Calumet 8 Year Old Bourbon

CALUMET's 8 Year Old Bourbon is a Kentucky bourbon bottled at 45% ABV (90 proof), with an eight-year age statement on the label. That puts it a step above the 40% to 43% range of many everyday bourbons. The extra strength helps the flavors hold up when the whiskey is chilled or diluted. As with most bourbons, the legal requirements mean a mash bill of at least 51% corn and maturation in new charred oak. Eight years in those barrels typically gives a rounded profile: expect caramel and vanilla from the charred wood, a toasted-grain sweetness from the corn, and a little baking spice and oak tannin. The finish is usually where that tannin shows, and it tends to be drier than the nose suggests. Taste it neat first, ideally in a Glencairn glass. The tapered rim concentrates the aroma, so you can pick out the sweet corn and vanilla notes before the oak and spice. At 45% the whiskey takes a few drops of room-temperature water well. Water loosens the alcohol's edge and often brings out more fruit and caramel. If you prefer it cold, pour it over one large cube in a rocks glass. A single big cube melts slowly and chills the bourbon without watering it down quickly. Smaller or cloudy ice dilutes faster and flattens a bourbon of this age. The strength and the age make it a good fit for stirred drinks, where the whiskey needs to stay recognizable behind the other ingredients. In an Old Fashioned, use a sugar cube or about a quarter ounce of rich syrup, two dashes of Angostura bitters, and a wide orange peel. The bourbon's caramel and vanilla suit the orange oils. A Manhattan made with two ounces of bourbon, one ounce of sweet vermouth, and a dash of bitters comes out softer and rounder than the usual rye version. For a Whiskey Sour, shake it with fresh lemon juice and simple syrup. The 90 proof keeps the bourbon from being lost behind the citrus. If you want a long drink, a Highball of one part bourbon to three parts chilled soda water and a lemon twist keeps the grain and oak notes clear. For food, the caramelized and smoky flavors of barbecued pork, grilled steak, or pecan desserts go well with it. A square of dark chocolate also works with the oak and vanilla in the glass.