10 Days of Bourbon Christmas - Day 9

Getting this one in just under the wire!  Had a crazy day today, my first day wearing prescription glasses.  I'm seeing in HD, baby!  I can't believe I waited this long to correct my distance vision.  Played golf this morning and could actually see my ball past 150 yards!  I also shot +2 on the front 9 and +6 on the back 9, good for an 80 which made me really love my new glasses even more.  Ok, enough chit chat, let's get down to business with my recommendation for a gift for your bourbon buddy on Day 9 of Bourbon Christmas.

The Cooper Double Old Fashioned Glass from CB2.com

Today we're revisiting glassware again.  Why?  Because you can't just have an elegant glass to sip bourbon out of, you also need an everyday utility glass good for sipping neat, rocky, or cocktails.  That's where the Cooper Double Old Fashioned Glass comes into play.  This glass is awesome.  First off, it's a little wider than your average old fashioned glass and it begins to taper towards the top.  The walls of the glass are a nice thickness too so they don't feel like they'll break easy but they are thin enough that the glass feels comfortable as you sip.  My favorite feature on this glass is the base.  This glass has a great hand to it and that comes 100% from the base of the glass.  It's thick glass that has a heavier weight to it.  This is a man's glass, dammit.  It's perfect for a  spirit like bourbon whiskey. 

The official glass of The BTS

I know I've featured the picture above before but I wanted to show how perfect this glass is for a cocktail like a BTS Old Fashioned.  Look at the way the glass allows for the large format ice ball while leaving a little bit of room for easy drinking.  I currently stock 20 of these glasses at The BTS and have 12 more on order.  Last night I held a bourbon tasting that I donated as an auction prize for the Hurricane Sandy Relief Dinner that Cobaya helped put together and the guests loved them.  At $3.50 each, you'd be a fool not to at least pick up four for yourself.  Only downfall is you'll have to wait until they get back into stock mid-January. 

So, there you have it.  Another affordable gift for your favorite bourbon buddy during the Bourbon Christmas season.  Enjoy!

10 Days of Bourbon Christmas - Day 5

Ok, we're back with Day 5 of the 10 Days of Bourbon Christmas and today we're goin' back to the juice.  That's right, another bourbon whiskey for you to enjoy.  This one is gonna be a hard find though...

John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey

One question people often ask me is if all bourbon is made in Kentucky.  Today's recommendation is clear evidence that, no, bourbon is not only made in Kentucky.  The A. Smith Bowman Distillery is located in Fredericksburg, VA.  I had the pleasure of popping into the distillery on a business trip through Virginia.  I had sampled a few of the Bowman products prior to my visit and the John J. Bowman bourbon had quickly become a favorite.  Trouble was in finding it.  They don't distribute in South Florida so I had to enlist a friend to get me a bottle.  Driving through Virginia with spare time meant I had to check out the distillery and pick up a bottle or two.

I really enjoyed meeting with Master Distiller, Truman Cox, on my visit along with a few other employees at the friendly distillery.  Truman had a ton of passion for distilling and aging some great whiskey and that really shows in the Bowman Brothers, John J Bowman, and Abraham Bowman products.  The John J. is my current favorite and my frontrunner for new bourbon of the year at The BTS.  John J. Bowman is triple distilled.  The first 2 distillations take place at Buffalo Trace while the last distillation takes place at the A. Smith Bowman facility.  This bourbon is then aged 12-14 years (based on my experiences w/ the regular product and some private bottlings) standing straight up at the Bowman facility and bottled at 100 proof.  This is a phenomenal bourbon whiskey.  Fragrant nose, tasting hints of toffee, chocolate, fig, and hints of vanilla.  Delicious!

The A. Smith Bowman Distillery aging warehouse

This is a rare find here in South Florida but do some digging and you may be able to source some for yourself of your best bourbon buddy.  That or take a quick flight to DC and make the drive about an hour or so South to the A. Smith Bowman Distillery and pick up a bottle for yourself!!

Until tomorrow!

Happy National Bourbon Day!

As you may have figured out by now from reading this blog - every day is bourbon day.  Today we've got something for everyone else.  Yes indeed, folks!  Today, on this lovely 14th day of June, marks National Bourbon Day.  Why today?  I have no idea.  In the age of National (insert something totally random here) Days we've finally come across one worth noting.

Bourbon whiskey is the only spirit designated as a distinct product of the United States of America.  By law, in order to be bourbon the following factors must be in play:

• Made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn
• Distilled to a proof of no higher than 160 proof
• Dumped into a barrel at a proof of no higher than 125 proof
• Aged in a new, charred white oak barrel
• Bottled at a proof of no lower than 80 proof

These guidelines are also known as "How to Make Liquid Awesome".

Bourbon has a history that coincides with American history itself and, like American history, some of it's legends and claims are somewhat foggy.  Take it's development for example.  Some claim the Reverend Elijah Craig was the man responsible for bourbon whiskey, that he was the first to age in charred oak casks which led to the clear whiskey distillate working into the grain of the barrel and taking on the reddish hue of bourbon whiskey.  Others claim that a distiller by the name of James Spears who lived in Bourbon County was the first to label his whiskey as "Bourbon Whiskey" and therefore is responsible for it coming to light.  Some refute all claims, stating there is no clear cut inventor.

Please note that none of the laws that designate a spirit as bourbon whiskey state that it must be made in a specific state.  Today, about 90-95% of all bourbon is made in the state of Kentucky.  As you can guess, that makes Kentucky a bourbon mecca.  They hold the Kentucky Bourbon Festival each September (which is National Bourbon Heritage Month) and have setup the Kentucky Bourbon Trail which encourages tourism of various distilleries around the bluegrass state.

Here at The Blind Tastes Speakeasy (aka The BTS pictured atop this post) we are big fans of the Old Fashioned and after much experimentation we have found our preferred recipe.  Today, on National Bourbon Day, we share it with you.

The BTS Old Fashioned

4oz W.L. Weller Antique 107 proof bourbon
1 sugar cube
4 dashes Orange Angostura bitters
splash of water (small splash!  helps dissolve the sugar)
1 ice ball or large ice cube
orange zest
Double Old Fashioned glass (or rocks glass of your choosing)

Drop a sugar cube into a rocks glass and add bitters and splash of water and muddle until the cube is dissolved.  Add the ice ball and give 'er a spin for a minute to cool the glass.  Add the bourbon.  Zest an orange so it's about 1/2 inch wide and 2-3 inches long, making sure to avoid too much of the white pithe that is more bitter.  Squeeze or twist the zest over the glass.  You'll see the oils from the zest spray out into the cocktail.  Rub the rim with the orange peel and toss that puppy in the drink.  Give it a stir and enjoy!