A Muddled Thought

With Halloween coming up in a few weeks we decided to see what new Lucid Absinthe based cocktails we could come come up with.

The Green Crush

1 oz Lucid Absinthe
1 ¼ oz Cruzan Rum
¾ Vanilla Syrup
½ oz Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
2 Dashes Regan Orange Bitters
Shake with Ice
Serve in Highball filled with Crushed Ice
Top with Orange Soda (Either Fanta or Orange Crush)
Garnish with Orange Wedge

The Green Crush. A Combination of Lucid Absinthe, Cruzan Rum, Vanilla Syrup, topped with Orange Soda.

An Absinthe a Day…

¾ oz Lucid Absinthe
1 oz Laird’s Applejack
1 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon
1 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 Dash Peychaud Bitters
½ Calvados

Shake with Ice.
Serve up in Coupe Style Glass.

An Absinthe a Day. A Combination of Lucid Absinthe, Laird's Applejack,Bourbon, Calvados, and Cinnamon Syrup.

Often in reviews of spirits I try and create an original cocktail or three that utilize that particular spirit as a base.

With a tequila such as Cazadores Anejo, it was easy to come up with a few cocktails that worked using it as its base.

Cazadores Anejo is one of those spirits that you find yourself having trouble putting down while making tasting notes. From that first sip, you’re hit with flavors of cocoa, espresso, as well as vanilla bean and orange zest. With the flavors of vanilla bean and orange zest doing a waltz upon your taste buds, you’re then hit with something close to a flavor of orange creamsicle.

Based on the flavors that I observed upon sampling the spirit neat:

Final Score: 9/10

Now for a cocktail with the Cazadores Anejo.

This recipe was inspired by a drink served up by the phenomenal crew at PDT. They currently have a drink known as the Paddington that incorporates orange marmalade, rum, lillet blanc, grapefruit juice, and absinthe.

Thinking about the orange creamsicle notes that I came across in the Cazadores Anejo inspired me to create the “Laren’s Marmalade Surprise”. With the creation in hand being named after a close friend this drink hits just the right balance between both spicy and sweet, much as comes out in this individuals personality on a daily basis. Neither the drink nor the person ever comes off too sweet or too spicy.

“Laren’s Marmalade Surprise”

1 1//2 oz Cazadores Anejo
Bar Spoon of Orange Marmalade
¼ oz Lime Juice
½ oz Vanilla syrup
Muddled Jalepeno
2 Dashes Mole Bitters

Laren's Marmalade Surprise. A Combination of Cazadores Anejo, Orange Marmalade, Vanilla Syrup, Jalepeno and Mole Bitters

To follow up this first recipe, I decided to see what else I could come up with using the Cazadores Anejo as a base.

Taking inspiration from the classic Manhattan, here’s the 54th and 5th Cocktail:

1 ½ oz Cazadores Anejo
½ oz Benedictine
½ oz Carpano
¼ oz blood orange juice
2 dash mole bitter

The 54th and 5th. A combination of Cazadores Anejo, Benedictine, Carpano Antica, Blood Orange and Mole Bitters.

Don Julio Tequila starts off with high quality blue-agave grown in fields surrounding the town of Atotonilco, in Jalisco, Mexico. The Piña once hand-picked is then taken and steam-cooked for seventy two hours, and then grounded up prior to fermentation beginning. At this point, the fermented juices are distilled twice. Once distillation is complete, Don Julio bottles the Blanco immediately while the Reposado is left to age in American white oak barrels for eight months.

These precise steps create impressive representations of both a Blanco and Reposado Tequila, both with a balanced flavor profile that work great within cocktails.

Starting with a nose filled with notes of pepper, Don Julio Blanco marries these notes with tones of soft fruit. This creates a perfect unison of clean spice and sweetness with neither ever overpowering the other.

Final Score: 8.5/10

Mexican Harvest
1 ¾ oz Don Julio Blanco Tequila
1 oz Laird’s Applejack
1 oz Apple Cinnamon Syrup
½ oz Lime Juice
Muddled Jalepeno-2 Rings

The Mexican Harvest. A Combination of Don Julio Blanco, Muddled Peppers, Laird's Applejack, and Apple Cinnamon Syrup.

After being aged eight months in white American oak barrels, Don Julio Reposado is bottled with a perfume of sweet cocoa and agave that shows itself right upon removing the cap from the bottle. This is followed up with a very smooth Reposado offering that intertwines flavors of caramel, cocoa and occasional hints of espresso.

Final Score: 9/10

A Sip and a Blink
2 oz Don Julio Reposado
2 Dashes Mole Bitters
1/2 oz Carpano Antica
¼ oz Lime Juice
Eggwhite

Rinse a chilled coupe glass with a barspoons worth of Mata Hari Absinthe
(Lighter and lacks the heavier anise notes other Absinthes have)

Note:One of those drinks that if not sipped carefully, can go down very quickly.

A Sip and a Blink. A Combination of Don Julio Reposado, Mole Bitters, Carpano Antica, and Eggwhite.

After taking a look at El Diamante Del Cielo’s Anejo offering a few weeks ago,I was curious to see how the Blanco and Reposado offerings they produced fared.

Using the same triple distillation system used in the Anejo offering in which the heads and tails of the spirit are discarded and only the heart remains, allows a flavorful offering in both El Diamante’s other two offerings.

How flavorful?

Well, the Blanco hits you with a very clean, nose of pure sweet agave. It then follows this up in the first sip with notes of floral agave, followed up by minor notes of cream.

A simple yet nicely executed Blanco. With its simplistic and not overly complicated flavor profile, this would work great in any cocktail that calls for a Blanco tequila.

Final Score:8/10

The “Jan Brady” of the El Diamante Del Cielo, the Reposado sits firmly between their Blanco and Anejo offerings in its flavor profile.

While not sharing all the same flavors hidden within each sip of the Anejo offering, the Reposado starts off with a nose filled with a sweetness that made me think of a bourbon. This is due in no small part to El Diamante’s use of white oak barrels in the same fashion as bourbon manufacturers use to age their spirits.

From that first taste, I was hit with heavy notes dark chocolate, mild spice, a sweet almost akin to a caramel popcorn flavor, hazelnut and the occasional notes of toffee. You can see how aging the anejo an additional three years and one day(The Reposado is aged for 364 days) allows these flavors to mature further.

Final Score: 8.5/10

Lunazul, these guys really know to make tequila. I thought about just leaving my review with that statement, but thinking a bit more detail was in order, I’ll provide a brief background before moving on to the impression it left.

Lunazul is simple and cuts right to the chase in the process they utilized to make their tequilas.
Starting off by using blue agave harvested in fields that have been in the same family for eight generations. This agave is then double distilled in stills that were once used to produce cognac.

Distributed by Heaven Hill Distributors of Kentucky, both the Reposado and Blanco offerings are tequila’s that impress upon first sip. They also manage to hit the low price point of between $20-$25, yet are more at home as sipping tequilas then something that would be taken as a shot.

The Blanco variety of Lunazul has won numerous awards, including the 2008 and 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition as well as the 2009 New York Spirits Awards, for Best of Class Award. Does it deserve all these awards and accolades?

Without a doubt Lunazul Blanco deserves all these awards and more. A nose of mild agave balanced with fruit, hits you right as you open the bottle. Bringing with it the realization that this tequila is a thing of beauty. Surprisingly this spirit demonstrates flavors that normally only show themselves in aged tequila’s such as a Reposado or an Anejo.

With my first sip, I was hit with flavors of espresso, orange cream, cinnamon and sweet agave. Upon further samplings, I also noticed a hint of vanilla. Whatever Lunazul did to produce their Blanco offering, they did it right.
Upon competition of these tasting notes, I took one final sip and a smile came to my face.

Any spirit that can do that comes highly recommended.

Final Score: 9/10

So after being completely blown away by Lunazul’s Blanco offering, I was curious to see how their Reposado would compare.
My experience with Lunazul Reposado starts off with the perfume of clean, perfect sweet agave emanating from the open bottle.

The taste boggled my mind as I was hit with a cornucopia of flavors ranging from orange zest, to fruit punch cinnamon, spice, hazelnut and cream.

A harmonious combination of flavors that somehow work. Each sip brings a new surprise complete with smooth finish.

Final Score: 8.5/10

Tres Generaciones Reposado

After being invited to a Tres Generaciones tasting recently, and experiencing their Reposado offering I wanted to see how it would work in some cocktails.

With a flavor profile overflowing with flavors of cocoa, sweet chocolate, banana orange zest spice, it’s one of those tequilas that can be both sipped neat or enable cocktails to almost jump of the glass.

One of my first experiences with spirits that wasn’t a beer as a young adult was the infamous Mudslide. A frozen horrid concoction combining kahlua, vodka, baileys and chocolate syrup. Since my life has become engrossed in cocktails I’ve developed a hatred of this drink as I feel it gives a bad name to spirits.

With that in mind, I’ve been dying to take a crack at a revision of the mudslide. Given the great flavor profile of the Tres Generaciones Reposado, it lended itself to this project very easily.

Grown up and Muddy
2oz Tres Generaciones Reposado
1oz Crème De Cacao
½ oz Espresso Syrup
3 Dashes Bittermens Xocalti Mole Bitters

The Grown up and Muddy. A combination of Tres Generaciones Reposado,Creme De Cacao, Espresso Syrup and Mole Bitters.

Chai This!
2oz Chai Tea Infused Tres Generaciones Reposado
1oz Cinnamon Syrup
½ Benedictine
½ oz Lime Juice
2 Dashes Regan Orange Bitters
To infuse the Chai Tea with the Reposado, let sit in air tight container for about 15 minutes.
Do not let sit overnight as the tea will begin to overpower the flavors of the tequila.

Chai This! A combination of Tres Generaciones Reposado, Cinnamon Syrup, Benedictine, and Lime Juice.

A nationwide search unveils Sanders as the next big thing in American bartending.

NEW YORK – September 1 – Bombay Sapphire® and GQ Magazine are proud to announce Christian Sanders as America’s next bartending hero and a new face to watch in the cut-throat US mixology scene. By flaunting his innovative and exciting “Green Sour Hour,” Sanders has secured the chance to be featured alongside his signature cocktail in GQ’s December 2009 – Men of The Year issue. Sanders came together with 39 other bartenders from around the country at the Palms in Las Vegas, where all were judged on originality, presentation, flavor and taste of their signature gin cocktails by Bacardi’s Giles Woodyer, Bombay Sapphire’s Global Mixologist, Merlin Griffiths, Style Correspondent Brett Fahlgren, for GQ magazine, and world-renowned mixologist, Tony Abou-Ganim.

For the third summer in a row, bartenders from all 50 states have participated in the quest to find the most inspired cocktail, all using Bombay Sapphire gin. A team of Bombay Sapphire Master Mixologists embarked on a gin odyssey across America back in April, to discover new gin drinks from a new generation of skilled bartenders. Bombay Sapphire Master Mixologist, James Moreland shares, “This year we saw enormous talent and creative cocktailing from participants coast to coast. The cocktails this year were more balanced, sophisticated, and elegant than ever before. The big take-home trend: large amounts of veggies and herbs getting juiced, muddled, and infused.” The Green Sour Hour in particular uses celery juice, dill paste, and Himalayan black salt which perfectly complement the signature 10 botanicals found in Bombay Sapphire’s recipe.

According to Giles Woodyer, Vice President, Brand Managing Director, Bombay Sapphire, “We are proud to continue our support for uncovering the latest grass-roots talent in mixology and Christian Sanders fits the bill perfectly. We look forward to showing off and sharing his cocktail flair with Bombay Sapphire fans around the country!”

About Bombay Sapphire®
Bombay Sapphire® is the fastest growing premium gin in the world and world’s number one premium gin by value. Bombay Sapphire is created with a unique combination of ten hand-selected botanicals, sourced from around the globe. The brand’s global essence and signature vapor infusion process impart a refined and perfectly balanced taste, versatile enough for both classic cocktails and exotic recipes. A leader among gins, Bombay Sapphire is a symbol of the exploration of worldly and sophisticated lifestyles. For more information, please explore www.bombaysapphire.com.

About Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.
Bacardi U.S.A., Inc. is the United States import, sales and marketing arm of one of the world’s leading spirits and wine producers. The company boasts a portfolio of some of the most recognized and top-selling spirits brands in the United States including Bacardi® rum, the world’s number-one selling rum; Grey Goose® vodka, the world-leader in super-premium vodka; Dewar’s® blended Scotch whiskies, the number-one selling blended Scotch whisky in the United States; Bombay Sapphire® gin, the top-valued and fastest-growing premium gin in the spirits industry; Cazadores® blue agave tequila, the number-one premium tequila in the world; Martini and Rossi® vermouth, the world-leader in vermouth; and other leading and emerging brands.
GQ Magazine is the leading men’s general-interest magazine with a monthly readership of 6.4 million readers. The magazine is published by Condé Nast Publications.

The Green Sour Hour

1 ½ parts Bombay Sapphire
1/3 part Galliano liqueur
½ part Lemon Juice
½ part Triple Sec
1 part Celery Juice
1 thumbnail Dill Paste
2 dashes of Orange Bitters
Salt half the rim with a cracked black pepper and Himalayan sea salt
Discard all ingredients into a Boston Shaker
Add ice to the top and shake vigorously for 5-10 seconds
Double Fine strain & garnish with a fine strain of Dill Sprig

Christian Sanders winning cocktail, The Green Sour Hour.

Several months ago I took a look at Maestro Dobel Silver Aged Tequila in this article.

Filled with notes of notes of vanilla, chocolate and cream to just name a few it had me thinking how it would work in cocktails. As one would expect it and is demonstrated in the recipes that follow, Maestro Dobel plays quite nicely with other ingredients.

The Spaghetti Western
1 1/2 oz Maestro Dobel
½ oz Campari
½ Yellow Chartreuse
½ Vanilla Syrup
2 Dashes Regan Bitters
Garnish Burnt Orange Zest

Maestro Dobel Tequila, Campari, Yellow Chartreuse and Vanilla Syrup

The Mexican Symphony

1 1/2 oz Maestro Dobel
¾ oz Scorpion Mezcal
½ oz Grand Navan Vanilla Liquor
½ oz Batavia Arrack
2 Dash Mole Bitters
Dry Shake with Egg White
Shake with Ice
Serve in Coupe, topped with cinnamon.

The Mexican Symphony. A Combination of Maestro Dobel Tequila, Scorpion Mezcal, Grand Navan, and Batavia Arrack

Can a Blanco Tequila come close to leaving the same impression after one sip as as a Reposado, an Anejo or even an Extra Anejo?

Well Mejor’s Blanco offering is able to. Brilliant would be the best way to describe it. Sheer Brilliance.

Mejor Blanco began to grab my attention from the second I opened the bottle. From that moment, I was bombarded with the scent and perfume of sweet agave . So much so that I was hit with imagery of beautiful agave fields.

As it hit my tongue, I noticed how incredible smooth, almost like water the Mejor Blanco was. Perfectly balanced with just the right amount of sweet, almost akin to the sweetness of a cane sugar. As I moved further along on the tasting journey that the Mejor Blanco was, it me hit with flavors of vanilla crème, crème brulee. minor notes of banana, and somehow the occasional refreshing notes of mint.

A magnificent example of a Blanco tequila. A spirit that should be sought out, and with each sip, savored.

Final Score:10/10

I recently came across a brand of tequila I was unfamiliar with, Oro De Jalisco. Having not come across this brand before, I was curious to see how it tasted and how it stood up to other brands of tequila. Especially after hearing some of the details behind it. Oro De Jalisco starts off having a lot of potential. Oro states that they use 100% blue weber agave plants that are grown and cultivated based on a process dating back five hundred years. They then go on to mention how they use a carbon filtration system and a multi-distillation system whose process has been passed on through eleven generations of master distillers.

Oro produces four varieties of tequila, a Blanco, a Reposado, an Anjeo and a Rosse Reposado that takes on a pinkish color due to being aged in French oak barrels previously used to age Bourdeaux wine.
So far this sounded promising.

Well my curiosity was peaked, until I actually tasted Oro De Jalisco.
The first offering I decided to take a look at was Oro De Jalisco’s Anejo offering. Oro ages this Anejo for nine years in French oak casks originating from the Bordeaux region of France.

Oro De Jalisco’s Anejo starts off with a nose filled with heavy alcohol and the occasional hint of sweetness. This nose of heavy alcohol gives a glimpse of what to expect upon tasting the Oro De Jalisco Anejo. A taste of heavy alcohol mixed with a glimpse of minor sweetness that’s reminiscent of sugar cane.

After nearly ruining my taste buds with the Anejo offering, I decided to take a look at the Rosse Reposado. Oro takes their Reposado offering and then ages it for an additional six months in French oak barrels that were used to age Bourdeaux wine.

With my hopes already lowered on what to expect, I started off by inspecting the open bottle and was hit with a heavy nose of alcohol, and minor agave that keeps trying to jump out but gets pushed down by the larger bullying flavor of pure alcohol.

While the flavor profile of the Rosse Reposado has some unique flavors such as cinnamon, and flavors similar to sweet vermouth, it suffers as the Anejo did by an overpowering of alcohol flavors that cancel out everything else.

Out of all three offerings, the Reposado is the closest to a passable offering, but still isn’t able to stand on it’s own legs as a spirit.

After going through multiple tastings, it has less of an alcohol filled flavor with than the Anejo or Rosse Reposado with hints of notes of cocoa, hazelnut and baked apple, yet a battle between these flavors and that heavy alcohol flavor still occurs with both fighting it out for superiority within the spirit.

All three of the Oro De Jalisco tequila offerings sampled suffer from the same issue, a flavor of heavy alcohol. I’m not sure what the cause of this is, however there are subtle flavors hidden within each one of these tequilas, if Oro could fix this issue in the next bottling, they could definitely reveal a more impressive product.

Final Scores:
Reposado- 6/10
Anejo-3/10
Rosse Reposado-4/10