the persecuted gentleman

1 1/2 oz Old Overholt Rye
1/2 oz Brandy
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Agave Syrup
2 dash Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a cherry.
Two Thursdays ago, I ventured down to Stoddard's to check out the new items on the menu. The first one that called out to me was the Persecuted Gentleman, and bar manager Jamie Walsh mentioned that it was created by bartender Ramona Shah. The drink offered up a rye and Fernet Branca aroma. The rye's malt and the amari's caramel filled the sip, and the swallow began with the rye and ended with the Cynar morphing into Fernet Branca on the finish. The Persecuted Gentleman was not as herbal as I expected it to be, and perhaps the agave nectar worked to smooth over the flavor profile without making this drink all that sweet.