Cocktails with… Courvoisier VSOP

Back in August of last year, I experienced my first Cognac tasting. Today, I want to take a look at Courvoisier VSOP. This is the next step up from their VS, which I tried last time, and is a blend of Cognacs between four and ten years old. In addition, the term “Fine Champagne” on the bottle indicates that at least half of the crus used to make it are from the Grande Champagne region specifically.

The label is decked out in a rather fine, decadent blue, and may be familiar to some as the bottle proudly presented on the desk of Ralph Fiennes’ character, Mallory, in the latest James Bond film, Skyfall. He and M discuss weighty matters over a glass; and, given how much I enjoyed M’s whisky choices from that film, I’m looking forward to trying this.

On its own
Nose: Vibrant, sharp grape to start, like a very good, dry sherry, but, after a while, this softens. Additional notes of caramelised apple, like a sticky, freshly-made toffee apple, then come into play.
Taste: Smooth, but full of flavour, with dry grape at the start quickly opening up with lots of lighter floral notes, reminding me of summer days in the garden; hints of rose, with a slight leafiness and the subtle sweetness of apricot jam. A light finish of white wine, dried apricots and vanilla. A light, pleasant warmth on the finish.

Sidecar
Rich and complex start, with lots of apricot and white grape, but mixed in with a richness that you’d get from red grape,  raspberries and blackberries. A more complex, warming finish, with vanilla, oak and a fresh note of sherbety lemon that lifts the drink.

Sazerac
Lovely, inescapable sweet anise notes on the nose. Pleasantly not too sweet to taste, though, with a far more subtle note of soft liquorice to start, followed by a measured, but surprisingly flavourful interplay between the notes of the anise and rich, sweet fruit. Quite short overall, but an intense drink; perfect for mid-evening.

In Conclusion
Without a doubt, Courvoisier VSOP is currently my favourite Cognac. I love the combination of the subtlety of the start and the rich, but measured fruit notes afterwards (especially the apricot on the finish – lovely!). I  was also impressed at how it worked in cocktails, in particular the Sazerac. I think my favourite way to drink it is on it’s own, though; this may just be the Cognac that persuades me to drink it on a regular basis!
- Mrs. B.

Caskstrength and Carry On (Cutty Sark)- A Review

Earlier on in the month, DTS & I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary. This is, traditionally, the year for gifts along the theme of wood. We knew that finding one another gifts wouldn’t be a problem; as a matter of fact, my sole concern was that we would accidentally buy one another the exact same present, but, fortunately for me, DTS took the theme a little less literally than I did, focusing on gifts that had been aged in wood.

Ah, he knows me so well. A bottle of whisky and a book about whisky. Excellent! Both are additionally a bit special in that they’re collaborative works by our good friend, Neil Ridley.

The book, written by Neil and Gavin D. Smith, is a superb introduction to all forms of whisky and I highly recommend it if you’ve not got a copy already. There are some nifty diagrams of distilleries and an excellent telling of the story of the spirit. I loved the tone and message of the book, which encourages others to try, explore and share whisky; exactly what it’s there for!

But onto the whisky part of my present: a special edition of Cutty Sark Whisky produced by Neil and Joel of Caskstrength.com as a part of their enviable endeavour to produce an ‘A to Z’ of whisky bottlings (the ‘C’, obviously). Overseen by Cutty Sark Master Blender Kirsteen Campbell, they blended this whisky in time to release to coincide with the brand’s 90th anniversary and is, appropriately, 90 proof, or 51.4% ABV.

On its own
Nose: Lemon shortbread, fading towards a light, non-peaty smoke. An interesting combination of bright citrus notes and heavy butter to start, with hints of oat biscuits and that light smoke towards the end.
Taste: Incredibly buttery to start: rich and ever so slightly oily, with notes of dry oatcake, vanilla, and oak. The finish is clean and light, despite the alcoholic strength coming through with some some substantial warmth, and has a subtle, woody dryness to it. Hints of banoffee at the very end.

Rob Roy
The vanilla, lemon and richness of the whisky combine perfectly with the spice and fresh tartness of the vermouth to produce a smooth, tasty drink with all of these flavours and a pleasantly lingering finish of walnut, hazelnut and creamy milk chocolate. Delicious!

Old Fashioned
Warming and, again, slightly spicy, with a distinct note of banana and toffee on the nose. There’s vanilla and light wood to start, followed by rich citrus (think lemon curd, rather than juice), and a strong finish of salted toffee or caramel with an oily nuttiness and intriguing hint of spicy celery.

Whisky Ginger
A very smooth, almost creamy, start with more vanilla than ginger, followed by an intriguingly dry and creamy finish that is quite short, with hints of sharp, but creamy lemon (again, think lemon curd).

In Conclusion
All-in-all, this is an interesting, rich and flavourful whisky. Straight, it was a little too confectionery and heavy on the citrus for me, but it really comes into its own in cocktails. The Whisky Ginger was different in the strength of its creamy, vanilla notes and both the Rob Roy and the Old Fashioned were delightful, harmonious combinations of vanilla, spice and lemon. The clear favourite for me, though, was the Rob Roy.

- Mrs. B.

Caskstrength and Carry On (Cutty Sark) is available for around £35 for 70cl from Master of Malt

Cocktails with Johnnie Walker Spice Road – The Travel Retail Exclusive Blend

Following the introduction of the new Johnnie Walker Gold Reserve and Platinum whiskies, Johnnie Walker have a new collection of whiskies to unveil: The Explorer’s Club Collection. Inspired by the historic expeditions of the Walker family, the collection combines the exclusive and exotic nature of international travel in centuries past with characteristics of particular travels. The first series in the collection is ‘The Trade Route’, which consists of three whiskies: The Spice Road, The Gold Route and The Royal Route.

The first to be released, The Spice Road, was very kindly brought home from a trip to Kentucky by DTS (it’s currently a travel exclusive, only available in Duty Free shops). It’s inspired by the thriving markets of Asia and comes in a lovely, slightly understated box.

On its own
Nose: Warm and rich: the heavy, sweet fruit of fruit cake and brandy, before a gradual transformation to a lighter, savoury spice, more akin to mild chilli and black pepper, and the freshness of lime. A hint of charred-wood smokiness at the end.
Taste: At the beginning there’s a sweet woodiness that has a dough-like quality to it. This quickly develops into a smooth, but seemingly playful spiciness – a combination of chilli, pepper and ginger – that lasts on the finish, giving it a warm and interesting texture that’s long, but not at all heavy. The end of the finish is warm, dry and ever-so-slightly bitter, reminding me of bark.

Whisky Ginger
Intriguing – oddly sweet for a majority, before transforming to a savoury finish. There’s a subtle, creamy vanilla note throughout. Unlike some other Whisky Gingers, where the ginger ale and whisky flavours are quite separate – you get the sweet ginger and then the whisky quite distinctly at the end – the two integrate particularly well in this drink; maybe its the ginger in both? Regardless, it’s lovely.

Rob Roy
Savoury and sweet at the same time – the dryness of the whisky and the rich fruitiness of the vermouth seem to be expertly combined. Rich, red wine to start, followed by the distinctive, dry spiciness of the Spice Road. The vermouth highlights more wintery spices in the whisky, like cinnamon and cloves. This has an excellent, interesting flavour profile, whilst remaining smooth and refreshing.

In Conclusion
This whisky really does exactly what it says on the tin: it’s full of colourful, spicy flavours, combined with a brilliant smoothness and freshness. Although it doesn’t have the weight and comforting smokiness of the Black or Double Black Labels, it’s unique character, along with the concept behind the series, makes it definitely worth a try.

- Mrs. B.

Johnnie Walker Spice Route is available from World Duty Free for around £30 for a litre.

 

WOW 35 – Jim Beam Hot Punch Whiskey

This week it’s been rather chilly in the UK, certainly for the end of February, and so it seems appropriate that, as the Siberian winds swirl, I let you know of another way to keep warm: the whiskey way; namely, Jim Beam Hot Punch. Anyone who’s popped down to see the guys at The Whisky Exchange at London Bridge will probably have noticed their display of white-labelled bottles from a famous Lynchburg distillery (Jack Daniels Winter Punch), so it’s little surprise that this equally unusual bottle came from the same source.

We reviewed Jack Daniels Winter Punch here and it has been a firm favourite with various friends and family ever since. Jim Beam Hot Punch appears to be in a similar vein; both are bottled at 15%ABV and both appear to be made for the German market.

Here is the sidebar from Jim Beam Hot Punch:

The Taste

Cold
Nose: Whoa! I was not expecting that. Sugary notes of peach, pineapple and strawberry, all combined with a bubblegum-esque flavour and creamy, vanilla undertones. Without a doubt, this reminds me strongly of gummy/foam ice-cream cone sweets.
Taste: Smooth and very easy to sip. There’s a burst of sweet fruitiness to start that then dries out, but the vanilla and gummy/gelatine flavour remains. A tiny hint of warmth appears at the back of the throat, but nothing major (it’s only 15%ABV after all). The main flavours are, like on the nose, pineapple, peach, apricot, strawberry and apple. Despite this, it’s not overly sugary, but it definitely has a confectionery flavour to it that I didn’t expect.

Warm
Nose: The same gummy-ice-cream-sweet flavour, with notes of vanilla and fruit, only slightly more sickly than when served cold (mainly via the vapours).
Taste: More potent than the cold version. The sweet flavours transform into a fruity, tart flavour that’s almost sour, like gooseberries, or cooked fruit – pears or apples – with vanilla and a tiny hint of cinnamon. This serve is obviously much more warming, too.

In Conclusion
All-in-all, I thought this was a little odd. The broad sweep of sweet, fruit flavours reminded me more of summer than winter (in contrast to the packaging and concept) and, unlike the Winter Jack, it doesn’t have any seasonal, spicy notes. Additionally, unlike the Jim Beam Red Stag flavoured Bourbons, I couldn’t really get any whiskey notes after all of the fruitiness. Despite this, I’m sure many people will enjoy it; just not if they’re after a whiskey!

- Mrs. B.

Jim Beam Hot Punch is available in the UK but The Whisky exchange seems to be the only place that stock it. It is available online at £15 for 70cl.

For other sweet Jim Beam treats, why not check out our reviews of Jim Beam Honey or Cherry Red Stag and, if you happen to be in the US, the Red Stag Spice or Red Stag Honey Tea may be of interest.

WOW33 – Bushmills Irish Honey – A Review

The trend for whisk(e)y liqueurs and flavoured whisk(e)y shows no sign of abetting, but whereas it’s typically the whiskey producers of the US who are innovating in this field, today’s focus is on one from Ireland: Bushmills Irish Honey.

It is worth noting that this is described as a “Spirit Drink“ and not a whiskey liqueur; this is because it has less sugar in it than a liqueur. It’s a blend of Bushmills whiskey, Irish honey and other natural flavours, and is bottled at 35%ABV.

On its own
Nose: Rather bourbon-esque and not too heavy or overly honeyed. Light wood and grain notes are balanced by a comforting, but subtle level of sweetness. I get hints of malt, too.
Taste: Very smooth, but by no means sweet, this is inoffensive and easy to drink. The flavours are straightforward: sweet grain and malt, with odd hints of floral honey scattered throughout. The finish is lightly dry, with subtle notes of grain.

Irish Coffee
[One Shot of Hot Espresso, 25ml Bushmills Honey, Layer Cream on Top]
A malty nose with hints of honey backs up a decidedly non-sweet Irish Coffee. What’s great about this as an Irish Coffee is that you could easily tweak the sweetness level to your own personal preference, rather than be stuck with a sickly drink. The woody notes and warmth from the spirit come through initially, followed by the coffee and then a dry, creamy finish (I’d also like to try this with a spoonful of brown sugar).

In Conclusion
This is a smooth and accessible drink, especially when sipped neat, but neither the honey, nor the whiskey notes are particularly strong. If you’re after something less subtle, you might be better with one of the honey flavoured bourbons (e.g. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Jim Beam Honey, or Evan Williams Honey Reserve Liqueur). However, if you find the whiskey liqueurs too sweet, or just want to experiment with cocktails using a honeyed whiskey where you can better control the sweetness, Bushmills Irish Honey could be worth a try.

- Mrs. B.

The Bowmore Scotch Valentine Competition – Ends Monday 11th!

Please note the change in timings! The competition closes at 11am on Monday 11th February and the Twitter tasting date is on Wednesday 13th February.

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Readers of my posts on whisky will know that one of the distilleries that I’m particularly fond of is Bowmore. Most of the expressions remind me somewhat of the sea, given where it’s made and the fact that I’ve taken it along to most of my seaside whisky tastings, so it’s a thoroughly relaxing, contemplative drink that’s close to my heart.

How appropriate, then, that for Valentine’s this year, Bowmore are running a competition during which they are revealing a new expression of their whisky. Two lucky winners will receive invitations to a special Valentine’s “Twitter tasting date” with Master Blender, Rachel Barrie, and thirteen other panelists from the whisky world.

Winners will receive a whisky bouquet (what an excellent idea!) containing three of the classic Bowmore whiskies, plus the exclusive new expression (a work-in-progress, no less), which Rachel will go through via Twitter, using the hashtag #loveBowmore.

The tasting takes place on Wednesday 13th February at 19:00 and you’ve only got until Monday (11th February) at 11am to enter the competition. To do so, enter at the Bowmore Facebook page.

Bowmore Enigma

One of the Bowmore whiskies that I haven’t written about yet is Enigma, a 12 year old that we picked up in duty free on a trip to France. Designed to reflect the duality of land and sea at the distillery on Islay, Enigma is a lovely, dark gold colour.

Nose: Warm and savoury to start, developing into slightly sweeter notes of sherry and brandy. Rounding off with straw and oatcakes, and a lovely, honeyed peatiness. A lovely, interesting and yet still wonderfully balanced nose.
Taste: A burst of sweet peat, which quickly gives way to a more smoky peatiness. This is followed by lots of neat notes of sherry-soaked wood that develop and change with each sip. The finish is deliciously warm and slightly fruity – that sherry once again making itself known – before a final note that has perplexed me for a little while; I’ve finally concluded that it’s a note of chewy, salted caramel oat cakes.

In Conclusion

Needless to say, Bowmore remains one of my favourite distilleries. I’ll certainly be having a glass of Enigma on Valentine’s Day; with it’s combination of peaty and sherry notes, I think that it’s perfect to share and explore with good friends (or after a romantic dinner!). If you fancy something richer and sweeter, Bowmore Darkest works particularly well alongside chocolate.

- Mrs. B.

Mrs. B’s – Burn’s Night Special!

Today, 25th January, is Robert Burns Day or Burns Night, a day to celebrate the life and works of Scottish poet Robert Burns. Burns Night celebrations can be exceptionally formal affairs, but ever since our honeymoon in Edinburgh, DTS & I have held a somewhat more informal dinner on Burns Night. It involves haggis, neeps and tatties, and – without a doubt – some whisky. Rather than go in-depth into the history or ceremony behind Burns Night, I instead wanted to do a quick investigation of how a range of different whiskies (selected by the fact that they were readily available in our drinks cabinet) accompanied such a meal.

Given the number that I was trying, and the speed at which my dinner was cooling down, my notes aren’t particularly extensive, but I was able to get a good idea of which fitted this particular bill best.

Talisker
The pepperiness and chilli kick of this whisky work incredibly well alongside the spices in haggis. The peatiness adds a little something special – another dimension to the flavours of the plate.

Grant’s Ale Cask
A general excellent all-rounder alongside the meal; the flavour is good and woody, without being harsh or contrasting with the haggis. The spice of the meal somewhat masked most hints of the ale cask, but this still tasted pretty good.

Johnnie Walker Black Label
Beautiful and full of flavour with excellent peaty notes and deliciously smooth. However, this also had more hints of sweetness that I think would go better as an after-dinner tipple than one to accompany the meal itself.

Whyte & Mackay The Partnership Blend (for Waitrose)
Sadly, I don’t think whisky is available any longer, although we found it to be a good standard Scotch – excellent value for money. When drunk alongside our Burns Night dinner, this was improved considerably by a drop or two of water, which opened it up, bringing out more subtle notes of wood and spice, allowing it to better complement the haggis.

Black & White
This had a stronger and more direct flavour than the others, which, even with water, seemed to distract a little from the meal. From personal experience, I know that this whisky works particularly well in a Whisky Ginger, so – next time – I think that would be the better way to enjoy B&W on Burns Night.

In Conclusion
My favourite whisky of those that I tried with my haggis, neeps & tatties was undoubtedly the Talisker, which had the perfect combination of power of flavour, spice and savouriness to best complement the meal.

A couple of postscripts…

(i) Dessert

After dinner, DTS made me the following cocktail – a take on a Rusty Nail – was recommended to us by Jamie Stephenson, Drambuie Global Brand Ambassador.

Rusty Robbie Burns
15ml Drambuie
30ml Blended Scotch (e.g. Johnnie Walker Red)
15ml Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Method: Stir well with ice and strain into a cocktail glass
Garnish: Shortbread

Nose: Bright and refreshing, with strong notes of orange fondant.
Taste: Lighter and more refreshing than Drambuie on its own in a Rusty Nail; this is drier, thinner, but still with a distinctive flavour. A delicious drink, especially if you generally find Drambuie a bit sweet on its own. If you fancy a little extra sweetness, a piece of shortbread goes particularly well with this.

(ii) For those who prefer more gin in their cocktails (a postscript by DTS)

For those who fancy some gin to celebrate Burns Night with, I can recommend the Argyll Station Chief, which is a variation on the Berlin Station Chief*.

Argyll Station Chief
60ml Old Raj Blue**
15ml Lagavulin 16 Year Old Scotch
Pour Scotch into an ice-filled cocktail shaker.
After coating the ice with the whisky, strain the remainder into a small glass (to drink later, or give to your wife).
Add the gin, shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Strong gin flavours upfront: juniper, citrus and some herbal-floral notes, all followed by the dry, long, smoky finish of the whisky. This is strong (the gin is 50%ABV), but a good drink to have before you sit down to your Burns Night supper.

A Tasting of Tomatin Scotch

Once again, it’s that wonderful time of year when shops may have leftover Christmas stock in the form of whisky miniatures – a fantastic way to explore different whiskies without spending a fortune.

One of the sets that I received as a gift over the holidays was one containing three whiskies from the Tomatin Distillery, which is based on the edge of the Monadhliath Mountains, near Inverness, Scotland. The distillery site has history dating back to the 15th Century, but was formally set up in 1897.

The gift set contains a 50ml bottle of each of their 12, 15 and 18 Year Old whiskies (which is quite a recent line-up, as the 15 Year Old was only introduced in 2009).

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#1) Tomatin 12 Year Old (40%ABV)

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This whisky was introduced in 2003 and has been aged in 1st or 2nd fill American Oak casks, before being finished in sherry butts (for a minimum of six months).

Nose: Bread, yeast and oat cakes, with a little sea air and sherry, too. Mainly a surprisingly pleasant combination dough and oat cakes, though.

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Taste: Strong, savoury flavours from the outset; whilst its very smooth, even if you hold it in your mouth for a while, the flavours are potent and there’s a good warmth to it. The main flavours are of light wood and oat cakes, but there’s an intriguing, slightly bitter finish which is more vegetal.

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#2) Tomatin 15 Year Old (43%ABV)

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Introduced in 2009, the 15 Year Old has been aged in refill American Oak casks.

Nose: Light and distinctly creamy (just a touch of salted caramel or toffee), with malt, barley and wisps of smoke. There’s a breadiness to the creaminess, but nothing heavy.

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Taste: Again, wisps of smoke amongst a backdrop of clean, white wood and light citrus (mainly orange, but with hints of lemon). The flavour is quite “raw” at points, but there’s no burn. The finish is quite heavy on notes of hops and malt, with hints of chocolate.

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#3) Tomatin 18 Year Old (46%ABV)

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Introduced in 2006, this whisky is non-chill filtered and aged in refill American Oak casks, before being finished in Spanish Oloroso sherry butts.

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Nose: Lighter, softer and sweeter, but also stronger on the alcohol. Again, I get notes of faint sea air and the kind of fresh, slightly tart, dry fruitiness that you would get from a dry sherry. It finishes with notes of oats.

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Taste: Savoury and fresh, with a toffee-like mouthfeel that follows an initial burst of savoury notes. This has a surprisingly short flavour, which is predominantly made up of tart, dry sherry notes, and a lighter, sweet woodiness with highlights of dried fruit towards the end.

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In Conclusion
Whilst none of these whiskies were to my own personal tastes, I’m glad that I’ve tried the range and think that my Dad will be quite partial to the 15 Year Old, which was also my favourite of the three. This little gift set is an excellent, good-value way to try them (you can purchase it from The Whisky Exchange for around £17.25).

- Mrs. B.

Cocktails with… Buffalo Trace Bourbon

One of my very first whisk(e)y tastings (and definitely my first whiskey tasting) was at The Whisky Exchange and featured a range from the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky. Both distillery and its spirits were wonderfully introduced to us by two people lucky enough to work with them day in, day out, including the Master Distiller, Harlen Wheatley.

Now, the Buffalo Trace Distillery has a wealth of history about it that I will cover in more detail in another article, where we’ll look at the broader range of spirits that they make there, but I’m eager to get started tasting today’s whiskey and their namesake Bourbon: Buffalo Trace. It’s made with corn, rye and malted barley, and aged for at least eight years in oak barrels. For each batch, a number of barrels are selected, tasted and blended by the Harlen and his team, before being bottled at 40%ABV.

#1) On its own
Nose: Quite sweet wood varnish, with a sweetness to it that’s halfway between syrup and honey. Also, after a few minutes, comforting hints of warm, sweet spice, orange, and dry cocoa, all drawing out to a final scent of chocolate-covered marzipan and light brown sugar.
Taste: Straightforward, solid and strong Bourbon flavours: corn to start, with vanilla, then weightier, sweet wood notes. The finish is lightly dry, but not bitter, and vanilla keeps reappearing. This also has a lovely, comforting warmth at the end and that finish – which reminds me ever so slightly of banana bread! – means that I’m constantly drawn to my next sip. This would be exactly the kind of Bourbon that James Bond would sit and savour at the beginning of the first chapter of Goldfinger, which has the rather exquisite title: “Contemplations over a Double Bourbon”.

I’ve also been rather looking forward to trying this in some cocktails, as I think that its rich, but relaxed flavour will work well with others. We decided to try some classic cocktails that are nonetheless pretty easy to make at home. The first? A Manhattan. But when DTS asked me whether I wanted it shaken or stirred, I hesitated just long enough for him to realise that I didn’t yet have an opinion. The result? Two (unlabelled) Manhattans and a comparative tasting.

#2) Manhattans
(i) Manhattan – Shaken
A vibrant, sweet, floral nose with notes of vanilla and red berries. The liquid is decidedly chilled, especially around the edges; it seems warmer in the middle. The flavour is light and easy to drink, with a good balance of sweetness and light oak.

(ii) Manhattan – Stirred
The nose is much less vibrant than the previous cocktail, and the liquid is noticeably warmer, with no icy chill to it. On the taste, however, the wood of the whiskey comes through a lot more, along with a generally warmer, lightly spiced taste.

#3) Old Fashioned
Silky smooth and top-notch; always very balanced, but nonetheless full of flavour, which gradually builds. The Bourbon adds weight and rich corn, rye and oak notes to the drink, whilst still sharing the spotlight with the playful, herbal notes of the bitters, which are allowed to shine through. To top it off, there’s a gradually building warmth and a very measured sweetness throughout. If you’re after a smooth, rich and complex cocktail, try this.

#4) Sazerac
Strong, sweet aniseed on the nose follows through to the taste. I was then surprised at how dry and woody the main body of the taste was, as well as how rich and dark it seemed – much more so than the Bourbon on its own. The finish was a neat combination of dry oak and sweet liquorice, like liquorice allsorts. Delicious!

#5) Whiskey Ginger
This starts off with the same good, solid Bourbon notes, including dry oak and vanilla, along with more of a salted caramel flavour, plus an unexpected, almost herbal twist. The ginger notes are light and add a sweetness and gentle warmth to the finish, which pairs neatly with the building warmth of the whiskey.

In Conclusion
Buffalo Trace is simply an excellent Bourbon that’s full of flavour, but also works brilliantly in cocktails; letting other notes really shine, whilst still adding its own rich, classic notes of oak, corn and rye. I was particularly fond of the Old Fashioned, which I’d highly recommend. It also has a wonderfully rich and complex nose, which is refreshing, and makes it great to enjoy neat, too (feeling contemplative, anyone?).

It was interesting to see the respective merits of shaking and stirring Manhattans. Upon reflection, I think I slightly preferred the shaken version, with that superb chill to it, although I’ll probably be tempted by a warmer, richer stirred version during Christmas.

All in all, Buffalo Trace is a tasty, complex whiskey that we keep coming back to again and again. A brilliant bottle to have handy over the holidays.

- Mrs. B.

 

Christmas Cocktails with Baileys and Felder Felder

What do you think of when you think of Baileys cocktails? Heavy, creamy concoctions? Or maybe just pouring some into a coffee at the end of a meal? Well, yesterday evening I was treated to three delicious and wonderfully luxurious Christmas cocktails created especially by Dav Eames, Bar Manager at The Gilbert Scott at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London.

Dav Eames Bar Manager at the Gilbert Scott and our host.

As I walked up the steps, It was certainly a fine, grand setting for such an occasion, but after going to reception, I was surprised to be directed downstairs, through the edge of the kitchen, to a table neatly situated at the far end, with a superb view of the start of the dinner service.

Over the next hour or so, we got to try three custom-made Christmas cocktails, all combined with wonderful canapes from the kitchen, including what is easily the most delicious, melt-in-your-mouth mince pie (with a slightly chewy, caramelised top) I have ever tasted. But, throughout, the stars of the show were really the cocktails; here’s what we tried.

Mr. Eames Rather Fancy Shaker and Accessories

A Walk in the Woods
35ml Baileys Original
25ml Mozart Dark Chocolate Liqueur
15ml Kirsch Eau de Vie
20ml Amaretto
One piece of orange zest and some cloves

Stir or shake over ice and strain.

Walk in The Woods

The garnish on this drink was pretty impressive: firstly, the glasses had been kept in the freezer, decorated with a sprig from the Christmas tree and ribbon, all sprayed with silver. The rim of the glass was wiped with an orange, then dipped into a dish of granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg with just a little bit of edible gold dust.

The result was a truly luxurious Christmas cocktail. The sugar and spice encrusted rim added a sweetness and an interesting texture to start. The cocktail itself was fruity to start, with the Kirsch coming through like dark, alcoholic gateaux with cream, followed by a real freshness of the orange. The finish was a combination of creamy chocolate, cinnamon and orange. Absolutely superb.

Spice Route
30ml Baileys Original
20ml Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
25ml Bols Genever (infused with prunes, sultanas, orange and a few other Christmas-y ingredients from the kitchen – Dav suggested experimenting at home with whatever you might have to hand; DTS has made many a delicious cocktail using gin or vodka  that have been infused with mincemeat)

Build in a glass, add ice and stir. Garnish with a twist of orange.

Spice Route Cocktail

This had a particularly fresh, orange nose, with ginger and oats. The texture was creamy, but not heavy, with a smooth, maltiness to it. Light notes of Christmas cake are accompanied by notes of ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and milk. The finish was of ginger and prunes.

Every sip of this cocktail was slightly different, with another spice or fruit note coming through a little more – marvellous!

Earl Bailey
35ml Baileys Original
35ml Cognac infused with Earl Grey tea (add 2tsp of tea [or 2-3 tea bags] per 350ml of Cognac and leave in a warm place for at least 48 hours)

Mix (in a teapot, if you’re so inclined) and serve at room temperature.

Earl Baileys Cocktail

Lovely and warming. This is an excellent, but unexpected combination of flavours; the Earl Grey notes, usually heavy, were feather-light and came through first, powerful and aromatic, followed by a creaminess from the Baileys and a real, hearty warmth from the Cognac.

In Conclusion
These cocktails opened my eyes to combining Baileys with new flavours, as well as reminding me that the cream liqueur can be used to great effect without weighing the drink down. I was torn between all three, but think the second one just scrapes through as my favourite; I loved how every sip brought forth a slightly different, but equally tasty flavour of Christmas. An excellent cocktail to enjoy as you sit down during all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

- Mrs. B.

A Postscript – introducing the Felder Felder bottle for Valentine’s
Just before we left, we were all the lucky recipients of a bottle of flavoured Baileys – I chose Baileys with a hint of coffee. These limited edition bottles were designed along with Felder Felder, and will be available next Valentine’s Day.