Bird Dog Peach

Bird Dog Peach is a flavored whiskey, which puts it in a different group from straight bourbon, rye, or Scotch. Bottles in this category usually start with a whiskey base and add peach flavoring. Expect a ripe stone-fruit nose, a sweet and rounded palate, and some vanilla or light oak underneath. Smoke and heavy char are unlikely. The listing doesn't give a proof, a mash bill, a distillery location, or an age statement, so check the label for those before you plan around them. Serve it cold. Peach whiskeys usually taste best chilled, because the fruit stays bright and the sweetness doesn't weigh on the finish. Pour it over a few ice cubes in a rocks glass, or keep the bottle in the refrigerator or freezer and pour it straight. A small splash of water is rarely needed, though it can open up the aroma if the first sip seems tight. A Glencairn glass is more than this style needs. If you want to nose it, a small tulip glass or the Glencairn will bring out the fruit, but a rocks glass is the natural choice for sipping. In cocktails, peach whiskey works best where a standard recipe already wants a little fruit. In a Whiskey Sour, it can replace some or all of the base spirit. Use fresh lemon juice and a lighter hand with the simple syrup, because the flavored spirit already adds sweetness. In a highball, pour it over ice and top it with ginger ale, soda water, or iced tea. The iced tea version is a close relative of a peach sweet tea. Lemonade and ginger beer also work. An Old Fashioned made with it is better with a dash or two of aromatic or orange bitters and no added sugar. The bitters keep the drink from tasting like candy. A Manhattan is a poorer fit, since peach and sweet vermouth can compete. For food, try it with grilled chicken, pork ribs, or barbecue, where the sweet fruit works like a glaze. It also goes well with vanilla ice cream or a warm fruit cobbler.