black douglas

1 1/2 oz Johnnie Walker Red Blended Scotch
3/4 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1/2 oz Licor 43
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

A few Mondays ago, after my DJ gig, we headed over to Eastern Standard for dinner. For a drink, I asked bartender Kevin not-Martin for the Black Douglas; he explained how the cocktail name was a reference to James Douglas. Douglas besides mounting a guerilla war against the English in the 14th century also fought the Moors in Spain. The drink structure reminded me of their rum-based Ponce de Léon from their early 2009 menu.
The sherry and Licor 43 combined to provide a grape and sweet spice aroma. Similarly, the sip offered a sweet grape flavor, and the swallow began with Scotch notes and ended with vanilla, raisin, and smoke elements.