the boardroom

2 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
1/4 oz Walnut Liqueur (Russo Nocino)
2 dash Abbott's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with orange oil from a twist and either a cherry or walnut (cherry).Two Fridays ago, I was perusing the Kindred Cocktails database when I spotted the Boardroom by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles circa 2014. I was lured in by this Cognac Black Manhattan of sorts by the combination of Amaro Nonino and walnut liqueur that I had tried before in the Royal Union and Rock and a Hard Place. Once stirred and strained, the Boardroom presented an orange oil, dark orange, and Cognac aroma to the nose. Next, caramel-orange notes on the sip circled back to Cognac, dark orange, walnut, clove, and spice flavors on the swallow. Overall, the balance of the drink reminded me of Nicole Lebedevitch's Ce Soir that she created at the Hawthorne.