romancing the stone

1 oz Scotch (Cutty Sark Prohibition)
3/4 oz Cardamaro
3/4 oz Zucca or Sfumato Rabarbaro (Sfumato)
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Two Thursdays ago, I began to ponder ingredient combinations as I scanned my liquor shelves, and I conjured up an Scotch abstraction of the Bijou taken in the Caustic Negroni direction. Since Scotch goes well with amari like Sfumato in the Preceptor and Cardamaro in the Great King Street, Green Chartreuse and orange bitters would round out the combination nicely. Moreover, Bijou means jewel, so I dubbed this one the Romancing the Stone after the 1984 romantic adventure comedy.
The Romancing the Stone proffered up grapefruit, smoky, and funky herbal aromas to the nose. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip stole away into Scotch and bitter smoky rhubarb root flavors melding into Green Chartreuse's herbal ones on the swallow. Over time with a little ice melt, the aggressiveness of the ingredients relaxed and became a touch more cohesive of a drink.