Clyde Mays Whiskey

Clyde May's is a Massachusetts-labeled whiskey, and the details on file don't give a proof, age, mash bill or style designation. The label doesn't say whether it is bourbon, rye or a flavored or blended spirit, so check the bottle before choosing a cocktail. Clyde May's is generally associated with an Alabama-style, sweeter, spiced-leaning whiskey profile, but that is a brand tendency, not a measured fact about this bottle. If it is a conventional American whiskey, expect a base of grain sweetness, caramel and vanilla from charred oak, and a little baking spice on the finish. If it turns out to be a flavored expression, expect more pronounced sweetness, with the flavor leading and the oak sitting behind it. Try it neat first, at room temperature, in a Glencairn or similar tulip glass. The narrow rim concentrates the aroma, so you can tell quickly whether the nose leans toward vanilla and toffee or toward fruit and spice. For a lower-proof American whiskey, a few drops of room-temperature water are usually enough to open the aroma without thinning the body. Pouring over one large cube in a rocks glass slows the dilution and softens any alcohol heat, which suits a whiskey that is on the sweeter side. Small, fast-melting cubes dilute it too quickly and flatten the oak. For cocktails, an Old Fashioned is the most forgiving choice. Use two dashes of Angostura bitters, an orange peel and no more than a bar spoon of syrup, since a sweet whiskey already supplies sugar. A Manhattan with sweet vermouth and a cherry works well if the whiskey has some grain spice behind it. For a Whiskey Sour, shake 2 ounces of whiskey with three-quarters of an ounce of lemon juice and a little syrup, and add an egg white for texture if you like. For a highball, pour 1.5 ounces over ice and top with cold ginger ale or soda water. A lemon wedge keeps the sweetness in check, and the drink stays light and easy to repeat.