double idemnity

1 1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Armagnac (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube.Two Tuesdays prior, I reached for my copy of T. Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar and found the Double Indemnity as his inverted riff on the Vieux Carré perhaps at 12 Mile Limit in New Orleans (the book did not specify). All the ingredients were halved or doubled compared to his Vieux Carré recipe, plus the Cognac and rye were switched to Armagnac and Bourbon. The reverse Manhattan of sorts fronted by Punt e Mes reminded me of some of Maks Pazuniak's drinks like the Cease & Desist across town at Cure, so I was curious to try this one. In the glass, the Double Idemnity gave forth a grape and caramel bouquet to the nose. Next, a rich grape sip slid into grape, brandy, herbal, allspice, and anise flavors on the swallow. The switching from spicier rye to sweeter Bourbon at a reduced amount unfortunately minimized whiskey's presence in the flavor profile.