Product Review- Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey

It's gone. All gone. I'm staring at an empty bottle of Stranahan’sColorado Whiskey and feeling a sense of loss that I don't think I've ever felt over an empty liquor bottle. I know that supposedly 24 bottles are somewhere in the state of Oregon, but they are probably on the back bar of some of the better restaurants throughout the state and I want my own private stash of this stuff.
For the record, I'm a whiskey and gin man. I'm ok with other distilled spirits, but its whiskey and gin that work magic on my palate. And this is the best whiskey I've ever tasted. I'm not one prone to hyperbole, but this is the real deal. A truly authentic regional style of American whiskey, a reflection its terroir, its people and the passion of its distillers.
Stranahan’s is distilled in beautiful Denver, Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, using 100% barley, Rocky Mountain water, finished in a #4 alligator char american oak barrel for at least 2 years, Stranahan's takes the best features of classic scotch and bourbon, marries them together, and captures a taste of Colorado as distinctive as any scotch can achieve.
When I get a bottle for review, I like to take my time with it. With whiskey's, first, I'll try them with an ice cube or two to open them up, then I begin mixing them, playing with the flavor nuances particular to each one. I'll preface this by saying that the absolute best way to enjoy Stranahan's is to pour yourself two fingers of whiskey and add two ice cubes (one is acceptable, three too much), swirl the cubes in the glass to open up the bouquet and sit outside and enjoy a beautiful Rocky mountain sunset. Lacking a backyard with a view of the Rockies. Mt. Hood will have to suffice.
Stranahan's does mix incredibly well, but I'd generally advise you to use a lesser whiskey in most cocktails. At most, I'd recommend it in a Manhattan (maybe we should rename this a Denver though) with some Fee Bros Whiskey barrel aged bitters and Carpano Antica. I enjoyed a couple of glasses of Stranahan's this way, and while its delicious, I still prefer to let it sing for itself. This is such a singular whiskey that I think you owe it to yourself to enjoy it on its own. Its got a wonderful spiciness with some fruit undertones on the palate, complemented by an almost honeyed bouquet and a long, lingering finish. This will easily stand up to a great cigar or a nice steak au poivre.
If you have any friends of family (or you want to buy me a gift) who are scotch or bourbon afficionados, this is a great gift and the perfect introduction into American regional whiskies. Unfortunately, my birthday isn't until November, but I am lucky enough to be headed to Denver Friday night. Perhaps I can sneak a bottle or two back in my luggage, because I don't think my liquor cabinet will be complete without this world class Colorado whiskey inside.

Raiders of the Lost Cocktail #2- Dolly O'Dare

I know, I know, I already have an entry into this month's Raiders of the Lost Cocktail, but when I mentioned Raiders to my friend and fellow Oregon Bartenders Guild member Daniel Shoemaker of the TearDrop Lounge last weekend, he turned around grabbed a bottle of apricot brandy, whipped up a Dolly O' Dare Cocktail from the Savoy Cocktail book and placed it in front of me. Delicious.

Dolly O'Dare Cocktail (From the Savoy Cocktail Book)

6 dashes apricot brandy
1/2 French Vermouth
1/2 Gin

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze orange peel on top.

On another note, I've just tasted the best whiskey I've ever had. Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey arrived today and after dinner I poured myself a little bit and plopped an ice cube into my glass. Wow. I'll write a full review soon, but I have to say that not only have they created a unique style of whiskey with Stranahan's, but its incredibly well made and tasty. I was excited about Stranahan's before as I've read good things, but tasting is really believing. They've created a unique new style of American whiskey, and I for one take my hat off to them. This bottle may not make it to the OBG tasting... Good thing its available in Oregon already.

Qi, Grand Marnier and the Green Truck

Well, its been quite a day. The fine folks at St. George Spirits have generously sent me two bottles of Qi (pronounced chee) Tea Liqueurs. They sent both the Black and the White, and I can't believe that I've been able to stay out of them all evening. Tomorrow evening though, I'm meeting with Neil Koppelin of Carlyle, Daniel Shoemaker, and Kevin Ludwig and I'm afraid that if I don't save the bottles until tomorrow night, there might not be any to share. Usually I taste spirits and liqueurs by myself initially, and then I like to get others to taste in order to get their feedback, so this will be a little different, but I'm intrigued to see what happens. I've liked everything I've ever had from St. George, and I'm optimistic that these liqueurs can match the high standards that St. George sets for itself.

As I sit here unwinding from a very hectic Monday, I'm enjoying a nightcap that I haven't poured myself in ages, a snifter of Grand Marnier. The BBC America premier of "Last Restaurant Standing" is on in the background, it looks to be quite entertaining and its providing the perfect soundtrack to my own private little celebration. You see, on Friday, I found out that I have been selected to participate in Grand Marnier/ Navan's upcoming Mixology Summit in Vail Colorado. I'm excited on a few different fronts. One, it will be a great opportunity to network with some of the best bartenders in the country. Two, I'm really excited to see what the people from Grand Marnier/Navan have planned.I've never tasted the Grand Marnier 150, and I'm anxious to get the opportunity taste it. So far, everything seems first class and I'll be crossing the days off the calendar until we leave. And lastly, since we have family in Denver, we're planning on coming in a little bit early and spending some time in town before leaving for Vail. I'm really hoping to tour Stranahan's Distillery, makers of Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey while we are in town. The idea of regional whiskeys that reflect the tastes and character, perhaps even the terroir of where they are made, has great appeal to me. I'd love to see more craft distillers create authentic products that are true to the essence of where they are made.

Speaking of quality products, while I've really been focusing on spirits in my blog, I have a confession to make. I love wine. Not just love it, I'm passionate about wine. I love mixed drinks as well, but nothing is as food friendly (most of the time, an important caveat) as a wonderful wine. When it comes to spirits or wine, what I am most passionate about are those individuals who create high quality products because to create anything less would be unthinkable for them. Off the top of my head, House Spirits and St. George both stand out as distilleries that meet this description. Well, I'm about to reveal my absolute favorite wine in the world. I'll preface this by saying that 1) I'm generally a Zinfandel man (and it doesn't come in white, thank you) and 2) there may be more expensive wines, and wine regions more highly regarded for this varietal than his, but to my palate this is the best stuff out there. Green Truck Pinot Noir is the kind of wine that my wife and I have arguments about. We will schedule a dinner party with, perhaps a couple that we know enjoys fine food and wine. When planning the menu, the subject of wine always comes up (if you come to the Casa De Mayhew, expect cocktails with appetizers, wine with the meal, and then digestifs), and will, if we are sufficiently impressed, result in a discussion as to whether our invited guests are "Truck Worthy". Please don't take it personally if I invite you to dinner and serve something else. I have a nice wine collection and I promise, I never pour something cheap, but I only get 12 bottles of grin inducing Pinot Noir a year to be doled out very carefully over the years. The reason I'm sharing this information, is that the next release of the Truck is 3/1, so if you get over to the website, you've got a great chance to get in on this wonderful wine. I think Kent charges 30-35 a bottle these days, and production has increased ever since I became a Trucker from 250 cases to about 400 now. Green Truck is made from some of the premier grapes in the Napa Valley, and one of the real hallmarks of the craftsmanship that goes into Green Truck is that even in "off" vintages, the Truck is always well structured and extremely approachable wine. Kent Fortner, the winemaker and genius behind Green Truck describes his mission as producing "grin inducing pinot noirs". Get on board now and you'll thank me later when the Truck has a 10 year waiting list for allocations and you'll always have the perfect wine to serve at Thanksgiving.

Well, thanks for allowing me to share. More updates soon, but for now, I need to get back to that snifter of Grand Marnier.