campo viejo

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Benedictine
1 dash Mole Bitters (Angostura Cocoa)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Build in an old fashioned glass, add a large ice cube, and stir to mix and chill.Two Thursdays ago, I got home from Drink where I made a guest an Oldfield. I was inspired to take that combination of rye, Fernet, Benedictine, and Angostura in the direction of the Last American Hero (another drink that I made that night) by splitting the base 3:1 with the minor part mezcal and adding chocolate bitters. For a name, I riffed on the Oldfield and dubbed it the Campo Viejo (translation of "old field" in Spanish). The Campo Viejo ploughed through with a vegetal and smoke aroma. Next, caramel from the liqueurs provided a mellow sip, and the swallow changed things up with rye, smoky mezcal, herbal, and minty-menthol flavors.