Filibuster Straight Bourbon

Filibuster Straight Bourbon is a straight bourbon from Esplanda. The label gives no proof, age statement, mash bill or distillery location, so the notes below describe what the category usually delivers. They aren't a measured profile of this bottle. Straight bourbon is made from at least 51 percent corn and aged in new charred oak. That typically gives a sweet grain base with caramel, vanilla and toasted oak, plus a little baking spice or dry char on the finish. Expect a medium-bodied, approachable pour rather than a smoky or heavily peated one. Because the bourbon is meant to be sipped, start neat, and use a Glencairn glass if you have one. The tapered bowl gathers the vanilla, corn sweetness and oak into a focused aroma. After a first taste, add a few drops of room-temperature water. A little dilution usually loosens the grain and spice notes and softens any alcohol heat. For slower sipping, a single large cube in a rocks glass chills the bourbon with little dilution and keeps the sweetness from turning flat. Plenty of small ice cubes will water it down quickly, so avoid them if you want to taste the bourbon itself. The same sweet-oak character suits the classic bourbon cocktails. In an Old Fashioned, about two ounces of bourbon, a sugar cube or a teaspoon of rich syrup, and two dashes of Angostura bitters let the caramel and vanilla lead. An orange peel expressed over the glass adds a bright, oily edge. A Manhattan wants bourbon, sweet vermouth and bitters stirred cold, which gives a rounder, softer drink than the usual rye version. For a Whiskey Sour, shake bourbon with fresh lemon juice and simple syrup, and add egg white if you like a silkier texture. The bourbon's sweetness balances the lemon's acidity well. As a highball, pour bourbon over ice and top it with ginger ale or soda water. It's an easy, low-effort drink, and the spice notes in the whiskey come through the carbonation. At the table, bourbon of this style pairs well with grilled or smoked meats, sharp aged cheddar, roasted nuts and dark chocolate. The caramel sweetness matches the char on barbecue and the bitterness of cocoa.