hilliard

2/3 Scotch (1 1/2 oz Buchanan's 12 Year)
2 dash Sloe Gin (3/4 oz Atxa Patxaran)
2 dash Dry Vermouth (3/4 oz Noilly Prat)
1 dash Orange Bitters (2 dash Regan's)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

After the Cool Rummings, I turned to something a bit more nightcappish that I spotted in Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 called the Hilliard. There was no hint of whom the drink was named after but the most famous Hilliard would be the circa 1600 painter Nicholas Hilliard who crafted miniature paintings of the British and Scottish royalty. Instead of sloe gin proper, I used the sloe berry-infused Patxaran for the added anise notes shifted the recipe in my mind towards that of the Savoy Cocktail Book's Modern #2 (sloe gin, Scotch, grenadine, absinthe, orange bitters).
The Hilliard gave forth a plum, coffee, and smoke aroma. The Scotch's malt came through on the sip along with dark rich fruit notes, and the swallow showcased the smokiness of the whisky and more sloe's plum flavors with an orange and hints of anise finish.