western paradise

1 1/2 oz W.L. Weller Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1 dash Bitter Truth Creole Bitters (Peychaud's)

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with ice.Two Tuesdays ago, I was browsing drinks on the Kindred Cocktails database when I spotted a drink that Ted Kilgore had uploaded. Since I have enjoyed drinks of his such as the Jack of No Trade and the Devil's Soul, I was curious to see what recipes that he had entered. The one that drew me in was a Manhattan-like number called the Western Promise that he crafted at Taste in St. Louis circa 2011 which split the whiskey with apple brandy and the blanc vermouth with Drambuie. Once assembled, the Western Promise donated a rye and anise aroma to the nose. Next, malt, apple, and honey notes on the sip led into Bourbon, herbal, and floral flavors on the swallow with an anise finish.