Smoke & Peel

Old Fashioned · Bourbon

Full Proof

Barrel-proof bourbon, barely sweetened, three dashes of Angostura. For sipping slowly.

ABV
47%
Calories, est.
215
In the glass
2 ⅝ oz
Serve
Rocks, sphere
Make it your own Jump to the recipe

For adults 21 and over. Please drink responsibly.

How it tastes

Big, hot, concentrated caramel and oak. The ice slowly opens it up as you drink.

Spice-forward, with caramel sweetness on the finish. Strong at about 47% ABV once diluted. Sweetened with rich demerara syrup.

Sweet
Spice
Smoke
Fruit
Bitter
Oak

Why it works

At 120 proof the bourbon is already 60% alcohol, so the drink needs less sugar and less stirring. The sphere melts slowly, which gradually adds water so the drink changes as you sip. Three dashes of Angostura give structure against all that spirit.

Tips

  • Stir for around 25 seconds. The proof is high enough that heavy dilution is unnecessary.
  • Keep the sweetener minimal. High-proof bourbon is already full of caramel.
  • Give it a few minutes. The flavor opens up as the sphere melts.

The recipe

Full Proof Old Fashioned

Makes 1 drink. Caramel, vanilla and baking spice from new charred oak. The classic backbone.

Ingredients

Ingredients for one Full Proof Old Fashioned
2 oz60 mlBourbon120 proof
⅛ oz4 mlRich demerara syrup2 parts demerara sugar to 1 part water
3 dashesAngostura bitters
1 stripOrange peelAbout 2 inches, little pith
1Ice sphere

Bottles to try

$Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond · Wild Turkey 101 · Buffalo Trace
$$Knob Creek 9 Year · Woodford Reserve
$$$Russell's Reserve Single Barrel

$ under $40 · $$ $40–70 · $$$ $70+ · typical 750 ml price

Method

  1. Add the rich demerara syrup and bitters to a mixing glass.
  2. Pour in the whiskey. Fill the mixing glass with ice and stir for 25 seconds, until the outside is cold to the touch.
  3. Add an ice sphere to the rocks glass and strain the drink over it.
  4. Express the orange peel over the drink, skin side down. Rub it around the rim and drop it in.

Batch for 8

Making it for a crowd? Mix ahead, chill, and pour.

Ingredients

Ingredients for eight Full Proof Old Fashioned drinks
16 oz475 ml · 2 cupsBourbon120 proof
1 oz30 mlRich demerara syrup2 parts demerara sugar to 1 part water
24 dashes≈ 4 tspAngostura bitters
3 ⅜ oz100 mlCold waterStands in for stirring dilution
8 stripsOrange peelAbout 2 inches, little pith
8Ice spheres

Method

  1. In a pitcher or bottle, combine the whiskey, rich demerara syrup and bitters.
  2. Add 3 ⅜ oz of cold water. This replaces the dilution you'd get from stirring.
  3. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or in the freezer for 1 hour.
  4. Pour 2 ⅝ oz per glass over an ice sphere.
  5. Express the orange peel over each drink, skin side down. Rub it around the rim and drop it in.

Make it your own

  • Drop to 100-proof bourbon for something less intense.
  • Use a large cube instead of a sphere to chill faster.
  • Add a barspoon of cold water if it tastes too hot.

Change anything, see it in the glass.

Open this recipe in the builder to swap the whiskey, sweetener, bitters, ice or smoke and watch the ABV and flavor profile move.

Open in the builder

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