Day one of experimenting with the Black Manhattan was a limited success, but due to time constraints and an unwillingness to drink too much, more attempts will be required for perfection. Base liquor chosen was Buffalo Trace bourbon complemented with Nonino amaro and Carpano Antica sweet vermouth together with Angostura for both aromatic and orange bitters garnished with a single Woodford Reserve cherry served up in a chilled Nick and Nora glass.
We only made two drinks. The first was the classic version with 2:1 bourbon to amaro with one dash each of the aromatic and orange bitters. The second was an attempt to recreate the best Black Manhattan I've ever had, one where the bartender used both amaro and vermouth. That one was 2 to 0.5 & 0.5 again with the same bitters.
The second did come closer to the ideal, but wasn't quite there. I don't have the vocabulary to use to describe what was missing. Closest I can come to it is the drink didn't have a fully rounded mouth-feel.
Next week we should have a little more time. We will try switching to rye, changing from equal amounts of amaro and vermouth and, perhaps if we are adventurous, changing from the basic 2:1 ratio.
Hey there dlf! I really appreciate you checking in with the Black Manhattan experiment.
I like Amaro Nonino--it's a hit here in our house, my wife enjoys it too. It may be a little on the thin side to achieve that roundness you're seeking. If I may make a suggestion, a thicker/darker amaro may be exactly what's needed to get closer to that ideal. Averna is probably the most popular amaro for a Black Manhattan, though others like Cynar do a good job.
[Runs to the liquor cabinet...nope, no Averna right now]. If I had some Averna I'd do a quick comparison between the Averna and Cynar to see which has more body. My gut feeling is Cynar, but I would have to actually test them and see. Both have more body than the Nonino, and I think if you were to use one of those you'd see get that rounder mouth feel you mentioned.
And I think you may be onto something with the Rye. The spicy Rye may be a better platform to stand up against the complexity of whatever amaro you choose.
A brief check in from that Other Place.
Day one of experimenting with the Black Manhattan was a limited success, but due to time constraints and an unwillingness to drink too much, more attempts will be required for perfection. Base liquor chosen was Buffalo Trace bourbon complemented with Nonino amaro and Carpano Antica sweet vermouth together with Angostura for both aromatic and orange bitters garnished with a single Woodford Reserve cherry served up in a chilled Nick and Nora glass.
We only made two drinks. The first was the classic version with 2:1 bourbon to amaro with one dash each of the aromatic and orange bitters. The second was an attempt to recreate the best Black Manhattan I've ever had, one where the bartender used both amaro and vermouth. That one was 2 to 0.5 & 0.5 again with the same bitters.
The second did come closer to the ideal, but wasn't quite there. I don't have the vocabulary to use to describe what was missing. Closest I can come to it is the drink didn't have a fully rounded mouth-feel.
Next week we should have a little more time. We will try switching to rye, changing from equal amounts of amaro and vermouth and, perhaps if we are adventurous, changing from the basic 2:1 ratio.
Hey there dlf! I really appreciate you checking in with the Black Manhattan experiment.
I like Amaro Nonino--it's a hit here in our house, my wife enjoys it too. It may be a little on the thin side to achieve that roundness you're seeking. If I may make a suggestion, a thicker/darker amaro may be exactly what's needed to get closer to that ideal. Averna is probably the most popular amaro for a Black Manhattan, though others like Cynar do a good job.
[Runs to the liquor cabinet...nope, no Averna right now]. If I had some Averna I'd do a quick comparison between the Averna and Cynar to see which has more body. My gut feeling is Cynar, but I would have to actually test them and see. Both have more body than the Nonino, and I think if you were to use one of those you'd see get that rounder mouth feel you mentioned.
And I think you may be onto something with the Rye. The spicy Rye may be a better platform to stand up against the complexity of whatever amaro you choose.