Grilled Salmon with grilled vegetables
I don’t usually reach for a big buttery Chardonnay when I grill but I brought home a great Sonoma Loeb Chardonnay 2011 and had some salmon to grill. With a little luck and finesse I can crisp up the yummy skin serve it intact.

I didn’t expect the Chardonnay to be a great match. I usually go for a nice Pinot Noir but was pleasantly surprise with the Sonoma-Loeb. We grilled an assortment of vegetables, Fennel, squash, zuchini, potatoes, sweet peppers, onions and cloves of garlic and served it with salmon grilled in foil with tomatoes and basil. As I said if you hit it right the skin crisps up nicely and the retained juices from the fish moisten the vegetables. The whole combination of the rich salmon with the slightly smoky and toasty vegetables meld nicely with the toasty oak and spice notes and the buttery quality of the Chardonnay. Grilling is pretty primitive so this is very easy to make which is key for a recipe to enter my cooking repertoire. Here’s the recipe:

Grilled Vegetables:This should be enough for 4 fairly hungry people

Ingredients

• 1lb new potatoes unpeeled, chopped in large bite size chunks (you can use Yukon gold or other thin skinned potatoes), 1 red onion chopped in 1/8ths, 1/2 head of garlic cloves, peeled, 1 head fennel with top removed sliced about 1/2 inch thick. 1 red or yellow pepper, seeded and cut into large chunks. 1 yellow squash and 1 zuchini sliced about 1/2 thick.
• 2 perforated grilling trays. They look like cookie sheets covered with 1/2 inch holes, I used disposable foil ones. Also some extra aluminum foil
• olive or other vegetable oil in a pump sprayer, salt and pepper, rosemary dry or fresh, good quality balsamic vinegar
• Grill, I use a three burner Weber

Preparation

1. Parboil the potatoes until al dente, almost fork tender, 5-10 minutes. Drain and cool. Heat up grill set the three burners to medium-low
2. Spray grilling trays with oil, distribute veggies evenly on both trays so that every piece contacts the bottom of the tray. Spray veggies liberally with oil and season with salt and pepper. Group the potatoes together and season them with rosemary, salt and pepper
3. NB. at this point see below and  prep the salmon so it is ready for the grill
4. Put trays on grill, close cover and grill for 15-20 minutes. Check occasionally for browning and burning and turn the pieces as they brown.
5. Once they are nicely browned pile all the veggies onto one tray, cover loosely  with foil and push to the back of the grill and turn the tray sideways. Then turn off back two burners and set front burner to medium-high. continue to slow cook the veggies with this indirect heat while the salmon cooks

Grilled Salmon:

Ingredients

• at least 1/4lb per person so for 4 get a piece of fresh salmon, from the belly about 1-1.25 lbs, cut in half with the pin bones removed
• two medium sized ripe tomatoes chopped into 1/8s
• fresh or dry basil, salt and pepper, foil, oil

Preparation

1. Lay one of the filets on an oiled sheet of foil. cover with half the chopped tomatoes and season with salt, pepper and basil. Wrap the foil
2. loosely around this ensemble into a neat package. Repeat for other filet.
3. grill the salmon on the hot front burner (see vegetables, prparation above) for 10-20 minutes depending on thickness of filets and heat of the grill. Check for doneness after 10 minutes, when done the flesh should flake all the way through. Avoid over cooking though its high fat content protects it from drying out too quickly.

To serve:
Move the veggies into a large bowl and toss lightly with a little balsamic vinegar
Plate up the veggies with a  1/2 filet per person, reserve salmon cooking juices and pour over veggies. If you like crispy salmon skin, it may come off in one piece from the foil with a spatula and a little luck. Serve immediately with a good, rich Chardonnay.

I’ve been pairing food and wine my whole life. More often than not I have wine with dinner so it’s (almost) a daily task. But when we create dinners around a collection of whiskies, that’s a different story. Many of our spirit seminars are accompanied by finger foods and hors d’oeuvres but around Bobby Burns Day we do a complete five course dinner around some 7 or 8 single malt Scotches. Here’s a menu whipped up by the geniuses at eat Mosaic in Saint James for us for our Jan 2012 dinner:

1st Course: smoked crudo, chilled marshmallow risotto, cherry-blue cheese migonette, toasted seeds
2nd Course: roast sturgeon, leek “stuffing” pancake, cinnamon fried parsnip, bacon, apple-oyster beurre blanc with:
*Highland Park 8 Year “MacPhail’s Collection”, Orkney Islands
*Benromach 10 Year, Speyside
& Tormore 14 Year “Connoisseurs’ Choice”, Speyside

3rd Course: sauteed duck leg pierogi, brussels sprout kraut, and caraway candied lemon foie gras creme fraiche
4th Course: Moroccan spice roast pork shoulder, lentil moussaka, minted dry fruits                               manchengo, cola gastrique with:
*Imperial Port Finish 15 Year “Private Collection”, Speyside
*Old Pulteney 21 Year “Rare Highland”, Highlands
& Glenrothes 30 Year “MacPhail’s Collection”, Speyside

5th Course, Dessert: bitter chocolate Irish oatmeal, raspberry, orange, almond, honey with:
*Caol Ila 10 Year “Connoisseurs’ Choice”, Islay

Looking into this a bit, I’ve found some guidelines and suggestions for pairing Scotches with food. Here are two menus with the Scotches as an ingredient as well as in the glass alongside each course. These menus were created by a restaurant manager in Scotland and are obviously much more conservative than the innovative dishes turned out at eatMosaic in Saint James. This chef’s  philosophy is to serve local food with local drink which has always been a safe bet in wine and food pairings as well.

1. Seared Scallops flamed in Glenturret 10 with Pea Puree and Mint Butter Sauce.
2. White Onion and Strathdon Cheese Soup with Tullibardine 1993 Cream and Croutons.
3. Lemon, Ginger and Glenfiddich Liqueur Granite
4. Shoulder and Loin of Scottish Lamb, Wild Mushrooms, Garlic Roast Potatoes, Rosemary and Springbank 10 Reduction
5. Dark Chocolate and Benromach 15 Pot with White Chocolate and Almond Biscotti
6. Coffe and Handmade Truffles laced with Dunkeld Athol Brose(a great Scotch liqueur), served with Glenfiddich Solera 15 or Athol Brose

The second menu:
1. Tien of Smoked Salmon marinated in Glen Farclas 12 with Creme Fraiche and Arugula
2. Wild Mushroom Consome with Glenrothes 1992 and tarragon
3. Cranberry, Apple and Drambuie Sorbet
4. Breast of Gressingham Duck, Pearl Barley and Spinach Risotto, Highland Park 12, Lime and Heather Honey Jus
5. Apricot and Vanilla Parfait with Balblair 10 Syrup and Cumin Shortbread
6 Coffee and truffles like the previous menu.

Here are some general guidelines for matching the various regional styles of Scotches with specific foods. As with wine you want to balance the weight of the scotch with the richness of the food and the flavor profile as well. Scotch has it’s own vocabulary for its characteristic flavors and aromas. There are many subtleties to scotch. Describing it as a wet dog drying himself off in front of a campfire made of creosote soaked railroad ties only begins to describe the nuances of a Scotch. There are influences of the maritime climate of the Island malts. Different cask types, aging in used Sherry cask  vs aging in used Bourbon cask, or any number of other types of casks, degree of peat is big too. As with wines, sometimes you look to complement the salient characteristic as in matching smoked salmon to a smoky scotch. Peat and its phenolic familyof flavors is the most obvious flavor and smell associated with Scotch whisky but there are many more. Floral components, malty components, nuttiness, brininess, tastes of dried fruit, tastes of unsweetened cocoa or coffee can be found. It really is endless. Here are some good flavor combinations to get you started.

Islay Scotches are from the Island of Islay and tend to be more peated so try these combinations:
smoked oysters
smoked salmon
smoked almonds

Sherried Scotches are aged in used Sherry casks and the Sherry is like a layer of honey over the smoke and peat of the whisky, it definitely lends some sweetness and some carmelly, nutty flavors:
dark chocolate
chocolate chip cookies
fudge
chocolate-covered coffee beans
cheesecake
flan
creme brulee

Highland and Speyside Scotches are not generally very peaty they show more malty, nutty and even flavors of cocoa and spices, try these combinations:
semi-sweet dark chocolate
Gravestein or Granny Smith apple slices, dipped in cinnamon honey

Campbeltown produces generally lightly peated whiskies done in Sherry or Bourbon cask so try:
humus with eggplant

The principles are the same as matching food and wine it’s just that you are conducting an orchestra of instruments you’ve never heard before.

Here’s the first rule of the eating and drinking game. Drink something you really enjoy, this supercedes food and wine pairing. If you are having a rare get together with your wine buddies and are dying to try certain bottles you’ve been saving, drink them. You can find some food on the table that will work with them or you can drink them on the couch before or after dinner. Whatever you do the pleasure principle is paramount.

The ideal of course is to harmonize the food and wine. The traditional Thanksgiving dinner is a harvest feast featuring  autumnal flavors such as; tangy cranberries, roasted or baked root veggies, gooey casseroles, spicy, rich and fatty stuffing, turkey, sometimes on the dry side, and rich creamy sauces and gravies.
All moral equivalency aside there are clearly some wines that do this spread much more justice than others. In my order of preference I choose:

First light to medium bodied flavorful reds not super high in alcohol and without much oak. To name but a few: Pinot Noir, mid level Bordeaux (and Burgundy), lighter Italian reds like Dolcetto, Barbera, softer Nebbiolo based wines. From Spain lighter Riojas, From the US all the favorite varietals are fair game as long as they are not alcohol or oak monsters, cab, merlot, even zin.

Second,  full bodied (not heavy) flavorful whites also with reasonable degrees of alcohol and oak. Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio are the most popular whites we sell so I say an appropriate Chardonnay (white Burg, Long Island, California with little or no oak), Pinot Grigio is too light but the Northern European producers make grea Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurtz, Gruner, Sauv Blanc.

And finally dry rosé can be ideal.
Finaly dry rosé can be ideal. You could use the lighter quaffing rosés of summer but look for more serious rosés that drink and chill like a white but have the intensity and flavor profile of a red. Our Paumanok rosé, Avanthia rosé and Borasao rosé are big wines that are great foils for this feast.  Llopart rosé is a  sparkling wine from Spain, made in the Champagne method that is fresh and festive.  I list  rosé last only because it is so summery although, I’ve served a rosé Champagne, for a full meal,  from start to finish, including the dessert for a dining experience I remember from ten years ago, and I usually can’t remember what I ate yesterday. There is a lot of flexibility with Thanksgiving which can be a wine adventure if you have adventuresome wine geeks over or you can tone it down and let the wine play a supporting role if wine isn’t everyone’s passion. In the end wine is a beverage whose highest purpose is to enhance our meals.

Vias Imports Ltd. We Import Passion
Vias Imports Ltd. 875 Sixth Avenue, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10001, Tel. 212-629-0200 Fax 212-629-0262 www.viaswine.comProudly presents a selection of
Brachetto-based drinks to die for.
all made for Marenco Brachetto
Pineto …

BRACHETTO CAMPARI
3 parts Brachetto d’Acqui
1 part Campari
Serve over ice with a squeeze of orange wedge. The
perfect summer drink!

BRACHETTO FROZEN
3/10 artic red vodka
2/10 Fragoli’ Toschi
1/10 Strawberry puree flavored with balsamic vinegar
3 scoops of lemon ice cream.
Combine all ingredients in a blender with ice. Strain
into double cocktail glass and add 4/10 of chilled
Brachetto d’Acqui. Garnish with berries which have
been slightly sprinkled with balsamic vinegar.

BRACHETTO FROZEN (#2)
5/10 vodka
5/10 Cointreau
2 scoops of fior di latte (milk) ice cream
Combine all ingredients in blender with ice. Strain
into double cocktail glass and fill with chilled
Brachetto d’Acqui. Garnish with cocktail cherry and
fresh-cut mint.

BRACHETTO & ORANGE
1/2 Orange (cup in pieces)
1/3 dry vodka
2/3 Brachetto d’Acqui
2cl. Papaya Syrup
Cut the orange into pieces and put it into a tumbler
glass. Add one tablespoon of white cane sugar and
crush. Fill with ice. Add 4 cl. of dry vodka and 2 cl. of
papaya syrup. Shake. Fill up with Brachetto d’Acqui.

ICE CREAM BRACHETTO
5/10 Brachetto d’Acqui
3/10 fior di latte (milk) ice cream
2/10 Crema di Fragolino Toschi
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass with
ice. Strain into a double cocktail glass. Garnish with
berries.

QUESTION MARK
1/10 Amaretto di Saronno
1/10 Cointreau
1/10 Vodka Keglevich Luxuria
Mix all the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Serve
into cocktail glass and fill with 7/10 chilled Brachetto
d’Aqui. Garnish with liquorice stick and coffee
beans.
Serving Suggestions: Serve with a bowl of amaretti
and chocholate flavored pralines (milk to dark
chocolate, almond or hazelnuts)

AMANTIS
2/10 Limoncello
2/10 Cointreau
1/10 Amaretto di Saronno
Fill shaker with ice, then add Limoncello, Cointreau
and Amaretto. Shake all ingredients. Strain into a
large goblet glass and fill up with Brachetto d’Acqui.
Garnish with cocktail cherry, strawberry, twisted
lemon and orange peels.

SUNSET
1/3 of Aperol
1/3 Martini Bianco
1/3 fresh strawberry puree
Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Serve into a
chilled double cocktail glass and fill with Brachetto
d’Acqui.

BRACHETTO PARTY (serves 6)
Take a 8 to 9 lbs watermelon and cut it in half to
make 2 equal parts. Scoop out all the pulp form one
half. Mix all the pulp, a table spoon of brandy and 2
slices of melon in a blender. Pour the mixture back
in the empty watermelon shell and add more cut-up
fruit. Fill up with Brachetto d’Acqui and keep refrigerated
for a couple of hours before serving.

BOLLICINE
4 cl. Rum
2 cl. Vermouth Martini Bianco
1 cl. Campari
8 cl. Brachetto d’Acqui
Mix all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Serve
in a long tumbler and add chilled Brachetto d’Acqui.
Garnish with a spiral of orange peel.

DESERT ROSE
3/10 Biancosarti
5/10 Orange Juice
1/10 Papaya syrup
1/10 Campari
Mix all ingredients in shaker with ice. Serve into a
chilled double cocktail glass and fill with chilled
Brachetto d’Acqui. Free garnish.

GOOD YAM!
3/10 white Havana Anejo
2/10 Cointreau
1/10 Peach-flavored vodka
4/10 Brachetto d’Acqui
1 teaspoon of peach jam
Mix all ingredients in a Boston
shaker.

Our misguided intentions to do smores over a campfire while vacationing in Montauk resulted in a connoisseur’s confection that goes great with Champagne. It doesn’t have to be Krug though! We updated the old  hershey bar and  graham cracker recipe with a more delicate butter cookie and a thinner more delicate dark chocolate as well as a little Grand marnier highlight. Here’s how it goes:

Ingredients:
marshmallows, LU brand “Petit Beurre” cookies, small amount of Grand Marnier and Ghiradelli “Dark and Mint” squares.

The cookies are simple buttery  flat biscuits and I’m sure there are others you can use if you can’t find LU Brand.  Also Ghiradelli makes several styles of these “squares” we found the “dark and mint” to be the best. For compatibility with Champagne or if you prefer, red wine I strongly suggest the chocolate be of the dark variety. Milk chocolate (to my taste) clashes with wine, dark chocolate goes very well with wine.

Process:
1. Pour a thin layer of Grand Marnier in the bottom of a shallow flat dessert plate and lay two cookies in the liqueur to lightly coat. Alternatively lightly paint the cookies with the liqueur using a small brush.
2. Lay a chocolate square on one of the two cookies
3. Toast the marshmallow. One marshmallow per s’more is okay though you may want two marshmallows on yours. It’s up to you.
We skipped the campfire and did them over the stove top with forks. The technique is too subtle and involved to fully describ here but the effect you want to achieve is a nice even brown on all sides of the marshmallow and a very
soft, gooey center.
4. Top one of the two cookies with a chocolate square, then add the toasted  marshmallow (or two) and cover with remaining cookie. Press down lightly on the top cookie.  Let the s’more sit for a couple of minutes before serving to let
the gooey marshmallow set up a bit before serving.

As the geese start heading south and you feel a snap in the air the urge for warmth and comfort from the kitchen grows. We start off the Fall season with some dishes that will make you feel warm and a couple of wine pairings to match them

We recommend the warm, slightly spicy slightly sweet creamy flavors of the Butternut Squash Soup goes well with a creamy buttery Chardonnay like La Crema Monterey Chardonnay 2010

Cream of Butternut Squash Soup from Allrecipes.com

Ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and a little sherry do an incredible job of seasoning this slightly sweet soup. “After I lightened up a recipe from a friend in South Africa,” explains Lafayette, Colorado’s Shelly Snyder, “it quickly became a family favorite.”

8 ServingsPrep: 35 min. Cook: 30 min.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 butternut squash (2-1/2 pounds), peeled and cubed
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1-1/2 cups 1% milk
• 2 tablespoons sherry or additional reduced-sodium chicken broth

Directions

• In a large saucepan coated with cooking spray, cook onion and celery
• in butter until tender. Stir in the broth, sugar, bay leaf, salt,
• ginger, turmeric and cinnamon. Add the squash and potatoes. Bring to
• a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until
• vegetables are tender.
• Remove from the heat; cool slightly. Discard bay leaf. In a blender,
• puree vegetable mixture in batches. Return to the pan. Stir in milk
• and sherry; heat through (do not boil). Yield: 8 servings.

Cream of Butternut Soup (continued)

Nutrition Facts: 1-1/4 cups equals 159 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 487 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 5 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 fat.

Duck Cassoulet is the classic French stew with beans, sausage and duck. We recommend a great new pair of wines made by France’s great Rhone winemaker Michel Chapoutier. Though he makes this pair from Australian juice they are imbued with his signature French flair. Tournon Shays Flat Vineyard Shiraz 2010 is the “big boy” and Tournon “Mathilda” Shiraz 2010 is its little sister

DUCK CASSOULET from Allrecipes.com

Prep Time:  30 Min  Cook Time: 7 Hrs 30 Min  Ready In: 16 Hrs

Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork sausage links, sliced
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 1 whole onion, peeled
• 3 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1/2 pound bacon
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 pound dry navy beans, soaked overnight
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound skinned, boned duck breast halves, sliced into thin strips.
• 1 fresh tomato, chopped

Directions

1. In a large skillet, brown the sliced sausage over medium heat.
2. Insert whole cloves into onion. Roll bacon up, and tie with a string. Tie together parsley, thyme, and rosemary.
3. In a large slow cooker, place soaked beans, sausage, bacon, onion studded with cloves, fresh herbs, bay leaf, carrots, minced garlic, and duck. Add enough water to cover the other ingredients. Cook for 1 hour on HIGH. Reduce heat to LOW, and continue cooking for 6 to 8 hours.
4. Remove onion, bacon, and herbs. Stir in chopped tomatoes. Continue cooking for 1/2 hour. Serve.

The tomato and olive flavors as well as the game qualities of the juicey lamb chops pair well with southern French varietals, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, etc… Wherever they may be from, France, Spain, Italy, Australia, USA etc… A good way to use up the last tomatoes of summer.

Lamb chops with tomatoe salad and farro salad
• 1 cup farro
• 4 lamb loin chops
• 2 shallots, diced
• 8 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup Sherry vinegar
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped, Meat Farms has a good deal on pitted Kalamatas
• 1/2 cup parsley

1. Cook the farro in boiling salted water until tender, around 20 minutes
2. Strain and transfer the grains to a mixing bowl and toss with olive oil to coat. Set aside to cool.
3. Cook lamb chops on high heat in large skillet with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. take the chill off the lamb before you cook, let it sit out and
come close to room temp, then the middle will be done just right, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Set chops aside
4. Saute shallots in the same pan on medium heat, in about 2 tablespoons of the oil and pan juices. Sweat them til soft then add chopped tomatoes til tomatoes start to get mushy, add vinegar and cook a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste
5. Toss farro with olives and parsley season to taste with S&P.

Serves 4: plate each chop topped with the tomatoe sauce and a side of the farro salad.

Basque style Clams & Chorizo in Garlic Broth from Winespecator.com

Recommended wines:  Dandelion Vineyards Riesling Eden Valley Australia or Domaine de la Mordoree Cotes du Rhone Rosé. In lieu of these a good rule for matching food and wine is to drink the wine from the region of the cuisine, in this case Basque country. We happen to have a wonderful pair of wines from Getaria near San Sebastian. the wine are  called Txacolina (“cha-ko-leena”) the Txomin Etxaniz white and Txomin Etxaniz roséwith wonderful fruit and mineral notes with a brisk acidity and a touch of effervesence which blasts through the smoky garlicy seafood flavors of this dish.

Sausage and shellfish stews come in all sorts of regional permutations (think seafood gumbo, clam chowder with bacon, paella), but they don’t get much easier than this Spanish classic: clams and chorizo steamed in a garlicy white wine sauce. With a minimal amount of chopping and assemblage, this single pot dish comes together in well under 30 minutes.

A note about chorizo: There are a lot of different types out there (sweet, spicy, cooked, raw, Mexican, Spanish or Portuguese, etc. …). In this recipe, I used a mild cooked Spanish-style chorizo from specialty meat purveyor D’Artagnan. If you can’t find chorizo at all, look for andouille or a mild breakfast sausage, and then a supplemental seasoning of smoked paprika or sweet red peppers would do just fine.  Total Time: 25 minutes
1 baguette, cut into oblong rounds
2 chorizo sausages, diced (1/2 pound)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white wine (whatever you’re drinking will work best)
6 small Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
30 littleneck clams, rinsed and scrubbed
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, minced

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Brush the baguette rounds with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the oven and cook until the rounds have crisped and browned slightly, around 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.

2. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add the diced chorizo sausage and cook until browned, stirring occasionally, around 4 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and reserve. Add the onion to the pan and cook until soft, around 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add the wine and stir, scraping up any brown bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan. When the wine comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and add the potatoes. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes have softened.

3. Add the clams to the covered pot and continue to cook until the clams have fully opened, around 4 to 6 minutes. Turn off the heat and discard any clams that have not fully opened. Add the parsley and the cooked chorizo to the pot and stir. Adjust the seasoning of the broth with salt. Divide the clams and broth mixture into 4 bowls and serve with the crisped baguette rounds. Serves 4.

“The Single Oak Project is the most extensive bourbon experiment ever undertaken.

For over two centuries Buffalo Trace Distillery has been a pioneering leader in quality and innovation. The Single Oak Project is our most inventive and comprehensive experiment yet.

It all started with 96 individually selected American oak trees that differed according to the number of growth rings per inch and growing location. Each tree was then cut into two parts – top and bottom – yielding 192 unique tree sections. A single barrel was constructed from each unique section. Prior to construction we varied the stave seasoning times. The 192 barrels were then charred differently. These single oak barrels were then filled with different recipe whiskeys, at various entry proofs and aged in a variety of different warehouse styles.

We believe that this experiment will allow you to directly compare the impact of 7 different critical variables across 192 bottles for a total of 1,396 taste combinations. None of the 192 bottles in the complete set are exactly alike.”  – From the Buffalo Trace Distillery

         Our Bourbon selection keeps growing across the board and I am developing a deep respect for this noble spirit. Bourbon must be made from at least 50% corn and aged only in unused, charred American oak barrels. Beyond that the variables are the percentage of corn versus rye in the mash, source of water used and time in barrel  is big. The proof at bottling is also important. Although more barrel age is generally better and always more expensive to produce, the master distillers will bottle at what they consider the ideal age and proof. In the past I dismissed Bourbon as just too sweet, and I found in my limited experience, that they all tasted the same a bit syrupy with a harsh bite. As my tasting has broadened I find that the high-rye bourbons have a crisper, less syrupy sweet taste and that the profile of one Bourbon whiskey compared to another is subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) different.
To me they are very much like Cognac. Consider the Elijah Craig 18 year old Bourbon one of the oldest  (18 years in cask) single barrel Bourbons.  If it is not the oldest it belongs to a very small club, because Bourbon usually comes from Kentucky which is warmer than the Cognac region it ages much more quickly, so they don’t get much older than this.  Now my comparison to Cognac. First the flavor profile, here are tasting notes from a reviewer of the Elijah Craig.

Elijah Craig 18 year old “A buttery vanilla nose with some winey notes, a hint of caramel, a medium body presents a dry, almost cognac-like palate with eucalyptus notes and some hints, in the backdrop, of deep rich caramel; the finish is crisp, dry, and lasts a lifetime…” by Gary and Mardee Haidin Regan authors of The Bourbon Companion

Compare to:
Hine Antique XO     “The nose is giving a touch of young wood but also vanilla aroma. In the month it shows depth with taste of dry fruit and a hint rancio. It’s comes across as very smooth with a nice long duration. This definitely one of the best in cognacs in the XO class”

or good old Remy VSOP “hint of vanilla and dry fruit. In the month again taste of dry fruit (mainly fig) with a very nice and balanced finish. A rather impressive VSOP cognac.”

Notes are courtesy of : http://www.cognac-knowledge.com/cognac-review-and-tasting-notes/

Kelt Tour du Monde XO  ” Delicate scents of flowers: narcissus, jasmine, honeysuckle with multifaceted touch of tawny port and walnut. Subtle wood notes: vanilla oak, cedar wood, cigar box. Candied fruits”   From “the fifty best” website

Besides using the word Cognac in their descriptive notes for this fine Bourbon the flavor profiles are very similar, rich carmelly vanilla notes in the base with various other aromas on top whether it be different fruit, spice notes, floral notes etc. Given the conceit of the “Cognacscenti” I doubt you’d see the word “Bourbon” in tasting notes for a Cognac.

The big differences are that Cognacs are usually reduced to 40% alcohol by volume while Bourbon’s abv runs from 40% to barrel strength which can be over 60% depending on the judgement of the bottler, similar to the practice with Scotch.  Generally sipped neat, much like a Cognac, the higher proof whiskey can be better with a touch of filtered water and I’ve even  used ice on Booker’s (rocket fuel) Bourbon which weighs in at better than 120proof!  We offer this Elijah Craig in the 18 year old as well as the 20 year old! Thought they are in very short supply. Please inquire before ordering. We also have a great Bourbon of the month club which allows you to explore all these wonderful whiskies. Stop by and browse our Bourbon section, and by all means ask questions.
Cheers,
Rich Mora, Mora’s Fine Wine & Spirits