Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/869846
106 / the tasting panel / september 2017 A Ginning Cbination: Dry Fly Distilling Barrel Reserve Gin When one runs through a list of brown spirits, gin rarely enters the picture. But Dry Fly Distilling Barrel Reserve Gin (SRP $49.95) serves as proof this category shouldn't be overlooked. Made from Washington State wheat, the base gin is distilled in a German-made copper still and infused with flavors from the Pacific Northwest: crisp apples, juniper, coriander, lavender, mint and hops. It matures in new oak for one to two years before being blended and bottled. You'll never think of gin the same way. Tasting Notes: With its honey-gold hue, it may not look like a gin, but this apple cider– nuanced spirit sure is—it's distilled from soft white winter wheat. Juniper and coriander are a given, but the lavender and mint are further intensified with the addition of hops, which brings out a bathed-in-oatmeal and caramel rarity. This is a spa experience for the palate. 93 —M.M. DRY FLY DISTILLING INC. Return of the Ration: Black Bart Navy Rum In the 18th century, no two groups enjoyed rum more than the British Royal Navy and the pirates who shared the seas with them. The British sailors tested the alcoholic content of their daily rum ration by dousing gunpowder with it and seeing if it would still burn, thus providing "proof" the rum was sufficiently strong. Closely matching this "proof"—and thus making it just under 40% stronger than most major rums—Black Bart Navy Rum – Royal Fortune Reserve (SRP $39.95) blends five-year-old rum from Barbados and four- year-old rum from Trinidad, both of which rest in American white oak bourbon barrels. The spirit is then sent to The Netherlands for blending before it's finally bottled in Santa Barbara, California. It's truly a spirit of the seas. Tasting Notes The nose captures the senses with sea salt, sandalwood, orange peel and mango. Aboard deck on the palate, the attack of black pepper is subdued by rich notes of butterscotch and woodlands brush. At 111 proof, this hearty buccaneer powers through to the finish with an enduring cigar leaf and citrus—shipshape! 92 —M.M. WWW.BLACKBARTRUM.COM A Family Heirlo: Arkansas Black Straight Applejack Arkansas Black Straight Applejack (49% ABV, SRP $45), founded by hus- band-and-wife team John and Samantha Collins, started out with just two barrels of applejack in 2013 and was embraced quickly by the bartenders of the San Francisco Bay Area. According to Samantha, "Our recipe pays hom- age to my great-grandfather Arthur 'Skipper' Ford. Skipper had an apple orchard on Howell Mountain in Napa where he grew heirloom apples for cider and applejack. His favorite variety of apple was the Arkansas Black." Every bottle of Arkansas Black Straight Applejack contains approximately 25 pounds of fresh apples and nothing else. The spirit rests for two years in used French oak barrels, before spending an additional year in new American bourbon barrels to lend sweetness to the nose and finish. While exquisite on the rocks, the robust flavor works beautifully in a cocktail like the Pomme and Circumstance, created by Maxim Gerasimenko, Arkansas Black Brand Ambassador and Treasurer of United States Bartenders' Guild–San Francisco. "The maple and cinnamon bring out the baking spice notes in the Arkansas Black, while the fino Sherry and salt balance the cocktail with their savory characteristics," says Gerasimenko. "A perfect fall aperitif." Tasting Notes The scent of apples, resin, vanilla, almond-cashew and sandal- wood are a dashing, regal combination. The unctuous palate almost floats on the tongue, saltwater taffy and cinnamon apples adrift and lingering. The flavor profile is balanced and anchored; its spicy, salty edge at the finish keeps you on board. 94 —M.M. TIMBERLANE LLC Boo Boo ◗ 1 oz. Dry Fly Distilling Barrel Reserve Gin ◗ 2 blackberries ◗ ½ oz. honey water ◗ ½ oz. lime juice ◗ ¼ oz. Royal Rose Lemon Lavender Syrup ◗ Egg white Shake the egg white. Add all ingredients and ice; shake again and strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Top with fresh lavender and blackberry garnish. Black Bart Broadside by the Snake Oil Cocktail Company ◗ 2 oz.Black Bart Navy Rum – Royal Fortune Reserve ◗ 1 oz. Dolin Rouge Vermouth ◗ 3 dashes Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters ◗ 1 wide lemon peel Stir rum, vermouth and bitters with a little ice to chill and strain into a chilled Coupe. Express lemon peel over cocktail and perch on rim of glass with a strategic lengthwise split. Pomme and Circumstance by Maxim Gerasimenko, Arkansas Black Brand Ambassador ◗ 1½ oz. Arkansas Black Straight Applejack ◗ 1 oz. fino Sherry ◗ ¼ oz. maple cinnamon syrup ◗ 1 dash Angostura Bitters ◗ 1 pinch salt Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and stir. Strain into a Nick & Nora. Garnish with an orange twist.