The Campfire is a blend of bourbon, rye and peated scotch. It is
like nothing else on the shelf and the flavors call for the glow of a
campfire. I usually sip whiskey neat and recommend trying it that
way first. Some whiskeys are just too ‘hot’ and will require some
water or an ice cube to knock down the alcohol and bring out more
of the flavors. To me Campfire has a pretty heavy dash of iodine
on the nose. It seemed like it would be pretty intense, but with a
sip the rye spices emerge first and open the way for a long, sweet
bourbony middle. This whiskey is unfiltered, which gives it a kind
of sticky mouth feel that I like. The finish is long with a pleasant
lingering smoke from the peat that you just don’t experience in
other American whiskeys.
Next I had The Last Word, a classic cocktail that is traditionally
made with gin but it is equally delicious with rye whiskey. It is equal
parts rye, green chartreuse, lime juice and maraschino liqueur. It is
the idea of a whiskey sour perfected: a deliciously tart and boozy
summer drink. I used the Double Rye, also from High West, which
is a blend of a two year old 95% rye and a 16 year old rye with a
bit more corn in the mix. It is a bright but well-rounded rye that is
good for sipping and great for mixing.
“The Library Pub on north 90th has
an overwhelmingly large selection
of whiskey.”
Capone can all be found in today’s whiskey world and it’s all
fair game.
Alright, that’s enough talk – let’s start drinking. Normally I start
and end at Jake’s Cigars and Spirits in Benson. Jake’s has been
featured in this magazine before and for full disclosure, I am proud
to say I work there. The bar is a rare combination of a comfortable
atmosphere, a huge selection of excellent booze and cigars, and
a diverse crowd of good people. Every Wednesday Jake’s presents
Whiskey Wednesday, where they feature a new whiskey at a special
price. Recently the featured whiskey was the entire lineup of
whiskeys produced by the aforementioned High West Distillery out
of Park City, Utah.
“Jake’s Cigars & Spirits presents
Whiskey Wednesday, where they
feature a new whiskey at
a special price.”
High West is an innovator in the world of American whiskey
in that they are operating a distillery in Utah, but, maybe more
importantly, they are sourcing and blending which are two
somewhat controversial practices among purity snobs. Though they
are now producing whiskey on-site, they operate on a relatively
small premises so the majority of the whiskey they bottle is bought
from other unspecified distilleries. What makes the products really
different from the company they originally bought it from is the
process of choosing the barrels and blending them together to make
a new and unique whiskey.
photo caption here
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Just a short drive from Benson, The Library Pub on north 90th is
a comfortable bar that is away from the popular bar neighborhoods.
It has a fantastic rotation of craft beer on tap and, even more
exciting, an overwhelmingly large selection of whiskey. I was glad to
get away from my usual haunts and try something new.