Copper And Cask Straight Bourb

Copper And Cask Straight Bourb is a straight bourbon from Esplanda. The listing doesn't give an age, proof, mash bill or distillery, so what follows describes the style and how to serve it. It is not a measured profile of this bottle. Straight bourbon is made in the US from a grain mix that is at least 51 percent corn, and it is aged in new charred oak. Expect a sweet, rounded corn base, vanilla and caramel from the char, and a toasted-oak backbone. Styles like this usually add baking spice such as cinnamon and clove, with a dry, peppery finish if rye is in the grain bill. Bourbon of this type has no smoke note in the way Scotch does. If any char shows, it comes across as toasted oak or a hint of caramelized sugar. Start by pouring a small measure neat and tasting it before you add anything. A few drops of room-temperature water open up the aroma and soften any alcohol heat. They are most useful if the first sip feels tight or hot. One large ice cube in a rocks glass is a good second step. It chills the whiskey slowly, so the sweetness and spice stay distinct while the dilution is gentle. Skip small, fast-melting ice, which waters the pour down quickly. For cocktails, this style is built for the Old Fashioned. Stir it with a sugar cube or a teaspoon of rich syrup, two or three dashes of Angostura, and an orange peel expressed over the glass. The corn sweetness and vanilla need little help from the sugar. A Manhattan works well too. Use two parts bourbon to one part sweet vermouth with bitters, stirred over ice and strained into a chilled coupe. Bourbon makes a rounder, softer Manhattan than the rye version. A Whiskey Sour is a good option if you shake 2 ounces of bourbon with three-quarters of an ounce each of fresh lemon juice and simple syrup. Adding egg white gives it a silky texture. For a longer drink, a Highball of bourbon and ginger ale or soda over plenty of ice, finished with a lemon wedge, keeps the oak and vanilla in front of the fizz. For glassware, a Glencairn is the right choice when you want to nose the whiskey and pick out the oak, vanilla and spice. Its tapered rim gathers the aromas. A rocks glass suits slow sipping and cocktails built over ice. Both pair easily with smoked meats, aged cheddar, pecans, or dark chocolate, which echo the caramel and oak in the glass.