folly ruins

1 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Walnut Liqueur (Russo Nocino)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Sundays ago, I contemplated the Quarter Deck riff called the Full Deck a few weeks ago and how the drink family had rum and sherry as the only two common ingredients. A nutty sherry made me think of walnut liqueur such as in the Bittersweet Serenade, and that liqueur made me consider the pairing with Cynar that I had most recently in the Bitter Branch. For a rum, I selected the highly aromatic Jamaican rum Smith & Cross to round out the combination. To name this one, I dubbed this one the Folly Ruins after a mansion built in Port Antonio, Jamaica, that used sea water in the cement, and this construction blunder caused the structures to crumble over time.The Folly Ruins met the nose with bright lemon oil, rum funk, and darker undertones of nutty-caramel elements. Next, grape and caramel mingled on the sip, and the swallow showcased funky rum, walnut, and bitter-funky vegetal flavors with a clove finish.