black diamond flip

1 1/2 oz Islay Scotch, pref. Ardbeg (Caol Ila 12 Year)
1 1/2 oz Cynar
1 Egg

Shake once without ice and once with ice; strain into a cocktail glass. I added freshly grated nutmeg to the recipe (book's recipe lacks this, but I felt it needed it. Turns out that the recipe on the web includes this garnish).

Two Fridays ago for a nightcap, we decided to make the Black Diamond Flip from the Cocktail Collective book. The recipe was created by Ron Dollete of the LushAngeles blog, and the name is a skiing reference implying that the drink is for advanced drinkers only. The Black Diamond Flip fell between two cocktails I have written about here; the drink adds a smokey single malt component to the basic but delicious Cynar Flip and possesses a bit more intensity than the Dark Horse. Ron described the magic in the drink in that the Cynar and Scotch pair up to create a chocolate note and the nutmeg helps to bridge the gap between the bitter and peaty notes; I have noted that chocolate taste in Cynar drinks before like in the Jupiter's Dilemma. There is definitely something special about Cynar drinks. Indeed, when bartender Scott Holliday made me the Cynar Fizz, he commented about how great Cynar is as a drink ingredient for it contains sweetness, bitterness, and booziness such that it is practically a cocktail within itself.
The Black Diamond Flip's aroma was smoke and nutmeg with an undercurrent of Cynar's herbalness. While the sip was rich and malty, the swallow provided the smoke notes followed by a Cynar finish. Overall, the combination was "very intriguing" according to Andrea, and it definitely made for a good way to wrap up the evening.