Tag: Manhattan

Maker’s Mark Manhattan

TJ Provost

Maker’s Mark is one of those bourbons that is available in every store and almost every bar I’ve ever been in. It is a staple bourbon. That means that if you order a Manhattan in most of those bars the “house” bourbon is going to be used. That “house” bourbon is likely to be be Maker’s. At least in 80% of the bars I’ve been in.

now let’s see how it performs.

Maker's Mark Manhattan
Maker’s Mark Manhattan

Straight Maker’s Mark scored 60/100, putting it into the Mixed Drinks only category. How does it fair as a Manhattan?

The sweetness of the vermouth brings out that subtle sweetness in the Maker’s Mark and highlights a sweet cherry note, which I really enjoy. The Vermouth washes out the little bit of wood char the bourbon might have had on the finish though.

The Score – Maker’s Mark Manhattan

This Maker’s Mark Manhattan scored a 65/100. That puts it at the upper end of the “If I Had Limited Choices” category. It’s a solid, entry level bourbon in my opinion. It is worth having on your shelf – but I save it for mixers. I also save it for new drinkers. There is no point pouring the good stuff into a glass until the drinker can appreciate it.

BottleScorePriceType
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan95$30 / 750mlManhattan
Balcones Lineage Manhattan92$40 / 750mlManhattan
Blade And Bow Manhattan90$50 / 750mlManhattan
On The Rocks Knob Creek Old Fashioned83$15 / 350mlOld Fashioned
Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan80$40 / 750mlManhattan
Death’s Door Manhattan74$40 / 750mlManhattan
Wild Turkey Manhattan73$30 / 750mlManhattan
Knob Creek Small Batch Manhattan69$30 / 750mlManhattan
Maker’s Mark Manhattan65$30 / 750mlManhattan
Redemption Bourbon Manhattan53$30 / 750mlManhattan
Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan50$20 / 750mlManhattan
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan49$35 / 750mlManhattan
Breaker Manhattan35$55 / 750mlManhattan
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey Manhattan35$25 / 750mlManhattan

See how all Whiskeys, Tequilas and Vodkas Rank!

Wild Turkey Manhattan

TJ Provost

I gave straight Wild Turkey a score of 63/100 so I was curious how it would rank when mixed into a Manhattan. I’m hoping the Vermouth will help tame the burnt marshmallow I didn’t really like in the base bourbon as a sipper.

I used my normal formula to start.

  • 2 Ounces Bourbon
  • 1 Ounce Sweet Vermouth

After I finished my first Manhattan I remade my drink but added in two drops of Orange Bitters. This Wild Turkey really benefited from the Orange Bitters, giving it a little more complexity where it was flat.

Overall this is what I’d call a classic mixer. It’s not out of this world, but its very sippable and its a perfect drink for parties and gatherings when you want to save the “Good Stuff” for those who will appreciate it.

A Wild Turkey Manhattan ranks 73/100.

Wild Turkey Manhattan

Color

Amber and yellow. A little blood in the pee?

Proof

40.0% ABV | 80 Proof

Pros:

  • Affordable way to make lots of mixed drinks.
  • Great option for parties and gatherings of people who like Whiskey, but don’t Love Whiskey.

Cons:

  • If you don’t like toasted marshmallows, this may not be for you.
  • Very simple taste profile.
BottleScorePriceType
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan95$30 / 750mlManhattan
Balcones Lineage Manhattan92$40 / 750mlManhattan
Blade And Bow Manhattan90$50 / 750mlManhattan
On The Rocks Knob Creek Old Fashioned83$15 / 350mlOld Fashioned
Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan80$40 / 750mlManhattan
Death’s Door Manhattan74$40 / 750mlManhattan
Wild Turkey Manhattan73$30 / 750mlManhattan
Knob Creek Small Batch Manhattan69$30 / 750mlManhattan
Maker’s Mark Manhattan65$30 / 750mlManhattan
Redemption Bourbon Manhattan53$30 / 750mlManhattan
Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan50$20 / 750mlManhattan
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan49$35 / 750mlManhattan
Breaker Manhattan35$55 / 750mlManhattan
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey Manhattan35$25 / 750mlManhattan

See how all Mixed Drinks rank here!

Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan

TJ Provost

I was a little disappointed in Fistful of Bourbon as a sipper. It scored a 53/100 when ranked against other sipping options. You can read the full review here.

What do I do with bourbon that isn’t sip worthy? I make Manhattans of course.

Fistfull of Bourbon Manhattan

If you can find or buy this online at the $25 price point, this is a great bottle to make mixed drinks. The Vermouth and Orange Bitters takes this rough edged bourbon and turns it into a smooth, tasty, Manhattan. I used my regular two to one mix and used my trusted Lowball YETI Ramblers to keep the cocktail cold while I drank it. These insulated YETI Ramblers also save my tables as they don’t sweat.

I feel like I got ripped off as I payed $40 bucks for my bottle of Fistful of Bourbon. At $25 this would be a great bottle for mixed drinks like a Manhattan.

The Score – Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan

A Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan scored an 80/100, and mixes into Sip Worthy Manhattan.

Pros

  • Makes a tasty Manhattan.
  • Benefits from the sweetness of the Vermouth.

Cons:

  • I would not pick up another bottle of Fistful of Bourbon unless I can find it at the $25 price point.
BottleScorePriceType
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan95$30 / 750mlManhattan
Balcones Lineage Manhattan92$40 / 750mlManhattan
Blade And Bow Manhattan90$50 / 750mlManhattan
On The Rocks Knob Creek Old Fashioned83$15 / 350mlOld Fashioned
Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan80$40 / 750mlManhattan
Death’s Door Manhattan74$40 / 750mlManhattan
Wild Turkey Manhattan73$30 / 750mlManhattan
Knob Creek Small Batch Manhattan69$30 / 750mlManhattan
Maker’s Mark Manhattan65$30 / 750mlManhattan
Redemption Bourbon Manhattan53$30 / 750mlManhattan
Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan50$20 / 750mlManhattan
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan49$35 / 750mlManhattan
Breaker Manhattan35$55 / 750mlManhattan
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey Manhattan35$25 / 750mlManhattan

Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan

TJ Provost

My original review of Agitator Kentucky Bourbon left me less than impressed. As a sipper it scored a 50/100. That put it in Mixers or On Ice territory. It is only a $35 bottle but I still hate to poor booze down the drain just because it isn’t Sip Worthy.

That is when I break out my Vermouth and see if making a Manhattan will boost the score a little.

I used my standard recipe for a Manhattan, mixing bourbon to vermouth in a 2 to 1 ratio.

I tried this Agitator Manhattan with, and without Orange Bitters.

Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan

I was thinking the red wine finish on this Agitator bourbon would pair well with vermouth and make an amazing Manhattan.

Boy, was I wrong. What I was hoping would become a nice pairing of red wine and vermouth, turned out to clash, and badly.

Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan Scoring

I’m giving this Agitator Manhattan a 49/100, put it in Just Bad territory.

Pros:

  • If you like cheap whiskey with strong red wine notes, this might be for you.

Cons:

  • The red wine finish from the Agitator clashes with the vermouth.
BottleScorePriceType
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan95$30 / 750mlManhattan
Balcones Lineage Manhattan92$40 / 750mlManhattan
Blade And Bow Manhattan90$50 / 750mlManhattan
On The Rocks Knob Creek Old Fashioned83$15 / 350mlOld Fashioned
Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan80$40 / 750mlManhattan
Death’s Door Manhattan74$40 / 750mlManhattan
Wild Turkey Manhattan73$30 / 750mlManhattan
Knob Creek Small Batch Manhattan69$30 / 750mlManhattan
Maker’s Mark Manhattan65$30 / 750mlManhattan
Redemption Bourbon Manhattan53$30 / 750mlManhattan
Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan50$20 / 750mlManhattan
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan49$35 / 750mlManhattan
Breaker Manhattan35$55 / 750mlManhattan
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey Manhattan35$25 / 750mlManhattan

See how all Whiskeys, Tequilas and Vodkas Rank!

Blade And Bow Manhattan

TJ Provost

Blade And Bow scored a 48/100 as a sipper, which relegated it to the Mixed Drinks Only category. Which means I wasn’t super excited about what a Manhattan would do for this Blade And Bow whiskey. I find that a Manhattan can soften some rough edges, but usually results in a 10 or 15 point increase (max) to the base whiskey.

Blade And Bow Manhattan
Blade And Bow Manhattan

The makers of Blade And Bow might not have been super happy with my score as a “straight sipper”, but hopefully they will be a little more pleased with what their bourbon can do as a mixer, especially for a Manhattan.

I used my normal two to one formula, mixing two parts whiskey with one part vermouth, then adding in a few drops of Orange Bitters, and this Blade And Bow really shone through.

My issue with Blade And Bow as a straight sipper was the soft sweet opening and the hardness on the swallow  that was kind of a punch in the face. The good news is that the vermouth really evens this out, turning this jarring sip into something much smoother. The vermouth takes that rough finish and just smooths everything out in quite a lovely way. So much so, that this is the all time biggest increase when comparing a whiskey to its Mixed Drinks Only pairing.

The Score – Blade And Bow Manhattan

This Blade And Bow Manhattan scored an all time high 90/100 (as of 3/17/2021). If you love a good Manhattan, this is a must try. This just might might help me justify spending $50 on another bottle – which is crazy for a mixer right? But still, it’s that good in a Manhattan.

BottleScorePriceType
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan95$30 / 750mlManhattan
Balcones Lineage Manhattan92$40 / 750mlManhattan
Blade And Bow Manhattan90$50 / 750mlManhattan
On The Rocks Knob Creek Old Fashioned83$15 / 350mlOld Fashioned
Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan80$40 / 750mlManhattan
Death’s Door Manhattan74$40 / 750mlManhattan
Wild Turkey Manhattan73$30 / 750mlManhattan
Knob Creek Small Batch Manhattan69$30 / 750mlManhattan
Maker’s Mark Manhattan65$30 / 750mlManhattan
Redemption Bourbon Manhattan53$30 / 750mlManhattan
Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan50$20 / 750mlManhattan
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan49$35 / 750mlManhattan
Breaker Manhattan35$55 / 750mlManhattan
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey Manhattan35$25 / 750mlManhattan

See how all Mixed Cocktails compare!

Death’s Door Manhattan

TJ Provost

Death’s Door Whiskey scored 68/100 as a sipper, but at $40 a bottle for me (Northeast United States) there are better options for two twenties – so I was curious how it would do as a Manhattan. If I wanted to buy a Sipper only had $40 I would go with Smooth Ambler Contradiction Whiskey. If I was looking for an Irish Whiskey in that price range I’d go with a bottle of Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finished Irish Whiskey

The good news is that a bit of vermouth did take off the rough edges of this Death’s Door whiskey. I used my normal mix of two parts bourbon to one part vermouth. Shake with ice and then poor into a Lowball YETI Rambler so it doesn’t sweat or get warm in your hand.

The Score – Death’s Door Manhattan

The bad news is that Death’s Door only saw a small bump when made into a Manhattan. It scores 74/100, making it Sip Worthy, but at the lower end of the scale. The problem is that it started out at a 68 as a Sipper, so this is a tiny step forward in taste.

If I’m going to spend close to $40 for a bottle to make Manhattan’s with I’m going to go with a Basil Hayden’s Manhattan.

BottleScorePriceType
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan95$30 / 750mlManhattan
Balcones Lineage Manhattan92$40 / 750mlManhattan
Blade And Bow Manhattan90$50 / 750mlManhattan
On The Rocks Knob Creek Old Fashioned83$15 / 350mlOld Fashioned
Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan80$40 / 750mlManhattan
Death’s Door Manhattan74$40 / 750mlManhattan
Wild Turkey Manhattan73$30 / 750mlManhattan
Knob Creek Small Batch Manhattan69$30 / 750mlManhattan
Maker’s Mark Manhattan65$30 / 750mlManhattan
Redemption Bourbon Manhattan53$30 / 750mlManhattan
Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan50$20 / 750mlManhattan
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan49$35 / 750mlManhattan
Breaker Manhattan35$55 / 750mlManhattan
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey Manhattan35$25 / 750mlManhattan

See how all Whiskey’s Rank!

Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan

TJ Provost

Stillhouse Black Bourbon scored a 61/100 after I recently re-reviewed it with a good bit more Whiskey Dreams knowledge under my belt. So now that Stillhouse Black Bourbon is in Mixed Drink Only territory, how does it stand up as a Manhattan?

Stillhouse Manhattan

The nose on this Stillhouse Manhattan is all sweet fruity vermouth. Whatever nose the Stillhouse had is completely overwhelmed by the vermouth.

This Stillhouse Bourbon makes an odd Manhattan. At first I didn’t like how the astringency mixed with the sweetness of the vermouth, and it leaves an odd lingering taste on my mid tongue, but the more I sipped it, the less it bothered me – but that was probably the alcohol. I really struggled with whether this was a 51, making it Sip Worthy, or if it was a 50, making it Just Bad.

Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan Scoring

At the end of they day I’m going to settle on 50/100, putting it in the If I Had Limited Choices category. My main reason being that I’d rather drink this whiskey straight than make a Manhattan with it, even if its not perfect there either. I still like this Stillhouse Bourbon for camping though. It comes in a very sturdy metal “can” that is perfect for rough handling.

BottleScorePriceType
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan95$30 / 750mlManhattan
Balcones Lineage Manhattan92$40 / 750mlManhattan
Blade And Bow Manhattan90$50 / 750mlManhattan
On The Rocks Knob Creek Old Fashioned83$15 / 350mlOld Fashioned
Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan80$40 / 750mlManhattan
Death’s Door Manhattan74$40 / 750mlManhattan
Wild Turkey Manhattan73$30 / 750mlManhattan
Knob Creek Small Batch Manhattan69$30 / 750mlManhattan
Maker’s Mark Manhattan65$30 / 750mlManhattan
Redemption Bourbon Manhattan53$30 / 750mlManhattan
Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan50$20 / 750mlManhattan
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan49$35 / 750mlManhattan
Breaker Manhattan35$55 / 750mlManhattan
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey Manhattan35$25 / 750mlManhattan

Breaker Manhattan

TJ Provost

Breaker whiskey scored a 29/100 as a straight up sipper. That is not a great score and put it in the Just Bad category. What do I do with bottles that I don’t enjoy straight or over ice? I make Manhattan’s with it! My first problem with this bottle being used for mixed drinks is its price. At $55 this bourbon is punching way under its weight. Still, it has sitting lonely and untouched on a shelf until I was desperate and didn’t have a lot of other options. So into a Manhattan it goes.

Breaker Bourbon Whiskey

So how was it?

Well, it did help the base whiskey, but the end is still really rough. I used my normal ratios of two parts bourbon to one part vermouth and shook vigorously before pouring into a Yeti Tumbler. I was hoping the sweet vermouth would help smooth out some of the rough edges on the bourbon but it only helped a little bit.

Scoring – Breaker Manhattan

Sadly, the vermouth didn’t help this Breaker much, and only added 6 points to its overall score, giving this Breaker Manhattan a total of 35/100 points, meaning it just barely helped this Whiskey get into the If I Had Limited Choices Category.

BottleScorePriceType
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan95$30 / 750mlManhattan
Balcones Lineage Manhattan92$40 / 750mlManhattan
Blade And Bow Manhattan90$50 / 750mlManhattan
On The Rocks Knob Creek Old Fashioned83$15 / 350mlOld Fashioned
Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan80$40 / 750mlManhattan
Death’s Door Manhattan74$40 / 750mlManhattan
Wild Turkey Manhattan73$30 / 750mlManhattan
Knob Creek Small Batch Manhattan69$30 / 750mlManhattan
Maker’s Mark Manhattan65$30 / 750mlManhattan
Redemption Bourbon Manhattan53$30 / 750mlManhattan
Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan50$20 / 750mlManhattan
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan49$35 / 750mlManhattan
Breaker Manhattan35$55 / 750mlManhattan
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey Manhattan35$25 / 750mlManhattan

Balcones Lineage Manhattan

TJ Provost

This Balcones Lineage Manhattan was my first Manhattan where I used D.O.M. Benedictine and I will never go back.

I first had a Balcones Manhattan at the Saltgrass Steakhouse while on vacation, and went wild over it. It was just an excellent Manhattan, so I had to find the ingredients, which were surprisingly difficult in my area, so I could reproduce this lovely sipper.

Balcones Lineage Manhattan
Balcones Lineage Manhattan

The original recipe on the menu is:

I found a bottle of Balcones Lineage Single Malt Whiskey first, but I’m not sure if it is the actual bottle they use, or if it is one of the other bottles that Balcones makes. I had to special order the Benedictine DOM, but I’m not sure if that’s because I’m in the sticks or its really that hard to find?

The main reason I say that is I’ve got it close, but not quite exact. But maybe things just taste better when your on vacation?

I’ve played with the mix, and the closest I can get is good, but not quite as good as what I had at the restaurant.

My recipe is 2 parts Balcones Lineage Single Malt Whiskey, 1 part Sweet Vermouth, and then, I had to buy a graduated jigger so I could play with how much Benedictine Dom to add in. My final result is 15ml of Dom.

Balcones Lineage Manhattan Scoring

This resulted in a wonderful Manhattan that scored a 92/100, which puts it at the absolute tops of Manhattan as of today (October 29th, 2021).

If you like a good Manhattan, you have to find the bottles and make this happen.

BottleScorePriceType
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan95$30 / 750mlManhattan
Balcones Lineage Manhattan92$40 / 750mlManhattan
Blade And Bow Manhattan90$50 / 750mlManhattan
On The Rocks Knob Creek Old Fashioned83$15 / 350mlOld Fashioned
Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan80$40 / 750mlManhattan
Death’s Door Manhattan74$40 / 750mlManhattan
Wild Turkey Manhattan73$30 / 750mlManhattan
Knob Creek Small Batch Manhattan69$30 / 750mlManhattan
Maker’s Mark Manhattan65$30 / 750mlManhattan
Redemption Bourbon Manhattan53$30 / 750mlManhattan
Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan50$20 / 750mlManhattan
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan49$35 / 750mlManhattan
Breaker Manhattan35$55 / 750mlManhattan
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey Manhattan35$25 / 750mlManhattan

Basil Hayden’s Manhattan

TJ Provost

The Basil Hayden’s Manhattan is my go to standard. If you are looking for a great Manhattan recipe you can’t go wrong with any of these.

The base is Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon, mixed with sweet vermouth, Dom Benedictine, and garnished with a Bada Bing Cherry or two.

Basil Hayden's Manhattan
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan

Manhattan Recipe

This recipe uses the standard two parts bourbon to one part sweet red wine/liquor. I like to split the sweet and use 1/2 ounce of Vermouth and 1/2 ounce of D.O.M. Benedictine. It makes for a Manhattan that has a sweet finish. If you like cherries, put a teaspoon or two of the cherry juice in your shaker before you mix.

  • 2 ounces Basil Hayden’s
  • 1/2 ounce Sweet Vermouth
  • 1/2 ounce Dom Benedictine
  • 2 Bada Bing Cherries

Basil Hayden’s Manhattan Scoring

This combo results in just the perfect level of sweetness that blends and swirls with Basil Hayden’s woody, spicy, and oaky notes. This bourbon has just the right mix of flavors to blend perfectly into a Manhattan. Sure, there are more expensive bottles of bourbon out there, but more expensive doesn’t mean better.

This Manhattan scores a 95/100, putting it at the very top of the Manhattan scale.

BottleScorePriceType
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan95$30 / 750mlManhattan
Balcones Lineage Manhattan92$40 / 750mlManhattan
Blade And Bow Manhattan90$50 / 750mlManhattan
On The Rocks Knob Creek Old Fashioned83$15 / 350mlOld Fashioned
Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan80$40 / 750mlManhattan
Death’s Door Manhattan74$40 / 750mlManhattan
Wild Turkey Manhattan73$30 / 750mlManhattan
Knob Creek Small Batch Manhattan69$30 / 750mlManhattan
Maker’s Mark Manhattan65$30 / 750mlManhattan
Redemption Bourbon Manhattan53$30 / 750mlManhattan
Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan50$20 / 750mlManhattan
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan49$35 / 750mlManhattan
Breaker Manhattan35$55 / 750mlManhattan
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey Manhattan35$25 / 750mlManhattan

See all Mixed Drinks here!