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PHC Orange Curacao Barrel Finish


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On 7/14/2018 at 8:19 PM, flahute said:

What's your preference for Negronis and boulevardiers if you don't use Campari?

At home, where I have all the ingredients, I borrow the blend from one of my favorite bars which uses Leopold apertivo, St George’s Bruto and Gran Classico (I think). Haven’t made it in a while so I would have to look for the proportions. If I am out and about and all they have is Campari I simply don’t drink Negronis. I can make do with Bruto or Leopold alone if I have to but Bruto in particular is a fair bit drier.

 

If the bar doesn’t have either one then I am in the wrong bar...

Edited by tanstaafl2
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  • 3 weeks later...
On 7/20/2018 at 3:08 PM, tanstaafl2 said:

At home, where I have all the ingredients, I borrow the blend from one of my favorite bars which uses Leopold apertivo, St George’s Bruto and Gran Classico (I think). Haven’t made it in a while so I would have to look for the proportions. If I am out and about and all they have is Campari I simply don’t drink Negronis. I can make do with Bruto or Leopold alone if I have to but Bruto in particular is a fair bit drier.

 

If the bar doesn’t have either one then I am in the wrong bar...

So after doing a bit of researching, I've come to find out that both Bruto and Leopold aren't available in WA State. (I will have to order those online). I can get Gran Classico though, which I did, and I made some boulevardiers with it an hooooo boy is that ever good.

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  • 1 month later...

back to the topic at hand.....  ?

 

I happened to get a bottle of this.  I would normally put it in a rotation for a future date.  However, this one intrigued me and i opened it right away. 

 

First off.... 

 

Neat 

The Nose:  Definitely Orange, Burnt Orange.  the Orange is unmistakeable and somewhat overpowering. 

Body: Great body and Mouthfeel.  Velvety this WAS good / great bourbon. 

Taste:  Astringent burnt orange and not much else.  No discernable bourbon undertones.  

 

I thought this may be a total loss but, it may make a great Old Fashioned or Manhattan.

 

Added some Water:

 

Nose:  Still Orange, little nuances of Bourbon undertones.  Slight Vanilla if you look for it.

Body: Still great, velvety mouthfeel.  

Taste:  Alright now we are on to something.  This is good, the orange is sweeter, some corn, vanilla and oak tannins.  Man, this is pretty good.  This may not be a total loss here.  Another sip.  OK I get it this is definitely a flavored bourbon but, a damn good one.  I have to be honest once I found the sweet spot with water, it got better with each sip.  Chasing with draws of ice water between sips made the experience even better.  I ended up really enjoying this glass and poured a 2nd.  

 

Bottom line, this is not a classic bourbon, this as most barrel finished bourbons is a novelty.  IMHO, it is a damn good one.  If you take it for what it is I think most folks will enjoy this.  If you see it give it a go.  Just make sure your expectations are in check.

 

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back to the topic at hand.....  ?
 
I happened to get a bottle of this.  I would normally put it in a rotation for a future date.  However, this one intrigued me and i opened it right away. 
 
First off.... 
 
Neat 
The Nose:  Definitely Orange, Burnt Orange.  the Orange is unmistakeable and somewhat overpowering. 
Body: Great body and Mouthfeel.  Velvety this WAS good / great bourbon. 
Taste:  Astringent burnt orange and not much else.  No discernable bourbon undertones.  
 
I thought this may be a total loss but, it may make a great Old Fashioned or Manhattan.
 
Added some Water:
 
Nose:  Still Orange, little nuances of Bourbon undertones.  Slight Vanilla if you look for it.
Body: Still great, velvety mouthfeel.  
Taste:  Alright now we are on to something.  This is good, the orange is sweeter, some corn, vanilla and oak tannins.  Man, this is pretty good.  This may not be a total loss here.  Another sip.  OK I get it this is definitely a flavored bourbon but, a damn good one.  I have to be honest once I found the sweet spot with water, it got better with each sip.  Chasing with draws of ice water between sips made the experience even better.  I ended up really enjoying this glass and poured a 2nd.  
 
Bottom line, this is not a classic bourbon, this as most barrel finished bourbons is a novelty.  IMHO, it is a damn good one.  If you take it for what it is I think most folks will enjoy this.  If you see it give it a go.  Just make sure your expectations are in check.
 

I agree with almost all of this except that I actually think it’s still pretty darn good neat. I also get a good bit of orange zest on the nose and on the palate. I think your final paragraph is spot on, and is pretty much what Fred Minnick had to say about it in his first review of it.
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I re-visited PHC 12 again last night.  Same thoughts: Neat: it was very one dimensional, burnt orange and alcohol burn almost no bourbon traits.  It would have been very good as a cordial but, as a "bourbon guy" it would not be at the top of my list.  Again, this shines with some water, magically the bourbon notes appear and it transforms into a very enjoyable glass.

 

Some time to on the shelf / Air may also benefit this bottle as well.  It will be interesting to see others thoughts as they crack these bad boys open.

 

Anyone on the fence, grab it.  It is very different but, very good.   

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I actually really liked it for what it was..was disappointed I couldn't get a bottle of it at retail.

 

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On 11/1/2018 at 4:31 PM, Clueby said:

I actually really liked it for what it was..was disappointed I couldn't get a bottle of it at retail.

 

The Citrus doesn't do it for me. I feel like they cut corners this year, compared to years past.

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The Citrus doesn't do it for me. I feel like they cut corners this year, compared to years past.

You know what they say...different strokes for different folks...
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38 minutes ago, lcpfratn said:


You know what they say...different strokes for different folks...

As always, and in all things.    If everybody just totally LOVED only one style of Bourbon, that would be uninteresting in the extreme... and would make that type of Bourbon so VERY hard to source, I imagine.

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15 hours ago, WhiskeyBritchesNC said:

The Citrus doesn't do it for me. I feel like they cut corners this year, compared to years past.

Not all that different in concept from the 10 year old Cognac finish they did and one thing I give them credit for is lowering the price on this one, they could have kept it the same and still sold out rather quickly.

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Tried it again at Whiskyfest (and early enough in the evening to still appreciate it. I find it quite pleasant if you don't expect it to be as typical bourbon. The orange on the nose makes that pretty clear anyway! Happy I was able to get a bottle to try in more depth.

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On 7/20/2018 at 5:08 PM, tanstaafl2 said:

At home, where I have all the ingredients, I borrow the blend from one of my favorite bars which uses Leopold apertivo, St George’s Bruto and Gran Classico (I think). Haven’t made it in a while so I would have to look for the proportions. If I am out and about and all they have is Campari I simply don’t drink Negronis. I can make do with Bruto or Leopold alone if I have to but Bruto in particular is a fair bit drier.

 

If the bar doesn’t have either one then I am in the wrong bar...

 

On 8/5/2018 at 8:25 PM, flahute said:

So after doing a bit of researching, I've come to find out that both Bruto and Leopold aren't available in WA State. (I will have to order those online). I can get Gran Classico though, which I did, and I made some boulevardiers with it an hooooo boy is that ever good.

Hate to threadjack, but this one isn’t all that active anyway. Would either of you gents mind sharing your boulevardier recipe? I am looking to do a new barrel aged cocktail for the holiday season. Three liter barrel. Base bourbon recommendations welcomed as well. 

 

Going to my LS tomorrow to inquire about the Leopold, Bruti and/or Classico

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20 hours ago, Bob_Loblaw said:

 

Hate to threadjack, but this one isn’t all that active anyway. Would either of you gents mind sharing your boulevardier recipe? I am looking to do a new barrel aged cocktail for the holiday season. Three liter barrel. Base bourbon recommendations welcomed as well. 

 

Going to my LS tomorrow to inquire about the Leopold, Bruti and/or Classico

The Boulevardier is a baseline recipe on which one can build many interesting variations. 

 

Baseline I use I s the following:

 

1 1/2 oz Bourbon
1 oz Campari
1 oz Sweet vermouth
1 Maraschino cherry (as garnish)

 

But as noted above my “Campari” is almost always the blend I noted above or some variation of that or an amaro of some sort. My vermouth can be equally variable. Carpano is always a favorite vermouth of mine but if the bitters/amaro is a bit less bitter than usual I might use Punt e Mes. Or I might use any of a variety of vermouths as I come across them to put a bit of a new spin on the drink. Amaro’s and vermouths seem to springing up almost as fast as the latest neighbor craft brewery!

 

if you are barrel aging then maybe start with the basics like a favorite midshelf bourbon, Campari and Dolin until you see how it turns out!

 

 

 

 

Edited by tanstaafl2
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On 11/9/2018 at 6:51 PM, Bob_Loblaw said:

 

Hate to threadjack, but this one isn’t all that active anyway. Would either of you gents mind sharing your boulevardier recipe? I am looking to do a new barrel aged cocktail for the holiday season. Three liter barrel. Base bourbon recommendations welcomed as well. 

 

Going to my LS tomorrow to inquire about the Leopold, Bruti and/or Classico

I basically mirror Bruce. I always use Carpano for the Vermouth. I don't have the same ingredients he does for the Campari substitute so in addition to using actual Campari I will also substitute the Gran Classico or Meletti. I always put in an orange peel twist as well.

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I tried this last night at the GBS Executive Board Meeting.  I’ll give it another chance, but first impression is that it is reminiscent of a sickly mess of Vick’s Orange Dayquil, and with little bourbon influence.  Not enjoyable at all, to me.  

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1 hour ago, smokinjoe said:

I tried this last night at the GBS Executive Board Meeting.  I’ll give it another chance, but first impression is that it is reminiscent of a sickly mess of Vick’s Orange Dayquil, and with little bourbon influence.  Not enjoyable at all, to me.  

Ohhhh.....this may be one of the few times that you save me from myself instead of making me go out and buy something.

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6 minutes ago, flahute said:

Ohhhh.....this may be one of the few times that you save me from myself instead of making me go out and buy something.

 

7 minutes ago, flahute said:

Ohhhh.....this may be one of the few times that you save me from myself instead of making me go out and buy something.

Family takes care of family.  :)

 

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I tried this last night at the GBS Executive Board Meeting.  I’ll give it another chance, but first impression is that it is reminiscent of a sickly mess of Vick’s Orange Dayquil, and with little bourbon influence.  Not enjoyable at all, to me.  

Ohhhh.....this may be one of the few times that you save me from myself instead of making me go out and buy something.

If you try this with the expectation that it’s going to be like your usual bourbon, you’ll probably be disappointed. However, if you look at it as something different, without any presumption of what it should taste like, maybe you’ll like it. I like it a lot, but it’s not something I’d want to drink everyday. Of course I like Dickel too, but there are days when it doesn’t work for me either.
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9 hours ago, lcpfratn said:

If you try this with the expectation that it’s going to be like your usual bourbon, you’ll probably be disappointed. However, if you look at it as something different, without any presumption of what it should taste like, maybe you’ll like it. I like it a lot, but it’s not something I’d want to drink everyday. Of course I like Dickel too, but there are days when it doesn’t work for me either.

 

I've only had a small taste and wasn't horrified; but, wasn't sold on it either.    On the one hand, I was glad it wasn't syrupy sweet; but it seemed (from only the single try, mind you) to have been waaay too long in those curacao barrels.     I hoped (without any actual expectations) it would be another (very different) kind of "finished Bourbon". 

Very different: It IS!    ...And, I'd say this goes well beyond "finished" into another category.   'Flavored', maybe?

As far as I'm concerned, the jury is still out.    I may try it again within the next few days; though I'm still trying to get over a cold, so it may take a while longer to get to it.

I'll post my 'further' impressions here at some point.

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I've only had a small taste and wasn't horrified; but, wasn't sold on it either.    On the one hand, I was glad it wasn't syrupy sweet; but it seemed (from only the single try, mind you) to have been waaay too long in those curacao barrels.     I hoped (without any actual expectations) it would be another (very different) kind of "finished Bourbon".  Very different: It IS!    ...And, I'd say this goes well beyond "finished" into another category.   'Flavored', maybe?

As far as I'm concerned, the jury is still out.    I may try it again within the next few days; though I'm still trying to get over a cold, so it may take a while longer to get to it.

I'll post my 'further' impressions here at some point.

 

It’s amazing how different everyone’s palate is. Those of us that made it to the KBF were able to sample ThirstyinOhio’s bottle, and there were certainly differences of opinion there too. If I recall correctly, Bruce initially thought they didn’t go far enough with the finishing. I see in his latest comment above that he tried it again at the SF Whiskeyfest and he seems to like it more. I liked it enough initially that I snagged two bottles from the HH Heritage Center gift shop (thanks again Gary) during KBF.

 

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I tried this recently. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. I think I went into it with low expectations and plenty of “don’t expect a classic bourbon” warning built in. I think the best thing I could say about this is it is better than the only other curaçao finished whiskey I am familiar with, which was the Willett XCF. I wasn’t a fan of the XCF, and if I had to choose between the two I would take this stuff.

 

It did seem as though it would be tasty with a cherry, dash of butters, and an ice ball as a pseudo old fashioned. But, I generally don’t spend $100 on a bottle expecting to use it in cocktails to maximize my enjoyment. 

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5 hours ago, lcpfratn said:

It’s amazing how different everyone’s palate is. Those of us that made it to the KBF were able to sample ThirstyinOhio’s bottle, and there were certainly differences of opinion there too.

I was one of those who got to try Thirsty's bottle (thanks!) and after getting over the initial shock of how strong the orange was, kind of enjoyed it. I don't recall it being syrupy, but refreshing, more along the lines of a liqueur than a whiskey. Not enjoyable enough, however, to buy.

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7 hours ago, lcpfratn said:

It’s amazing how different everyone’s palate is. Those of us that made it to the KBF were able to sample ThirstyinOhio’s bottle, and there were certainly differences of opinion there too. If I recall correctly, Bruce initially thought they didn’t go far enough with the finishing. I see in his latest comment above that he tried it again at the SF Whiskeyfest and he seems to like it more. I liked it enough initially that I snagged two bottles from the HH Heritage Center gift shop (thanks again Gary) during KBF.

 

Despite Joe not caring for it I still enjoyed whilst participating in our extended GBS Executive meeting. Typical it is not but unusual to be sure. I still think they could have aged it a bit more in the Curacao barrels. Go big or go home! But then again I also enjoy a variety of cocktails. But it is definitely not syrupy or sweet.

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On 11/10/2018 at 5:10 PM, tanstaafl2 said:

 

if you are barrel aging then maybe start with the basics like a favorite midshelf bourbon, Campari and Dolin until you see how it turns out!

On 11/11/2018 at 5:05 PM, flahute said:

I basically mirror Bruce. I always use Carpano for the Vermouth. I don't have the same ingredients he does for the Campari substitute so in addition to using actual Campari I will also substitute the Gran Classico or Meletti. I always put in an orange peel twist as well.

 

I started a new thread under cocktails so if you both would be so kind as to post your opinions there I would appreciate it and I won’t be threadjacking this one anymore.

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