rusty bene

1 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac
1 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Drambuie
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube (4 Kold Draft cubes), and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Two Thursdays ago, I returned to the "Drinks of Drink" collection and landed upon the Rusty Nail riff called the Rusty Bene. I have often listed the Rusty Nail as one of my guilty pleasure drinks during interviews; however, I have not had a classic one in years. I have enjoyed variations over that time though including recently creating a mashup with the Modernista called the New Nails. The Rusty Bene read like a B&B (Brandy and Benedictine) for Scotch variation, and that seemed intriguing. Once prepared, the Rusty Bene broadcasted an orange and rich aroma to the nose. Next, honey and caramel notes on the sip latched on to Cognac, honey, herbal, clove, and allspice flavors on the swallow. A priori, I expected this combination to be a bit cloying, but it ended up more rich than sweet.