smooth operator

2 oz Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum (R.L. Seale 10 Year)
1/2 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
1/2 oz Oloroso Sherry (Lustau)
Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, garnish with a cherry at the bottom of the glass, and gently sink 1/4 oz Benedictine.After finding the That'll Take the Edge Off on KindredCocktails that was sourced from the Be Your Own Bartender book by Carey Jones and John McCarthy, I ordered a copy. When I finally opened up the book, I landed on the authors' Smooth Operator in the rum section that seemed like a great start. With rum, sherry, and Ramazzotti, it reminded me of the East India Trading Co. and the structure plus the sherry and Benedictine aspects made me think of the Neutral Ground. Once mixed, the Smooth Operator launched with a nutty, rum, and root beer aroma. Next, a semi-dry grape and caramel sip yielded a rum, nutty, caramel, and root beer swallow. Moreover, as I got down a little over half way, the Benedictine began getting into the picture, and the balance shifted to smoother, sweeter, and more herbal.