red candies.

Sip: Lightly toasted banana and coconut lead things off in a thinner mouthfeel. The caramel notes come in, and the body is relatively smooth, light, and slightly funky. Touches of tropical fruit, like mango and pineapple hide in the roasted sugar and oak notes. There’s a subtle dryness here.

Savor: The slightly dry nature carries over with a good amount of caramelized sugar notes, for a bitter sweet sort of experience. The aged oak notes and sugar have hints of tropical fruits and rum ester.

Plantation Original Dark Rum is simple and easy going. When individuals think of dark rums, the blend of Jamaican and Barbados here does a good job of accomplishing a balance of each. It isn’t complex, but it also hits the right notes. Which makes it enjoyable, if a bit common in it’s presentation.

In Cocktails

In a Daiquiri the brown sugar notes come out with some of the more earthy, woodsy notes. The tropical fruit flavors come out in full effect with a cotton candy sort of note. The lime balances things and the body is relatively even. Overall, it’s a nice daiquiri that leans into the sugar side of things, but does it with aplomb.

In Review – Plantation Original Dark Rum

Plantation Original Dark Rum is simple, well put together, and easy-going. Is it the most interesting rum you’ll have? No. As a solo sipper, it certainly isn’t something you’d want to slog through. Does it make a lights out cocktail? Not particularly. What it does do is make a solid, well rounded drink that combines both Barbados and Jamaican notes. The key feature here is that it sits under $20. At that price point, this is a no brainer for a bottle to start your home bar with.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – Batch B520

Posted on February 1, 2023January 15, 2023 by Nick

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof was one of the first bourbons that captured my attention in a way that I felt the need to try to obtain a bottle of it. The reviews discussed soaring notes of caramels, brown sugar, toasty oak, and amazing desserts. They spoke as though the burn doesn’t exist, and that it tastes like dessert. It took me over a year to track down a bottle here in a Ohio, so did Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – Batch B520 live up to the hype that sent me down this bourbon rabbit hole?

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – Batch B520

Sight: A solid tawny

Smell: The nose is massive out of the gate. It explodes with vanilla, spice, massive cherries, pepper, and tons of oak. Caramel drizzles through the whole thing and sweet notes of graham cracker and baked snickerdoodles come through. The nose has some heat to it, giving away it’s proof. The vanilla almost has a creaminess and hides a cigar box like note.

Sip: The start of the sip is full bodied with a little bit of sweetness. It opens with a quick disappearing of fruitiness, followed by caramel and vanilla bean, before spice finally begins to build. The flavors of bruleed sugar mix with cigar box and toasted oak. The spice continues to build moving to clove, dark chocolate, and cinnamon territory that head for touches of roasted or slightly burnt notes. Heat sneaks into the picture and some floral characteristics of ethanol flit around the edge with some dried cherries and freeze dried strawberry.

Savor: The end shows a pop of red fruit before it slides massively into oak and spice. The finish lingers with a cigar box / toasted tobacco element.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a big, bruising puncher of a barrel proofer that delivers on flavor with a side of power. There’s some really amazing vanilla and caramel notes that come out of this bourbon. The spice and baked good notes are also impressive. All things consider, it’s powerful, a bit hot, and truly tasty. It has enough complexity to keep you coming back, but enough heat to remind you what it is.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Elijah Craig Barrel Proof adds a richness to the body with plenty of the caramel and vanilla that make it since on it’s own. The spice becomes super charged, and leaves the fruitiness in the back seat. A truly interesting coffee and toasted marshmallow like note come out at the ending. The vermouth struggles to keep up here, and the bitters actually super charge the oak. While it’s does make a decent Manhattan, you can make a better Manhattan with a cheaper whiskey.

In Review – Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch B520

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch B520 is incredibly interesting on it’s own, but is a little aggressive for work in cocktails. The result is mostly as intended, a beautiful bourbon for drinking one neat. As such, the way we recommend you drink it is neat. If you feel the need for a higher proof bourbon to do some of the work, give

The Classics: Frisco

Posted on January 30, 2023January 29, 2023 by Nick

Found in Boothby’s World Drinks in 1934, the Frisco hails from just after prohibition and is named after the established cocktail community. The resulting drink is a simple, strong, and elegant. A simple two part drink, this one is easy to make, and only requires Rye and Benedictine to make.

Frisco

1 ½ oz

Rye

½ oz

Benedictine

Place a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Combine all ingredients and stir. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Frisco is boozy yet almost balanced. The combination of herbal and spicy rye as a base is built upon by the similarly spicy and herbal Benedictine. The combination elevates the spices and herbal notes with just a bit of citrus and sweet. The result is something akin to an old fashioned that’s very focused on spice and herb notes

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Frisco is very simple to make, the biggest variation I’ve seen is in the ratio of Benedictine and rye. The most common adjustment is to reduce the sweetness by adjusting the ratio to 4 parts rye to 1 part Benedictine.

Rye – As one of only two ingredients, and the biggest contributor, the rye you choose is critical. We recommend a rye that has a distinct personality, like George Dickel Rye, Rittenhouse, or Wild Turkey 101 Rye. Avoid anything that’s semi-milquetoast in its presentation, like Elijah Craig Rye.
Benedictine – Due to the herbal notes and honeyed sweetness that go into this brandy based liqueur, we don’t recommend swapping this for anything else. Similar to certain other classics, this is both a specific liqueur and a brand recommendation.

Down the line the Frisco evolves, bringing in citrus. As a result, you rarely see this original variation anymore as many eschew it for the addition of a half ounce each of lemon and lime juice (using the 4:1 ratio).

George Dickel Rye Whiskey

Posted on January 27, 2023January 15, 2023 by Nick

When someone told me that George Dickel Rye Whiskey was an amazing rye at $20, I was skeptical. I bold this, because most people associate Dickel with a particular flavor of minerality that is occasionally construed as ‘Flintstone’s Vitamins’. This doesn’t sound like the kind of thing you’d want in a Fancy Free or Manhattan. Yet, somehow, amazingly, George Dickel Rye became one of my breakout bottles of 2022, and possibly became the top rye we’d recommend for your bar.

George Dickel Rye Whiskey

Distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana at 95% Rye – 5% Malted Barley, George Dickel Rye Whiskey is an MGP product. It does however go through a charcoal mellowing process where it’s filtered through maple charcoal to finish it. The specifics of where the aging actually occurs is fairly vague, however it is aged in a char #4 barrel with a #2 head. The proof is 90 (45% A.B.V.)

Sight: Amber

Smell: Vanilla, minerality, and dill jump out from the start. There are notes like fresh plums and carrot juice. There’s a bit of caramel going on here as well and maybe some orange marmalade.

Sip: The palate is light with honeyed sweet, vanilla, and dill coming right out. There are pleasant notes of spice, oak, and tobacco. The palate isn’t incredibly complex, but it is warm and inviting in it’s spicing and has a telltale minerality and orange chalk candy note.

Savor: The ending pulls in more dill, vanilla, and a good amount of minerality. It lingers gently.

George Dickel Rye Whiskey is tasty if a little straightforward for drinking on it’s own. The flavors have a minerality that compliments the vanilla and dill characteristics. The other notes are more fleeting but not unpleasant. Overall, it’s tasty, but not the more in depth rye ever.

In Cocktails

George Dickel Rye Whiskey plays well in a Manhattan adding it’s vanilla and herbal notes with a bit of spice. The sweetness also works well with the fruitiness in the vermouth. The finish is spiced, honeyed, and with a little bit of minerality. Overall, it’s a decent Manhattan that won’t have anyone writing home about it. Combine this with the love it or hate it reputation of Dickel, and it’s a polarizing a choice if it’s the only rye in your bar.

It’s worth talking about the amazing depth that it adds in the right context. Where more brown sugar forward ryes don’t pop in the Fancy Free, Dickel is positively eye opening. The minerality, herbal notes, and spice burst beautifully with the orange and maraschino. Again, this is a particular application, so we don’t recommend this as an indicator of versatility.

In Review – George Dickel Rye Whiskey

George Dickel Rye Whiskey is a wonderful choice of rye whiskey with a characteristically Dickel slant. The Dickel characteristic is really the tipping point of the value of this. If you find you like charcoal mellowed whiskies, this could make for an amazing bar addition, and a rye we absolutely recommend you try once. If you’re not a fan of those flavors, this might be a struggle even at $20. All that said, we recommend you at least try it and consider stocking your bar with it.

1792 Full Proof – L&W Single Barrel Select

Posted on January 25, 2023January 15, 2023 by Nick

Our final bottle (for now) as we travel through Barton’s 1792 series is 1792 Full Proof. Where as the small batch comes in at 93.7 proof and the Bottled In Bond is an obvious 100 proof, the Full Proof tips the scale at a whopping 125 proof. This additional proof should result in additional flavor, but can it avoid the extra burn. As a note, this particular bottle is a store pick, 1792 Full Proof – L&W Single Barrel Select.

1792 Full Proof – L&W Single Barrel Select

Sight: Burnished

Smell: Bombastic hits of charred oak lead things off before being backfilled with plenty of vanilla and caramel. Pops of fruit waft out, with an almost fermented like note of booze, implying blackberries and plums that have been steeped in corn mash. There’s a sort of jammy strawberry note that comes and goes as well with a hint of fresh baked danish too it.

Sip: The heat isn’t quite instant, but it starts building from the word go, and there’s a richness of the body that continues throughout. The build up of heat is a real issue as things continue, blowing our flavors that show up early. There’s a beautiful rich chocolate and strawberry note that pulls through, with a hint of baked pastry. The sweetness of deep brown sugar and roasted oak come through to add to the mix. Additional notes of fruit and buckwheat honey randomly appear.

Savor: The ending delivers on a complex mix of grilled strawberry, roasting oak, and baking spices with a touch of burnt marshmallow and plenty of tannin. It lingers for what feels like forever with a just a touch of burn.

1792 Full Proof – L&W Single Barrel Select is bold, rich, and powerfully flavored. This particular bottle bursts with rich pastry, oak, sugar, and complex berry notes. The vanilla and caramel really deliver all the way through, with strong toasted sugars coming through on the end. The overall sippability of this whiskey is on point.

Compared to 1792 Small Batch

The nose on 1792 Full Proof is like getting hit by force of nature. The power of the smells are simply turning 1792 Small Batch to 11, and then adding in a whole extra set. That said, the nose has a tendency to run hot, and the occasional nose burn is likely. The palate is a fire storm, and outside of the high burn from the alcohol, the flavors are all cranked up to the max as well. The result is something powerful, aggressive, and interesting.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan, the flavor profile explodes in a gorgeous and heavenly way. The caramel notes jump to the front, bringing a creamy and rich caramel that cedes into a beautiful fruit forward profile of strawberries, dried raspberries, and figs. The oak and spice bring up the rear drive a massive burnt marshmallow and spice ending. The overall result is a bold, enticing Manhattan that is unapologetic in it’s flavors. If anything, this Manhattan is so big, you might wonder if it still needs to be turned down.

In Review – 1792 Full Proof L&W Single Barrel Select

1792 Full Proof L&W Single Barrel Select is frankly bonkers in a good way. While there’s nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, toned down about this pick, it’s also can be tamed. The flavors explode forward in a beautiful mix of fruit, sweet treacle’s, and spices. With the strength, it means both ice and cocktails are not detriments, but benefits to unlocking the flavors. While unfortunately this barrel is long gone, we recommend you try 1792 FP

The Classics: De La Louisiane

Posted on January 23, 2023January 25, 2023 by Nick

We’re now less than a month from Mardi Gras, and you might be starting to think about ending dry January. If you’d like to switch up your Sazerac this year, why not consider a De La Louisiane? Originally from Famous New Orleans Drinks, this Manhattan cousin adds some flair with the addition of absinthe and Benedictine to thinks to the next level.

De La Louisiane

2 oz

Rye

¾ oz

Sweet Vermouth

½ oz

Benedictine

3 Dashes

Absinthe

3 Dashes

Peychaud’s Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with 3 brandied cherries.

The De La Louisiane is a wonderful creole inspired Manhattan that bursts with herbal complexity. The spice and herbal notes of the rye shine through, while the sweetness of the vermouth and the Benedictine give a canvas with which the absinthe and bitters can weave their complex magic over. The result is silky, smooth, spicy, and delightfully complexly herbal cocktail that’s ever so slightly sweet. Fans of Manhattans and those that like Sazeracs should consider this a must try.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The primary variation for the De La Louisiane is the amount of Benedictine used. The range goes from ¼ to ¾ oz. We chose a half here to moderate sweetness, but you can adjust as needed. As for dashes, we typically estimate a healthy dash is around .02 – .04 oz. We aim to be between .08 and .12 oz for 3 dashes.

Rye – We went full on into the earthy / herbal side of rye with Wild Turkey 101 Rye here. Feel free to experiment to make a sweet combination, with ryes that are less spice and herb focused (Rittenhouse / Sazerac), but remember you might need to adjust your Benedictine for sweetness in this scenario.
Sweet Vermouth – We utilized the more vanilla forward Carpano Antica here (which is our go to) and the strong flavors at work here can tolerate it. Feel free to use your favorite here if you don’t have Carpano.
Benedictine – Due to the herbal notes and honeyed sweetness that go into this brandy based liqueur, we don’t recommend swapping this for anything else. Similar to certain other classics, this is both a specific liqueur and a brand recommendation.
Absinthe – We used St. George Absinthe Verte, but absinthe can be limited by location. If you can’t find an absinthe, consider a pastis, like Pernod.
Peychaud’s Bitters – These are the standard for any Sazerac. You can purchase them at most well appointed liquor stores or through Amazon*.

* – Amazon links contain affiliate links that may result in First Pour Cocktails receiving a portion of the sale. Last year we made $13, against over $250 in webhosting costs. Please consider clicking through and purchasing as these commissions help us keep researching new drinks and pay for the costs of making cocktails and running this site.

Averell Damson Gin Liqueur

Posted on January 20, 2023January 9, 2023 by Nick

While almost all gin is clear (or lightly colored if aged), there are a handful of exceptions. Amongst them is damson / sloe gin. This variant is made with a variety of native plums, known as sloes or damsons (Prunus Damascena). While these are technically related to plums, they fell out of popularity compared to the varieties you find in stores. While less common, they’re often made into delicious, spicy products like jams or damson gins (such as Averell Damson Gin Liqueur).

Averell Damson Gin*

Sight: An opaque, slightly burnt, caramelly brown with a tint of brick.

Smell: Deep notes of dried plum macerated in caramel and herbs drift out to lead things off. A bit of spice joins in, giving an almost holiday like spicing to the mix. As it builds, herbal notes begin to try to even things out with bit of bay leaf and ginger, before the fresh brightness of plum comes through.

Sip: The flavor is sweet and caramelized with plenty of Christmas like spicing. Notes of cinnamon, clove, and allspice compliment dried plum notes and pops of fresh plum skin. An acidity carries throughout, giving it a beautiful character.

Savor: The ending is full of bright fruit, but it lingers with a slightly bitter spice and plum skin notes.

Averell Damson Gin is not the kind of thing you would typically drink on it’s own, although in sips it isn’t bad. The complex plum flavor mixed with the botanicals of the gin and the spicing lead to a unique flavor that begs to be used a modifier. The autumnal and holiday spice is simply lovely, and the ginger gives a good kick.

In Cocktails

In a Sloe Gin Fizz it delivers a bright and spicy pop of plum flavor. While the lemon seems like it would tip the brightness over the edge, it actually helps add a different form of acidity that adds levity. The richness of the sugary notes and the bubbles of club work well, and it feels like a great seasonal transition cocktail. We also call for Averell Damson Gin in our I Am Dracula, I Bid You Welcome, where it adds spicing and compliments the fruitiness of port.

In Review – Averell Damson Gin

Averell Damson Gin is a unique and distinctly un-gin like flavor. The spice and fruitiness of the liqueur means that it delivers massive amounts of holiday like spicing with a pop of bright plum in every sip. This lends it well to a lot of intriguing propositions when trying to craft new cocktails. There are however a few downsides. First, after opening it won’t last indefinitely like normal gin. You can expect that after a year the oxidation will significantly impact flavors. Secondly, there aren’t a ton of cocktails that call for Sloe / Damson gin, meaning you’ll be trying to work through a bottle for a while depending on your usage rate. That said, Averill’s version is very reasonably priced in the mid $20 range.

*Note – this bottle has undergone a packaging change since taking and reviewing our bottle. We have no reason to believe the contents of the bottle have changed.

1792 Bottled In Bond

Posted on January 18, 2023January 8, 2023 by Nick

We’re continuing on in our exploration of 1792’s bourbon with 1792 Bottled In Bond. Distilled in one season, this bourbon is bottled at 50% A.B.V. and has spent a minimum of four years in a government bonded warehouse. Age aside, the biggest step up from their Small Batch is the additional 6ish proof points. So is it worth hunting down for that slight extra?

1792 Bottled In Bond

Sight: Deep Copper

Smell: Caramel notes come through at the start but lean more into jammy raspberries and candied orange with plenty of spice. There’s a heat that gives way to spicy charred oak, cigar box, tobacco, and a slightly earthy green walnut note. Other touches of powder sugar remain but the nose is tight.

Sip: The bottled in bond starts of bready, with a bit of a yeasty character, and then goes full on into an unexpected melange of fruit. Everything from peaches to plums to candy apple runs through, and a honeyed sort of note kicks in for good measure. Oak and spice complement here, giving a nice background to the almost candied like character of the fruit.

Savor: The finish pulls back from the candied fruit tart character, and delivers a more balanced cigar box and char ending with just a bit of brown sugar.

1792 Bottled In Bond is completely unlike it’s nose and all of the place in the flavor profile. The bready start to the flavor profile giving way into fruit is particularly unexpected given that it doesn’t seem to have any sort of indication on the nose that it’s going to head in that direction. The flavors are on point, layered, and don’t suffer from the increase in proof. Overall, it’s an interesting expansion over the Small Batch.

Compared to 1792 Small Batch

Despite the significant increase in proof, the nose is almost tight, refusing to give up much. What it does show are slightly more leans into fruit, and a more earthy character than it’s sibling. Small Batch better captures some of the sweet and spice notes, but doesn’t deliver anywhere near the layering of fruit flavor or complexity. There’s a lot to like here in the increase that actually adds some value.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan 1792 Bottled In Bond pulls in more of that crazy fruit forward character with a little yeasty bread characteristics. There’s a bit of appearance of banana, but then tons of plums, peaches, and honeyed orange come forward combining with the berried and vanilla notes of the vermouth. The oak and vanilla come out to play as things carry on, and the finish has a slight tropical fruit character laced with a good tinge of oak notes. As Manhattan’s go, it’s very solid, but a little muddled due to the sheer number of fruit notes.

In Review – 1792 Bottled In Bond

1792 Bottled In Bond is a bit inconsistent, but generally quite good. As a straight sipper goes, it’s got some depth, but gets a bit confused on the palate. The nose is incredibly inviting, and in a cocktail it makes a nice mix of yeasty and fruity notes to invite one in. The challenge with 1792 is that you have to go out of your way to find it. While it does a lot of great things, the challenge to find a bottle might not be worth the squeeze. The end result is a bottle that you should try if you can find it at MSRP on the shelf, but not one you need to hunt. Instead, you can purchase a bottle of Four Roses Single Barrel and get amazing depth without the hunt.

The Classics: Greyhound

Posted on January 16, 2023January 15, 2023 by Nick

Originally appearing as a variation in The Savoy Cocktail Book, the modern Greyhound Cocktail evolved from a variation mentioned below the Grapefruit Cocktail. It was described as follows:

The following Cocktail, although apparently harmless, is sometimes liable to be snappy. It is a variation of the Grapefruit Cocktail.

Take three and half glasses of Gin and the juice of 1 1/2 good-sized Grapefruit. Sugar to taste, plenty of ice. Shake and serve.

The instructions here require a bit of interpretation, as a glass is thought to be about 3½ – 4 oz of gin. In other words, 10½ oz to almost 14 oz of gin at the high end. Using Death & Co’s interpretation that a grapefruit would result in 8 oz of juice each (12 oz total), we’ve got an almost 1:1 ratio of grapefruit to gin!

In the most generous of scenarios, this might be just a strong drink. To adjust this more for modern palates, we’re going to slightly tweak the grapefruit up to closer to 2:1 and adding an optional touch of simple to round out grapefruits that lack a bit of sweetness.

Greyhound

2 oz

Gin

3½ oz

Grapefruit Juice

¼ oz

Simple Syrup (Optional)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Greyhound is bright, gin forward, and refreshing. The grapefruit here gives a more rounded, rich citrus flavor that pairs well with the spice and herbal notes. An ever so slight bitterness occasionally shows up from the grapefruit. The flavors are simple, but enjoyable and balanced. The slight help of the simple syrup is needed depending on your grapefruit’s sweetness.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The concept of this drink is very straightforward, grapefruit and gin, adjust with sugar. As such, there’s not a ton to really cover about how to make it. The biggest adjustments to make are the amount of grapefruit and gin you’ll use, and adding sugar to cover the grapefruit’s lack (depending on the session and variety). The garnish is also fairly varied, with no real consistency other than some form of citrus.

As a final note, remember that many medications interact with grapefruit. Consider this before consuming or serving to guests.

Gin – Pretty much any gin will work here, so go to your preferences. We used a Beefeater to emulate the style of the day (London Dry), but you can easily use a contemporary like Bluecoat for more citrus or Aviation for more spice.
Grapefruit – For best results, use fresh squeezed. For more impressive color, look for ruby red grapefruits.
Simple Syrup – Use 1:1 simple and adjust to your grapefruit sweetness / personal preference.

El Dorado 5

Posted on January 13, 2023January 4, 2023 by Nick

We love El Dorado 3, it remains our go to lightly aged rum for making drinks. We’ve also gushed about their 12 as well. In between these offerings are two very reasonably priced offerings, El Dorado 5 and El Dorado 8. Aged at least 5 years, this rum promises to offer darker sugar notes in addition to some of the tropical fruit we love. So is it worth it?

El Dorado 5

Sight: A pleasant caramelly deep copper.

Smell: Caramel and brown sugar mix with light wood and a touch of funk. Tropical fruit and caramelized banana joins in and a hint of ethanol burn pops in and out. A good mix of spice and pepper comes through.

Sip: The body is light but swims with ester soaked wood and caramel right out of the gate. That lightly funky wood note is joined by a green plantain and plenty of caramel and oak spices. There’s a slight dryness here that shows off some of the tropical fruit flavors in a bit of a spotlight, and the boozy notes give a bit of roughness.

Savor: The finish leans into the cask flavors, with more tannin, dried charred burnt brown sugar, and a bit of tropical fruitiness.

El Dorado 5 is fine as sipping goes, with a drier character than the nose would imply. The lightness of the body keeps it from becoming overbearing, but also harms it from establishing any sort of complexity or return value. At a price point in the low $20’s this isn’t unexpected, and shouldn’t be your target application for this rum.

In Cocktails

In a daiquiri the El Dorado 5 works a perfect foil against the lime, exploding with sweet caramelized tropical fruits and touches of honeyed notes. The brown sugar really explodes giving a balanced sweetness against the lime. While it still isn’t the most exciting daiquiri, it’s sweet and delicious.

In Review- El Dorado 5

El Dorado 5 is a simple and straightforward aged rum. At a price point in the low $20 range, it works great for workhorse duty in cocktails. While using it, it doesn’t really include a lot of complexity. For that reason, this isn’t a stand alone in your bar, but rather an addition. For that reason, consider pairing it with an Appleton Estate Reserve or Doorly X.O. to get the full effect of rum complexity.