One of America's greatest gifts to the civilized world is bourbon, that burnished, deep amber elixir that has toasted everything from the completion of the transcontinental railroad to the winning of the Kentucky Derby. Here are five of the finest.
PAPPY VAN WINKLE 23 YEAR OLD FAMILY RESERVE
This limited edition collector's bourbon flies under the radar, as these individually numbered bottles are produced - in true Kentucky fashion - every now and then, and are immediately snatched up by connoisseurs. The photo of Grandpappy Van Winkle lighting a cigar on the label hints at the rich toffee, caramelized oak, and faint floral notes from this slightly wheated bourbon.
PAIRING: Graycliff Chateau Grand Cru
BLANTON'S SINGLE BARREL BOURBON
Everybody talks about single barrel bourbons, but this one started it all in 1984. Named after distiller Col. Albert Bacon Blanton, it's bottled one barrel at a time. Each barrel carries it own personality, dictated by the wood, the char, where in the rickhouse it was aged, and for how long - information that's handwritten on every bottle. It's almost creamy in texture and brimming with sweet candied toffee and vanilla.
PAIRING: Cuban Montecristo No. 2
KNOB CREEK
Of all the small batch bourbons, this is one of the best buys. Aged for nine years and clocking in at a full-house 100 proof, it carries the controlled meatiness you'd find in a charred Porterhouse steak. Appropriately, the Knob Creek name comes from a river that flows past Abraham Lincoln's boyhood cabin, located just 20 miles from the Jim Beam Distillery where Knob Creek is made. Indeed, the whiskey tastes like it came from another time - thick, muscular, and full of resiny caramel and oak, a perfect match for the richness of the extra-aged.
PAIRING: Dominican Trinidad 100th Anniversary
BOOKER'S
Bottled straight from the barrel, uncut, unfiltered, and unbridled, this is not a bourbon for the faint of heart. Named after the late Master Distiller Emeritus Booker Noe (Jim Beam's grandson), the barrels for Booker's are aged in the "center cut" of the warehouse, where Booker kept his private stock. A muscular bench press of charred toffee, expresso, and leather, it is nonetheless sophisticated.
PAIRING: La Gloria Cubana Series R maduro
PARKER'S HERITAGE COLLECTION
Master Distiller Parker Beam - a cousin of Jim Beam - selected the best bourbon he could find in the Heaven Hill warehouses. What he ended up with were 68 barrels that have been bottled as Parker's Heritage Collection. Burnt moist grass, a touch of cinnamon, a dusting of curry, a dollop of honey and plenty of oak in the finish tells you this is a whiskey to savor and sip sparingly.
PAIRING: Ashton VSG
TAKING MANHATTAN
Today's super-premium bourbons add elegance to any cocktail. My favorite is Hacker's Perfect Manhattan. Although traditionally made with rye whiskey, I prefer a meaty bourbon like Blanton's or Knob Creek.
First, to set the mood, fire up a bourbon-infused Maker's Mark Dominican cigar. Then, pour a splash of Martini & Rossi Extra Dry vermouth and French (Rosso) vermouth into a martini glass, swirl the vermouth mixture to coat the entire inside of the glass, then dump it out. Bourbon is sweet enough without overpowering it; you just want a hint. Next, pour two ounces of bourbon into a cocktail shaker with ice, add two drops of Angostura bitters (this is what makes it "perfect"), and shake vigorously for thirty seconds. Strain the bourbon into the glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.
