bumbled bee

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Michter's Straight)
3/4 oz Salers Gentiane Liqueur
1/2 oz Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth
1/4 oz Honey Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

After the Boardwalk Flyer, I reached for the 2016 edition of The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book. The recipe that spoke to me was the Bumbled Bee that was the bar's 2015 entry into the Battle of the Bees charity event. The Waldorf Astoria bar staff originally created the recipe in 2013 as a gin drink, and the base spirit and other aspect morphed over time into this combination.
The oils from the Bumbled Bee's lemon twist brightened the gentian nose. Next, honey and malt on the sip gave way to rye whiskey, gentian, and clove on the swallow. Overall, not the Bee's Knees riff that I was expecting from the name, but instead it was something closer to a bitter Manhattan variation akin to the Brown Bomber.