There you have it. We are no longer on the Negroni Month – which couldn’t have made this article any more timely. It’s funny that last year it was just a week. Now it’s a whole month. Next year we’ll have the Negroni semester, I’m sure. It will run from August until New Year’s Eve. And it’ll be great, as well as super practical, because everything will already be red, so there won’t be any need to change the palette for Christmas.

Negroni is an interesting drink. I saw a post the other day that gave some funny definitions of the cocktail. Among them, “the easiest way to make normal people hate cocktails”; “diabetes mixed with bitterness” and my absolute favorite “like a boulevardier, but worse”. The truth is that Negroni is the worst and most addictive drink there is. And certainly the one that evokes the most passion among its enthusiasts.

It is only natural, then, that it has branched out into several variations throughout its history. The best known of these is, allegedly, the Boulevardier, which swaps gin for whiskey. Something that, let’s face it, should have been done from day one. But there are countless others. Sbagliato, Negroni Bianco, Last Man Standing, Drunk Uncle, South By Southwest and Valentino, to name a few.

The Old Pal is one of them. Its creation is attributed to Harry MacElhone of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris in 1922. It was the bartender’s homage to William “Sparrow” Robertson, a journalist and editor of the New York Herald in Paris. His writing style has been described by others as “devoid of syntax and even more of elementary grammar”. However, regardless of his literary merit, Robertson was a celebrity, an alcohol enthusiast, and a great friend of Harry’s. Hence the “Old Pal”.

The original Old Pal recipe calls for equal parts Campari, rye whiskey, and dry vermouth. This Dog, however, might prefer a more modern ratio that puts the whiskey front and center. Two parts of the American spirit to one part of each of the other parts. Note, however, that this is based on personal taste and depends largely on the specific ingredients used. A rye with more rye in its mashbill might have a lower ratio. The tip is to experiment with different ratios until you find your perfect recipe.

For those who, like me, enjoy a negroni but are looking for something more balanced and fresh, the Old Pal is a perfect choice. Because of the dry vermouth, there is less sweetness, and the impression is that the body—of the drink and yours—is lighter. But without further ado, let’s get to it.

OLD PAL

INGREDIENTS

• 60ml Rye Whiskey
• 30ml Campari
• 30ml dry vermouth (this Dog used Dolin Dry)
• Stirring paraphernalia
• Coupe glass or glass with ice

PREPARATION

1. Add the liquid ingredients to the mixing glass, and stir with plenty of ice
2. Drop into a previously chilled coupe glass, or a glass with ice. The classic version calls for a coupe.

Today I’m going to invite you to do a different but very interesting exercise. Go to the image of the juices below and try to find at least one apple on each of the labels. Some are quite easy. Others are a true work of art in the form of marketing. The thing is, most of them contain apple, even though they are made from something completely different, like grapes and oranges. The apple acts as a natural sweetener and also reduces the cost of producing the drink.

When this happens, producers must, by law in Brazil, include the image of an apple. This is arguably to show the consumer that the juice contains more than one fruit. The rule, however, doesn’t specify exactly how. So, brands have found ways – sometimes wonderfully cunning – to meet this requirement. Go back to the image of the little fish below and pay attention to the fins. Not even if Van Gogh, Brueghel and Manet got together would they create a still life of this quality.

But sometimes what’s not on the label is just as important as what’s on it. That’s the case with the – not so much – new Glenmorangie 16 The Nectar. Previously called Nectar D’Or – a NAS expression – the whisky was matured in American oak barrels, and then finished for a few years in barrels previously used for French Sauternes. More specifically, Chateau D’Yquem. On the label of the 16, the term “Sauternes Cask” was replaced by “Sweet Wine Casks.”

And even though the label doesn’t state it, the information isn’t hard to find. Instead of finishing exclusively in Sauternes barrels, the whisky now combines four different sweet wines: Sauternes and Montbazillac from France, Moscatel from Spain and Tokaji from Hungary. According to Glenmorangie, each contributes distinct notes to achieve maximum balance. In fact, The Nectar doesn’t just seem like a more mature Nectar D’Or. It’s actually a different whisky.

Sensorially, it’s sweet, with notes of brioche, apple, almonds and honey. It’s undeniably sweet, but not to the point of being cloying. This is largely due to Glenmorangie’s new-make spirit, which is quite light and allows the finish to shine through without being too heavy. In fact, compared to the old one, it’s even lighter, more floral and less fruity.

The biggest surprise, however, is in the wallet. Despite having become an older whisky, Glenmorangie 16 The Nectar has had a considerable price reduction. The whisky can be found for approximately 600 reais in points of sale, here in Brazil. Much less than the seven hundred and something charged for the previous no-age-stated version. This was also reflected in other Glenmorangie labels, such as Lasanta and Quinta Ruban.

For those looking for a floral, light single malt with excellent drinkability, Glenmorangie 16 will be a great choice. Not only because of its profile, but also because it costs less than its previous version. Perhaps, in the end, the discreet changes in appearance are less important than the changes that really matter. And without a little apple on the label.

GLENMORANGIE 16 THE NECTAR

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Distillery: Glenmorangie

Region: Highlands

ABV: 46%

Tasting Notes:

Nose: citrus, floral. Licorice, white chocolate, coconut.

Taste: slightly citrus, with white chocolate and coconut. Quite sweet. Medium to long finish, spicy and floral.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” declared Franklin D. Roosevelt in his inaugural address as President of the United States in 1933. And for good reason. The country had been immersed in the worst economic crisis in its history for four years—the infamous Great Depression. Four years earlier, in 1929, the New York Stock Exchange had collapsed, taking the banking system and the jobs of thousands of Americans with it. And even though it was far from a priority at the time, not even drinking was an option, as Prohibition was in effect.

In this devastated landscape, an unlikely beacon of hope emerged. A racehorse—yes, believe it or not—named Seabiscuit. Not for any practical reason, because, obviously, the horse had no capacity to solve the United States’ socio-economic problems. This wasn’t an episode of Bojack. But Seabiscuit became a kind of personification—or rather, “horsification”—of hope. Seabiscuit was small and underestimated, with a difficult start to his career. However, guided by Tom Smith and Red Pollard—his trainer and jockey, respectively—he became a symbol of the fight to overcome adversity, and strive.

What few people know—or perhaps not—is that Seabiscuit was the grandson of one of the greatest champions in American racing history, Man O’ War. This horse competed between 1919 and 1920 and won 20 out of 21 races he participated in, including the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, part of the Triple Crown. He skipped the Kentucky Derby for strategic reasons, and his only loss was by less than a head in the Stanford Memorial Stakes.

With a name and résumé like that, it was only natural for Man O’ War to be honored with a cocktail. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, horse racing was at its peak, and many cocktails were named after feats on the racetrack. Another example is the Suburban, which has already been reviewed here, and the Futurity. This, in a way, disappoints me. It would have been much cooler if the drink had been named after the band or some gigantic 16th-century ship. But I digress.

It’s funny that, despite this history, no one is quite sure who created the Man O’ War cocktail. But that hardly matters. Like most classic cocktails, its recipe doesn’t involve any elaborate pre-preparation, which likely contributed to its widespread. It’s simply lemon, triple sec, sweet vermouth, and of course, Bourbon Whiskey—perhaps a nod to Churchill Downs.

The choice of ingredients, as always, is important because it will affect how balanced the drink is. I chose Woodford Reserve for its more balanced profile, and Dolin vermouth so it wouldn’t overpower the cocktail. The lemon should be freshly squeezed—it oxidizes quickly, and the recipe calls for a certain freshness to remain interesting. The triple sec is the easiest choice: Cointreau. Although, as an educated guess through some psychic writing, I think Cointreau Noir might add good depth. I’m almost afraid to suggest a clarified version of this. God forbid, but wouldn’t it be amazing?

Man O’ War is a distinguished cocktail, not just because of its flavor profile and relative simplicity but also because of the story behind it. Part of the cocktail experience is just that—creating a timeless experience that is still an authentic snapshot of its time. Let’s get to the recipe.

MAN O’ WAR

INGREDIENTS

• 60ml Bourbon Whiskey
• 30ml triple sec (some recipes call for curaçao—there’s absolutely no good reason to ruin your drink unless you have access to a really good curaçao)
• 45ml sweet vermouth
• 45ml fresh Sicilian lemon juice (don’t be lazy)
• Cocktail shaker gear
• Chilled coupe glass

PREPARATION

1. Add all ingredients to the shaker. Except the glass. That’s important, as it could potentially make this your last drink ever.
2. Shake vigorously and strain into the chilled coupe glass.
3. If you’re feeling fancy, garnish with a maraschino cherry or a Sicilian lemon twist.

Sitting at the bar, one day, a friend of mine comes up with the following analogy. “Look, imagine that your life is a huge jar. And you have in front of you, two portions of marbles. One of them is all transparent. The other has marbles of various colors” – he took a sip of beer, before continuing, for dramatic purposes – “At the end of each day, you have to put a marble in the jar. If you did something cool, important, you put a colored one. But if you were just there, wandering around, slipping through your routine, you have to use a transparent one.” – he said, pursing his lips.

“And then, you’ll see that in the end, there will be many more transparent marbles than colored ones.” I raised my eyebrows “Okay, and drinking beer here, does that count as colored or transparent?” By the way he rolled his eyes, I could tell he didn’t like the beating. But the analogy, deep down, was a good one. It could lead to reckless behavior, but it was basically the same old line that Jack Daniel’s had a few years ago. “Make it Count”.

And I got practical proof of this philosophy when I traveled with Brown Forman to the United States. The goal was to get to know the group’s distilleries and the people behind their brands. It was only five days, but every minute was filled. We passed through four cities, visited three distilleries and took part in a horse race at Churchill Downs – as spectators, of course. We slept in three different places, including a trailer camp right in the middle of Jack. We visited bars, historic houses and even a cemetery.

But the highlight of the whole experience, without a doubt, was getting to know the people behind these iconic brands. Seeing that the whiskey in the glass is, in fact, the sum of the knowledge of dozens of exceptional professionals. Like, for example, Elizabeth McCall, the master distiller of Woodford Reserve. Which we had the opportunity to interview, right after a visit to the distillery. The result you can see here.

This was certainly the day of a colorful marble.

How do you see consumers drinking whiskey nowadays?

My friends are not drinking whiskey because it is High Proof, or high ABV. So, if you teach people how to cut it down to simple cocktails, it makes it even more approachable. My favourite cocktail is a Manhattan.

 But in the summertime, we do a whiskey lemonade, with Woodford Bourbon. It is really good because it stretches it out, lowers the ABV, and makes a good sipping drink for a hot day. So there are a lot of ways to have it, that are not alcohol forward.

What is your favourite way to have it?

It would be on ice, like when I drink it at home. I just fill up an on-the-rocks glass with ice, and then fill it up with woodford. A big one with ice!

And what is your favourite expression of Woodford Reserve?

That’s Double Oaked. It was actually my first time I ever drank whiskey on the rocks. Not in a cocktail, but I just had it on the rocks. Maybe it had a little squeeze of lemon, but that was it. I think that this was back in 2012 or 2013. We were at a work dinner with colleagues and one of my colleagues orderd it. I was like “oh, ok, so let’s give it a try”.

I was working for Brown-Forman at the time, already. But I was still in the research and development lab in quality control. So I wasn’t working at the distillery. I worked with all (Brown-Forman) brands. But I have always had a fondness for Woodford. It is just a beautiful Brand in every way possible.

Did you see it coming, when you became a master distiller?

No! When I started, it (Woodford) was so small. But it always was this boutique high luxury, high quality, aspirational sort of brand. It’s always been something that you think “that’s good, I want that in my backbar, and I want to be part of it”. And now, working for the brand, is just like a dream come true.

And how did it happen?

It evolved, by getting the opportunity to be the “master taster”, so it was just like an elevated role for brand ambassadorship, to be working with the master distiller on how to know and taste our products and help with innovation. And I started working on more quality out here. Worked at the production at Woodford, and it developed into now being the master distiller. But it was never my go to when I started working.

What’s the biggest challenge on being a master distiller?

I think the biggest challenge right now is innovation, and getting things out the door as fast as we can. And this is really hard. Just thinking of new exciting ways to present our whiskey, that is not gimmicky or is not just to grab attention. But that really stays true to the brand and the heart and the soul of Woodford. Because there are so many trends out there.

There are people that just jump on the trend, and you know it is not authentic to the brand. So, the challenge is, “How do you stay fresh on consumers minds, still keep innovation, but be true?”

How is the creative process of creating these innovations?

It is really drawing inspiration from the World. What are people interested in? And then, also, what is at your fingertips. Like, what can we do? So, when I was mentioning barrel finishes, for example. We’ve have a winery that we work with. It is in the Brown-Forman family (Sonoma Cutrer). So, there is an opportunity there!

That’s a big piece of it. And then, the brain recipes. What sounds like fun. And also, we uphold from historical documents what we can bring back to life. So there are just a lot of areas you can play with.

What product would be fresh from Woodford?

We just produced a caramel chocolate whiskey. That will  come out in 10 years from now. You have to wait a long time, but maybe shorter. But the minimum 5 years so you just have to wait a long time, so when we innovate today, it takes us a lot.

But it goes faster than you think. And then and then some of the other things are just kind of fun blends that we’ve done looking in the warehouse. What inventory do we have in excess of or leftover barrels from something and you start thinkering in the lab and putting batches together and have fun to go.

For Relaxing Times, make it a Suntory Time. When I first watched Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, I wasn’t familiar with japanese whisky, but I thought the reference was funny. The film explored the feeling of estrangement, alienation and isolation between people. All those nunances in the human relationships highlighted by the feeling of cultural distance from Japan.

And nothing better to enhance this estrangement than whisky. In 2003, Japanese whisky was far from the craze it is today. And a fictional decadent American actor starring in a commercial for a product that seemed as disconnected from that country as he himself was a brilliant analogy. What I didn’t know, however, is that Japanese whisky was exceptional.

One of the clearest examples is the award-winning Suntory Hibiki 21 Year Old – the older expression of the whisky that appears in the film. Hibiki 21 years is a blended whisky which core is the Yamazaki single malt, and that uses whiskies from the Hakushu distilleries – single malt – and Chita – grain whisky. These whiskies are matured in American, European and Japanese oak barrels – the famous Mizunara.

The blend was launched in 1994, five years after the debut of the Hibiki line, with its 17 years. The family grew, with the 30 years, in 1997, and the 12 years, in 2009. However, a few years later, practically the entire family was discontinued. And the reason could not be more surprising. Due to the success of Japanese whiskies around the world, Suntory found itself with a short supply of stock to maintain the quality of its blends. So, instead of changing the formula, it made the courageous decision to withdraw them from the market until its stock was replenished.

In 2015, Hibiki Japanese Harmony was launched, which gradually allowed Hibiki 21 and 30 to be reintroduced. Two expressions, however, never returned to the shelves: Hibiki 12 and 17 years. This makes Hibiki 21 the oldes blend in the current portfolio – not in terms of maturation, but longevity.

Suntory Hibiki 21 has received several international awards, such as Best Blended Whisky in the World in 2019, 2017, 2016, 2013, 2011 and 2010 by the World Whisky Awards, and a gold medal at the 2012 International Spirits Challenge. In fact, it was one of the causes of the Japanese whisky craze and the consequent shortage of more mature stocks.

Sensorially, Hibiki 21 has fruity notes, ginger, black pepper and chocolate. There is something like a dried plum, or a plum syrup, in the background, which ties the proverbial ends of the blend together and makes it a concise product. The finish is a bit dry and fruity. It is an incredibly well-balanced and complex blend, capable of easily surpassing renowned single malts.

And this marvel has just arrived in Brazil. Less than 70 bottles landed here. Which seems like a small amount, but it is a surprising number. The whisky is highly sought after worldwide, and its production is still quite limited. The price is high. Seven thousand reais. But it is consistent with the price charged around the world. In Japan, if you are lucky, you can buy one for five thousand.

Hibiki 21 is a historic blend. It was one of the main whiskies responsible – along with its cousin Yamazaki Sherry Cask – for proving that whiskies produced with Scottish techniques but outside of Scotland could be as good as those. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that it is an absolutely incredible whisky even today. No alienation or estrangement – just a masterfully crafted blend.

SUNTORY HIBIKI 21 YEARS OLD

• Type: Blended Whisky with a defined age – 21 years
• Brand: Suntory
• Region: N/A
• ABV: 43%

Tasting notes:

• Aroma: Fruity and floral, with vanilla and plum.
• Taste: Honey, candied plum, ginger, black pepper, chocolate. Long, sweet finish, with vanilla, caramel and plum.

Owning a whiskey website requires a certain amount of focus. Even if my liver is what we call “totalflex” around here, the ethanol world is very vast, and liver and financial resources are limited. I often find myself forced to choose battle fronts, and, naturally, my favorite combat zone is whiskey. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy other fields. I’m passionate about cocktails, I’ve always liked beer, and I have an ignorant fascination with rum and cachaça. In the field of wines, I assume I’m on the fortified team. Especially port.

And sometimes, I don’t even have to choose. Because there are hundreds of whiskies that are finished in port casks. And that for me is almost an alcoholic megazord. Just seeing a whiskey that passed through such casks makes me feel irremediably compelled to try it. Imagine then, when I discovered a bourbon that goes through the same process – Angel’s Envy Bourbon.

The biggest difference between Angel’s Envy Bourbon – as well as its brother, Angel’s Envy Finished Rye, already reviewed here – is precisely its somewhat unusual maturation. The whiskey, after spending around five years in virgin and toasted American oak barrels, is finished for a period of three to six months in port wine barrels. This gives the whiskey a certain sweet and fruity wine aroma, reminiscent of raisins.

The idea of ​​finishing a whiskey in a barrel previously used for another drink is not new. It has long been used in Scotland – the pioneers were Glenmorangie, The Balvenie and Glen Moray. However, in the United States, the technique is still little used and only gained momentum when Woodford Reserve and its former master distiller, Lincoln Henderson, decided to try it in special limited versions of the distillery. Lincoln Henderson, who later, a few years before he passed away, founded Angel’s Envy.

Angel’s Envy Bourbon’s Mashbill is made up of 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley. It’s a recipe very close to that of another bourbon whiskey famous for unusual finishes, Woodford Reserve. It is also a mashbill with a considerable amount of rye, which brings balance to the sweetness provided by the corn.

The launch of Angel’ Envy Bourbon took place in 2011. However, until 2015, Angel’s Envy did not have its own distillery. Their whiskey was produced by Midwest Grain Products of Indiana (MGP) under request from Angel’s Envy, which curated the barrels and designed the product profile. MGP – once the huge Seagram’s distillery – also produces or has produced custom whiskey for several other brands, such as George Dickel, High West, Redemption and Smooth Ambler. Currently, however, Angel’s Envy is produced in their own distillery in Kentucky.

Angel’s Envy arrives in Brazil through the hands of its owner – Bacardi. The price is close to that asked for other sophisticated bourbons, a category that has grown a lot in our market recently. Its biggest difference is the port finish – although it is difficult to ignore the beautiful bottle. It is a bourbon that will please everyone: lovers of fortified wines, bourbons and single malts. In the case of Angel’s Envy, there’s no need to choose fronts.

ANGEL’S ENVY BOURBON

• Type: Bourbon
• Brand: Angel’s Envy
• Region: N/A
• ABV: 43.3%

Profile

• Aroma: Caramel. Brown sugar, honey, dried fruits.
• Flavor: Caramel, honey, vanilla, creme brulee. Long and progressively more fruity finish, with raisins.

“Doors to automatic and cross-check“. I buckle my seat belt, cross my arms and take a deep breath. I’ve never been afraid of flying. In fact, on the contrary. I love airports. The only thing that remotely bothers me is having to sit on the plane for too long. There isn’t much to do, and, as they say here in Brazil, ahead with no thought is the devil’s workshop. I watch the flight attendant point out the emergency exits. Suddenly, my mind reduces the sound volume of the surroundings, and an intrusive thought appears. What if I run out and open the emergency door as soon as the plane takes off?

You should let the intrusive thought win, for once, a friend of mine would say. I stifle the dialogue between reason and entropy in my brain. Not this time, this time everyone would die. I’m going to let it win when I it is somewhat like showing my butt in the middle of a restaurant or the church. Then, the worst that will happen is to become a felon. The flight attendant approaches me. Small moment of panic. I ask myself if he is a telepath and heard my thoughts. Would you like juice or water – she asks. I breathe a sigh of relief.

When the Boeing 737-900 starts running down the runway, I get excited, and the intrusive thoughts dissipate. After a few days in Tennessee, learning everything about Jack Daniel’s, we’re going to Kentucky to see one of the bourbon distilleries that I most admire in person. The Woodford Reserve. Known in Brazil for Distiller’s Select, Woodford is much more than that. It is an innovative distillery, which has often defied tradition and created new whiskeys – such as those from the Master’s Collection line, with very unusual maturations and techniques.

Our tour was guided by Elizabeth McCall – the master distiller at Woodford Reserve, in person. For a whisky geek like me, being able to talk to a person of such importance in the industry is always an honor. Our tour started at the visitor center – which has a well-stocked souvenir shop. Bottles, not so much. There is, of course, the entire Woodford permanent portfolio in the United States. But, no exclusive special editions, except for one – the Toasted Oak. This is because there’s a huge expeculative market over these expressions.

Elizabeth led us to the washbacks – where an exclusive Woodford yeast ferments the wort, which is made up of 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley. Fermentation takes 5 to 7 days. I notice that the washbacks are made of wood, and ask Elizabeth about the choice. The answer is surprising. “These are made of wood, but there is another portion of stainless steel. In our laboratory, we did not find significant differences between the fermented musts of the two. The wooden one is more traditional, and requires more work to clean.”

From there, we went to the laboratory where the yeast is grown. The strain has an Elon-Muskian name: “WR78B”, and has been used by Woodford since its founding. This is an important part. Scotch tend not to care much about yeast. In the bourbon industry, it’s the opposite. According to McCall, this yeast is responsible for Woodford’s fruity profile. In the lab, there is also equipment that assists in new-make standardization. And speaking of them, the next step was a visit to the pot stills.

If you, whiskey geek, paid close attention to the last words of the paragraph above, you might have thought I made a mistake. But not. Woodford Reserve is one of the only bourbon whiskey distilleries that uses pot stills in its distillation process. Their Woodford Master’s Select is a combination of the spirit from these stills with another, produced in a column. But there are expressions that come exclusively from them – notably, the expressions from the Masters Collection.

Woodford employs triple distillation. Wash stills produce low-wines with approximately 40% alcohol content. In intermediate distillation, high-wines come out at 60%. At this stage, the feints are removed, but not the foreshots. The spirit then goes to the second spirit still, which increases the strength to 78%. Finally, both foreshots and feints – once again – are removed. The spirit is then slowly dilluted, so that it reaches the entry-level strength for the barrels. 55% – 7.5% below the maximum allowed by law.

Finally, we were taken to a maturation warehouse. McCall explained that most Woodford expressions mature for five to seven years – but the idea is that the whiskey is unbarrelled and blended when deemed appropriate, due to its sensory profile, not time. Here, Woodford also has a difference. It does not rotate barrels, like some distilleries. But it controls the temperature of the warehouse. Especially during the winter, they raise the temperature and let it drop, encouraging the expansion and contraction of the wood in the barrels, and increasing extraction.

And there was one last surprise. Elizabeth chose a barrel, drilled it – with a small drill – and served a shot to the participants. A Woodford with 12 years of maturation, and 67.5%. The alcohol content, in addition to being insane, brings curious information. The barrels are 55% filled, but the water evaporates faster than the alcohol, due to the dry climate. Then, the alcohol concentrates. In twelve years, 12.5% ​​alcohol. It is a lot.

I catch myself thinking about what would happen if I stole the drill and went around drilling holes in barrels and drinking the whiskey. You should let the intrusive thought win, at least once, that friend of mine would remind me. No, not this time either. I’m just going to savor the moment here, and leave the intrusive thought for the plane back.