Blue Hours – Michter’s Sour Mash
As a roundup of our lates American Whiskey tasting, I decided to mix cocktails with at least some of the whiskeys in the tasting. The start of this little series marks a drink inspired by the local cuisine of the Northeast. All of that resulted in a kind of Old-Fashioned variation using the Michter’s Sour Mash.
I already gave you some details on the Michter’s Sour Mash in the tasting article. Even if the whiskey is not a bourbon nor a rye, I thought it would work nicely in an Old-Fashioned variation. Somehow, the Michter’s taste also reminded me of blueberries a bit.
Blueberry, maple Old-Fashioned
So, I used a high-quality blueberry liqueur from German distiller Lantenhammer. Furthermore, I decided on a combination of bitters. The classic, but more complex, Aromatic Bitters Mix (1 Part Angostura, 1 Part The Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters) and a dash of lemon bitters. The latter just seemed to work with the Michter’s Sour Mash and the blueberries. Since I am experimenting with genever lately, I also split the base with the excellent barrel aged Rutte Paradyswyn.
3 cl Rutte Paradyswyn Genever
2,25 cl Lantenhammer Blueberry Liqueur
1 Dash The Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters
1 Bsp Organic Maple Syrup Grade C
Stir – strain – chilled Old-Fashioned glass over ice cubes;
Garnish: Blueberries – Orange Twist;
Song: Bear’s Den – Blue Hours;
At first glance, the “Blue Hours” tastes like your regular Old-Fashioned with a familiar note of whiskey and bitters. However, it does not take long for the maple syrup and the blueberry flavour to kick in. Afterwards, the flavours blend together with a complex combination of spices, malt, berries, oak and the slightest touch of lemon.
*The fact that I received a product reviewed in this article for free, did not – in any way – influence the rating of said product. The whiskey was provided by Mack & Schühle.
