A Muddled Thought

Following up my previous look at Rhum J.M.’s Blanc and Gold offering’s I decided to take a look at Rhum J.M.’s VSOP offering.

Starting off with the unaged rhum that’s used in their blanc offering, Rhum J.M. ages this offering in a combination of American oak barrels and French Limousin barrels for a final product that is a combination of rhums aged up to ten years.

Any time sampling a spirit brings a smile to your face upon that first taste you know that’s a good sign. Rhum JM’s VSOP Rhum did just that.

Starting with a hint of caramel, the spirit takes over each and every one of your taste buds and fills them with pure joy. That first hint of a caramel is nearly forgotten as you’re hit with notes of espresso that are in constant battle for attention with notes of cocoa for the life of the party. While not as attention hogging as the flavors of espresso and cocoa, the presence of nuances of orange zest and orange marmalade jump out towards the end of the show, with a final finish that conjures a hint of tobacco.

Final Score: 9/10

And now for a new cocktail using Rhum J.M.’s VSOP Rhum:

The Wednesday Pick Me Up

2oz Rhum J.M. VSOP Rhum
¾ oz Creole Shrubb Orange Liqueur
¼ oz Cynar
1 Dash Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
1 oz Espresso Syrup
Garnish with Burnt Orange Zest

Wednesday Pick Me Up. A combination of Rhum J.M. VSOP Rhum, Cynar, Creole Shrubb Orange Liqueur, Espresso Syrup and Chocolate Bitters

Following up our previous look at Rhum J.M.’s Blanc offering is a look at their Gold offering. What if you took Rhum J.M.’s blanc offering and aged it up to five years. You’d yield an elegant example of a gold Rhum.

Rhum J.M. Gold teases you with a nose of caramel, and sugar cane that’s reminiscent of a sweet bourbon. This is no doubt due to the use of American oak barrels to age Rhum J.M. Gold. This magnificent nose is followed up notes of caramel, sweet vanilla, and the occasional hint of cocoa. These flavors of black and white are joined by notes of soft fruit and floral tones that end in a smooth and sweet finish.

Final Score:9/10

Why oh Why?
2 Dash Regans Orange Bitter
1 ¾ oz Rhum JM Gold
1 oz Bols Genever
¼ oz Lime Juice
1 oz Banana Syrup
Burnt Orange Zest
Serve in Coupe Glass

Why Oh Why. A combination of Rhum J.M. Gold, Bols Genever, Banana Syrup and Regans Orange Bitters.

Em’s Summer Fizz
Rhum JM Gold Rum- 2 oz
St. Germain ¾ oz
Simple Syrup- ¾ oz
Lime Juice ¾ oz
Muddle two strawberries with the simple syrup
Shake with Eggwhite
Top with Zipang Sparkling Sake
Garnish with Half Strawberry

Em's Summer Fizz. A combination of Rhum J.M. Gold, St. Germain, Simple Syrup, Lime Juice, topped with Zipang Sparkling Sake.

Mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman, honored in London today with unveil of a gold-plated, Bombay Sapphire Martini.

To celebrate his first official visit to London as Mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman, was today honored with the unveil of a specially-created cocktail from London gin-maker, Bombay Sapphire, called the Goodman Gold “Double” Martini. The cocktail was created by master-mixologist, Merlin Griffiths, and will be available for the duration of the Mayor’s stay in the British capital at just-opened The Palm Steakhouse, the first of its kind in Europe.

This cocktail is a twist on the Mayor’s favorite classic gin martini, featuring a pour of Bombay Sapphire with a vermouth wash, and topped off with two gold coated olives! The lacquered olives are sure to add a touch of Vegas glitz and glamour to bar-life across the pond.

Mayors Goodman’s new martini coincides with Sapphire’s reveal of the 3 hot new trends in cocktail culture sweeping their way across the Atlantic, from Vegas to London, this fall. Polling more than 1,000 American bartenders in Vegas in August, Bombay Sapphire predicts that Americans and Brits alike will be seeing a lot more of the 3 V’s: Vegetable juice cocktails – everything from celery to pepper juice; Vinegar washes, including Basalmic and Sherry styles; and Variations on the classics. The Mayor’s martini may be a classic cocktail – but his choice of gold plated olives sure gives it an updated twist on a timeless classic.

The Goodman Gold ‘Double’ Martini

2 oz Bombay Sapphire
2 tsp Dry Vermouth
2 olives plated in edible gold for garnish

Stir Bombay Sapphire and vermouth over ice until chilled, strain into a chilled martini glass, garnish with 2 gold olives on the rim of the glass.

The Goodman Gold Double Martini

Rhum JM originates from sugarcane cultivated from the volcanic slopes of Habitation Bellevue on Mont Pelèe in the French West Indies. Harvesting from these crops along with the tropical climate inherit to this area results in a sweet sugar cane in which the initial result is Rhum J.M. Blanc.

The quality of the sugarcane used in producing Rhum J.M. Blanc shows itself throughout the entire product. The Blanc (or white) offering starts off with a nose of luscious sugar cane and doesn’t falter upon hitting your palate. Once you being to take that first sip your presented with notes of rich baked apple, and that sweet sugar cane you that tempted you as you were nosing the rum. As the liquid passes through your mouth it ends with a smooth finish that manages to balance hints of black pepper, salt, and lime undertones.

Final Score 8.5/10

The Before and After
Rhum J.M. Blanc-1 3/4oz
3/4 Cynar
3/4 Cherry Heering
1/4 Averna
2 Dash Rhubarb Bitters
1 Dash Whiskey Barrel Bitters

The Before and After. A Combination of Rhum J.M. Blanc Rum, Cynar, Averna, Cherry Heering, Rhubarb and Whiskey Barrel Bitters.

Friday, Bitter, Friday
Rhum JM Blanc-2oz
Campari-3/4 oz
Lime Juice-½ oz
Allspice Dram-¼ oz
Demera Syrup-¾ oz
2 Dashes Grapefruit Bitters
Burnt Orange Zest

Friday, Bitter, Friday. A Combination of Rhum J.M. Blanc, Campari, Allspice Dram, Grapefruit Bitters, Demera Syrup.

Using the same process used in their 12 Year old offering(written about previously), Appleton Estate’s Reserve is created using a blend of 20 aged rums hand selected by Appleton’s master distiller.

This unique blending creates a flavor rich offering that starts off with nuances of sweet cane sugar followed up by the presence of baked apples, and spicy cinnamon. Throughout each sip the occasional hint of charcoal and ripe bananas show themselves . All these flavors along with hints of floral create a straight forward and balanced rum, that works both as a spirit that can be sipped as well as a spirit that makes for a great cocktail.

G. & R. Special
Appleton Estate Reserve-1 ¾ oz
G’Vine Floraison 1 oz
1/4 Allspice
¾ Aperol
1 Dash Regan Gary Bitters
1 Dash Fee’s West Indian Orange Bitters
Burnt Orange Zest

A G.& R. Special. A Combination of Appleton Estate Reserve, G'vine Floraison, Allspice Dram, Aperol, and Orange Bitters

One Eyed Willy’s Rootbeer Float. A Combination of Appleton Estate Reserve,Cherry Heering Liquor, Grand Navan Vanilla Liquor, Eggwhite and Mole Bitters.

One Eyed Willy’s Rootbeer Float
Appleton Estate Reserve-1 ¾ oz
¾ Cherry Heering Liquor
½ oz Grand Navan Vanilla Liquor
½ oz Simple Syrup
¼ oz Lime Juice
2 Dashs Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters
Shake dry with Eggwhite
Then Shake with Ice

The house of Grand Marnier, known for over two hundred years for their cognac added a new member in 2004, a vanilla liquor. Dubbed Navan due to the use of natural Madagascar vanilla in its formula. Grand Marnier starts off with hand-selected vanilla beans that once picked are flown to France. At this stage the vanilla beans are married with French cognac that’s been aged up to ten years. Once this process is complete, Navan is then aged for another six months to allow the cognac and vanilla to blend and mature together.

This process creates a spirit with flavors of sweet vanilla, intertwined with notes of caramel, mild honey, and orange zest that finishes with hints of dried fruit. A great component or modifier to any cocktail we decided to see how it would work in a few new recipes.

The Mexican Symphony

1 1/2 oz Maestro Dobel
¾ oz Scorpion Mezcal
½ oz 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. Maestro Dobel Tequila, Scorpion Mezcal, Grand Navan, and Batavia Arrack

A Cool Summer Day in Kentucky

2 oz Makers Mark
1 oz Palo Alto Sauvignon Blanc
½ oz Navan Vanilla Liquor
½ oz Yellow Chartreuse

A Cool Summer Day in Kentucky. Using Makers Mark, Palo Alto Wine, Chartreuse, and Grand Navan.

One Eyed Willy’s Rootbeer Float

Appleton Estate Reserve-1 ¾ oz
¾ Cherry Heering Liquor
½ oz Navan Vanilla Liquor
½ oz Simple Syrup
¼ oz Lime Juice
2 Dashs Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters
Shake dry with Eggwhite
Then Shake with Ice
Serve in Coupe

One Eyed Willy’s Rootbeer Float. A Combination of Appleton Estate Reserve,Cherry Heering Liquor, Grand Navan Vanilla Liquor, Eggwhite and Mole Bitters.

HIghland Park 18 is one of those rare spirits that reaches near perfection in its execution. Having been declared the world’s best spirit by Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal the past three years in a row, it’s a remarkable scotch filled with magnitudes of flavors.

Aged in Spanish Sherry Casks, Highland Park 18 starts off with a luscious nose of caramel paired with hints of minor peat. Never to disappoint it follows this up with flavors of sweet cinnamon, married with nuances of sea salt and finishes with additional sherry birthed sweetness.

Highland Park 18 is a precise, and elegant spirit that’s executed as exact as a artist’s brush.

Final Score: 9.5/10

With the characteristics that the Highland 18 inherits during the aging process, it lends itself to working well in cocktails. Here’s a few new recipes that play off of this.

Pairing the Highland 18 with both the Balvenie 12 and Glenfiddich 15 which are also aged in sherry casks, playing off notes of fig that both feature, with the addition of fig juice here’s a re-visioning of the Zombie replacing the rums with three different types of scotches.

Old MacGregor’s Trading Company

½ oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Fig Juice
1 oz Highland Park 18(Sherry Cask)
1oz Glen Fiddich 15 (Also aged in Sherry Casks)
1 oz Balvenie 12 Year
½ oz Solerno Blood Orange Liquor
½ oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 Dash Whiskey Barrel Bitters
1 Dash Fee Brothers West Indy Orange Bitters
Flamed Orange Peel
Spray of Sailor Jerry Rum around Rim of Glass

Serve in highball glass.

Old MacGregor's Trading Company. A combination of Highland Park 18, Glen Fiddich 15, Balvenie 12, Solerno, Yellow Chartreuse and Fig Juice.

Following up Old MacGregor’s Trading Company are a few more cocktails featuring Highland Park 18.

A Day spent on Park and Averna
Highland Park 18-1 ½ oz
Averna-¼ oz
Bols Genever-¾
Matusalem Gran Reserva Rum -¾ oz
Simple Syrup- ¾ oz
Garnish with Burnt Orange Zest

Serve up in Coupe Glass

A Day spent on Park and Averna. A Combination of Highland Park 18, Averna, Bols Genever, Matusalem Gran Reserva Rum

Cyn Cyn Slainte
Highland Park 18-1 ¼ oz
Rittenhouse 100- ¾ oz
Cynar-1/4 oz
Demerara Syrup- ¾ oz
3 Dashes Bittermens Mole Bitters
Garnish with Burnt Orange Zest
Serve up in Coupe Glass.

Between Scotch, A Rock, and A Hard Place

Highland Park 18- 1 ¾ oz
Batavia Arrack-3/4 oz
Ginger Syrup-1 oz*
Shake with Eggwhite
Top with Zipang Sparkling Sake
Top with 5 Dashes Rhubarb Bitters

Garnish with Brandied Blackberry(If available)
If Ginger Syrup is not available sub ¼ barspoon fresh ginger combined with 1oz simple syrup

Appleton Estate starts off their rums by using sugar cane that’s picked from Jamaica’s Nassau Valley. This is then combined with a yeast that utilizes that same freshly picked sugar cane in the distillation process.

Taking precise steps to create the highest quality rums during each step in the creation of each bottling, Appleton Rum uses a series of small copper pot stills during the distillation process. Once distillation has completed, Appleton ages their rums in American oak barrels until the time that they are tested and chosen by the Master Distiller.

The end result of this precise process is Appleton Estates 12 Year. With a nose that’s brimming with notes of sweet sugar cane, caramel and a hint of cocoa, it grabs you before you’ve even had a chance to taste it. Once you actually manage to get past the near perfect aromas, your palate is hit with tones of sweet sugar cane, and bananas. Following up this first act of flavors, your taste buds are then hit with nuances of orange zest along with minor inklings of cocoa and a finish that includes mild spice.

All these flavors work together in unison to create an elegant,
and remarkable example of a brown spirit.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Playing off the various flavor nuances that I came across in the Appleton Estate 12 year, I decided to come up with a new cocktail.

A Pirate’s Life for Me

Appleton Estate 12- 1 ½ oz
Aperol-3/4 oz
Cynar-1/4oz
Banana Syrup-3/4 oz
Lime Juice-1/2 oz
BIttermens Mole Bitters-2 Dashes
Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Bitters-1 Dash

After taking a look at Don Julio’s Blanco and Reposado offerings several weeks ago, I decided to sample their 1942 offering. One of the two flagship products in the Don Julio line, the 1942 bottling is anejo offering that’s aged up to two years after going through a second distillation in a separate pot still known only as “Still Number 6″.

Don Julio 1942 starts off with a unique nose filled with hints of orange cream and mild agave.

After tasting the Don Julio 1942, the word wow popped into my head. My palate was hit with an impressive array of flavors including cocoa, hazelnut, vanilla cream and espresso. All flavors that you’d expect to find in a high quality anejo. I was then totally caught off guard by some new flavors that I wasn’t expecting to find.

Throughout each sip of the tequila, the beautiful flavor of orange marmalade resonated. It conjured childhood memories, long since passed, spent enjoying this sublime flavor during Sunday breakfasts..

Along side those magnificent notes of orange marmalade were spectacular defined pockets of sweet vanilla that cohabited each sip as if you were tasting pure vanilla beans.

Don Julio’s 1942 Tequila is a magnificent extra anejo offering that should be tried by any tequila aficionado.

Final Rating: 9.5/10

Don Q, the first brand you think of when you hear the term “Rums of Puerto Rico” originates from the south shore of Puerto Rico in the town of Ponce.

The Serrallés family’s rum legacy can be traced back to the mid 1800’s when Don Juan Serrallés distilled his first batch of sugar cane rum using a French pot still.Over the course of the next two centuries, the Serrallés continued to grow their rum production and learn new methods as technology improved.

That brings us to modern day, and the current incarnation of the Serrallés family, DonQ Rum.
While Don Q produces several varieties of flavored rums such as Coconut, and Limon, as well as a Cristal(or Blanco) variety and an Anejo offering I decided to take a look at their Grand Anejo offering.

A blend of rums aged as much as twelve years, the Don Q Grand Anejo is their premium offering.The term “flagship” fits the Grand Anejo offering quite well. The Don Q Grand Anejo starts with an aroma filled with elegant sweetness that’s followed up by notes of perfectly developed vanilla, and sugarcane. As you delve deeper into the flavors that hide within the Grand Anejo, you’re met with caramel dancing along with butterscotch with the occasional hint of nuttiness to lead the way.

Final Score: 9/10

And now for some new cocktails using the Grand Anejo:

A Grand NY Afternoon

Don Q Grand Anejo 1 ¾oz
Carpano Antica ¾ oz
Luxardo ½ oz
2 Dashes Peychaud Bitters
Burnt Orange Zest

A Grand Afternoon in NY. A Combination of Don Q Grand Anejo, Carpano Antica, Luxardo, and Peychaud Bitters.

Monk in The Sun

Grand Anejo-1 3/4 oz
Banana Syrup-1oz*
Green chartreuse-1/4 oz
Lime juice-1/4 oz
Grand Navan-½ oz

To make banana syrup, boil 3-5 bananas, and several cinnamon sticks until banana’s start to fall apart. At this point add demera sugar and boil as you would simple syrup. Strain and bottle. To keep longer, add 1oz of Don Q Crystal Rum to contents.