Could we be seeing a trend? I’ve been a big fan of Wild Turkey American Honey Liquor for a long time – mianly because when substituted for sweet vermouth, it gives a new twist on one of my favorite cocktails in the world, a Manhattan. (I actually usually do Manhattan’s with Wild Turkey Honey in the form of a perfect Manhattan so it’s not too sweet – 2 oz. Wild Turkey 101, 1/2 oz. Wild Turkey American Honey, 1/4 oz. Dry Vermouth – I call it “The Perfect Turkey”.) I also like it because there is a direct correlation between my consumption of Wild Turkey American Honey and the Pittsburgh Steelers ability to win. It’s uncanny.
Anyways, I read with much interest one of my usual stops on the internet, the Chuck Cowdery Blog a few days back with much interest as he announced that Jim Beam was entering the flavored whiskey market with a new Black Cherry-infused whiskey called Red Stag. (In an odd turn of events, I found out that Heaven Hill would also be joining the competition in September with a new Honey-infused whiskey from of all places The Huffington Post. I would have to imagin I’ll be sampling this down in Bardstown during this year’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival.)
So, SPE and I went for a late night run to Bruceton Mills the other night and sure enough, sitting on the shelf at the BP was a bottle of Red Stag which I promptly took with my left hand (my right hand already carrying a bottle of George Dickel).
This stuff is nothing like Wild Turkey American Honey, but is yummy in its own right. Honey needs to be cut, e.g. Wild Turkey Honey and Club Soda or as above in “The Perfect Turkey”. Its strongly sweet, strongly complex and really hits you. Red Stag doesn’t have the complexity of Wild Turkey Honey. It smells and tastes, well, like Bourbon infused with black cherries. Its much more the taste of Bourbon the tastes of some hard to define mixture of flavorings and spices. I was confused before tasting it as to why they would have it be the base spirit in so many drinks, something I wouldn’t do in general with Wild Turkey Honey, but the more “whiskeyed” flavor explained it quickly after tasting it.
I like Red Stag. It’s a drink unto itself. Red Stag and rocks suits me just fine. I hope that you get the chance to try it soon. It very well may become a staple in my house, since at the end of a long time, I oftentimes don’t want to mix up a drink. I just want a nice quaff and some cold ice. Red Stag will work for that very well.
