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Colonel Taylor Small Batch Bourbon

Yeah buds, we just got the sixth release from Colonel Taylor – the Small Batch Bonded Bourbon.  If you’re not familiar with Col. Taylor products, they’re made by Buffalo Trace and come from the Sixth floor of Buffalo Trace’s brick warehouses that were, in theory, built by Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr., over a century ago when he owned the distillery and it was called O.F.C. Distillery.

This release is a blend of barrels aged seven years.  Because it’s bonded (100 proof), I tasted it with a small chip of ice which I let melt a bit.  The water helps to open up the whiskey and blow off the heat a bit, which reveals an almost menthol like nose, giving way to a bit of citrus and floral notes.  The heat is still present on the tongue, but that gives way to sweet corn / cinnamon / citrus flavors.  It finishes with a bitter woodiness that tends to linger.

Overall, this is a fantastic bourbon, and is at home with the previous Taylor releases.  If you can find it on the stores, definitely worth picking up a bottle.  We got six bottles, and are selling pours for $12.

Bacardi Heritage Rum

We’ve managed to get our hands on a few bottles of Bacardi Heritage – a reproduction of the original Bacardi white rum released in 1909. Unlike today’s Bacardi white, this rum is incredibly balanced. The initial heat (98 proof) gives way to a sweetness and depth of flavor not found in most white rums. There is a clear start, middle and finish to this rum that makes it fantastic on the rocks, or in a cocktail.

Unfortunately it looks like this was a one time release for Bacardi. Poop.

Scotch, K&L, etc.

Honestly, I’m not very good at relaxing.  Instead of socializing with family and friends, I’m sitting on the couch and reading K&L’s November 2012 newsletter which is all about single malt Scotch, something I’ve always had an affection for, but have recently become increasingly obsessed with.

Here’s a link to it:

http://www.klwines.com/staff/content/Spirits2012.pdf

It covers all sorts of interesting Scotch related topics like blends, single malts, pure malts, independent bottlers, etc.  Definitely worth the read, but be warned, you’re going to be bummed you didn’t ask for an 18 year old cask strength single barrel bottle of 1994 Laphroaig, bottled by Cheiftan’s for Christmas.  I certainly am.

Also, you should be reading there blog, “Uncorked” – it’s real great:

http://blog.klwines.com/

New Years Eve, etc.

What’s up ya butts? We’re working on some cool crap for NYE.  I think it’s going to be eight drinks for that night’s menu… trying to make it really interesting with stuff that we haven’t really done before in various ways.  Here’s what I know we’re going to have so far…

Clarified Cognac Milk Punch aka Mary Rockett’s Milk Punch

This is from Wondrich’s “Punch” book, which is a must read.  However, I was never really interested in making it until I tried it at Bellocq in New Orleands, which is a must visit.  We went down there for Tales, and we ran into Sandy and crew from the Oakland, another must visit.  Kirk, HNIC at Bellocq, graciously let us sample a few versions of his clarified milk punch and I was really blown away.  Essentially this is Cognac, sugar, lemon juice and water, and scalding hot milk is added to it.  The whole mess curdles, and then is clarified thru a series of steps involving coffee filters and swearing.  It sucks to make, but it’s fantastic, and I made this about a month ago so it’s aging very nicely.

Barrel Aged White Hook

James Downs aka Lil’ Jim Jim aka Chim-chiminy (if you’re not into the whole brevity thing) came up with a White Hook a while back.  It’s Journeyman’s White Rye, Noilly Prat dry vermouth and Luxardo Maraschino (ratio 3:2:1).  Welp, in a typical boss move on my part, I made five gallons of the stuff an put it in a Journeyman Silver Cross barrel that I had in the office.  Here’s a tip: make sure the barrel doesn’t dry out completely otherwise your very expensive booze will leak out all over your office floor, and then you’ll be like “fuuuuck,” and then you’ll have to make more and you’ll be all salty for wasting all that money and just, in general, being sorta a douche.  Either way, it’s been aging for about a month and is looking pretty nice.

Yakuza Cooler
2 oz. Yamazaki 12
.75 oz. Yuzu Juice
.5 oz. Jasmine Syrup
Hana-Awaka sparkling sake

This is a drink I really like, but frankly it’s just too expensive to make and keep on the regular menu.  If we priced it the way we price our other drinks, it would be about $19… But since it’s New Years and the bar is gonna be filled with a bunch of cool MFs, I fig’d I’d p the t.

Hot House Shrub
2 oz. Lemon Peel-infused Tanqueray Rangpur
1 oz. Celery Cumin Shrub
House made tonic water
Micro Basil

I’m re-thinking my stance on shrubs in general.  If made correctly, they should completely replace both the sour and the sweet in a drink.  That’s what this one does… it brings sweetness as there is some honey in it, and the vinegar adds the acidity normally provided by citrus.  I think if a shrub can’t do that, it’s just not made correctly.  Dunno, maybe I’m just a dick.  I don’t have the micro basil in hand yet, so I’m not actually sure how it’s going to add to the drink, but I think it’ll look cool as fuck at the least. Overall it’s an extremely complex but refreshing cooler.

I’m also working a Sazerac with Sazerac 6, Nux Alipna Walnut Liqueur, Root Beer bitters and Absinthe.  I think it’s pretty close.  Sazerac 6 is so hard to get I wouldn’t normally put it on the menu, but for that night it should be fine.  Oh, also, we’ve got at least one cocktail on draft for that night.  I’m trying to carbonate it, but I’m having a fucker of a time… but at the least it’s going to be something like a Manhattan on draft.

Okay, peace.  Hope you have a good whatever it is you celebrate.  If you’re not coming to NYE here you’re going to be doing something that sucks by comparison, but you may want to swing by early in the New Year in case we have any of this stuff left over.

El Diablo

Remember how I was talking about mezcal the other day?  Well, here’s another mezcal drink that’s “mind-fuckingly great,” to quote the late Fred Durst.

El Diablo
1 oz. Blanco Mezcal
1 oz. Reposado Tequila
.5 oz. Ginger Syrup
.75 oz. Lemon
Dash Creme de Cassis
Peychaud’s Bitters
Soda

Pour a dash of Creme de Cassis in the bottom of a collins glass, and insert your ice.  Shake the booze, ginger syrup and lemon over ice and strain over the cube.  Top with soda water and dash Peychaud’s on top.  Serve with a straw.