old ironsides

1 1/2 oz Scarlet Ibis Rum (Privateer Navy Yard)
1/2 oz Cruzan Black Strap Rum
1 oz Dolin Rouge Vermouth (Martini Grand Lusso)
1 tsp Lazzaroni Amaretto (Disaronno)
1 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.
Two Sundays ago, I was flipping through the Death & Co. Cocktail Book and spotted the Old Ironsides. It was not the Old Ironsides crafted by Sean Kenyon but one designed by Brian Miller in 2009. I probably skipped over this recipe numerous times either out of waiting until I purchased Scarlet Ibis Rum or due to my skepticism of amaretto-containing cocktails; I got over the first part by subbing in Privateer's Navy Yard, and I am still not sure how I got past the second aspect (most likely a curiosity of how Brian Miller's wizardry would handle it). Once prepared, the Old Ironsides donated a nutty and grape bouquet to the nose. Next, grape and caramel on the sip sailed into rum, molasses, nutty, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow that came across much like maple syrup. The drink itself is named after the USS Constitution that is docked in Charlestown, MA, and I had the privilege of seeing it fire off its guns while on a rum-sponsored harbor cruise this past summer.