Juan Meyer's original recipe calls for equal parts: Redemption rye whiskey, Suze, Amaro de Montenegro, and lemon juice. It's very tasty but I couldn't...
I made it with the original equal parts proportions, using Redwood Empire Lost Monarch as it already blends bourbon and rye. Overall I agree with Caspian Berggren's assessment below. I also added a couple of drops of saline about halfway through, which balanced out the herbal character from the Montenegro with Suze's earthiness.
I can certainly see where the cocktail creator got the Paper Plane notes from. This is like a Paper Plane with the earthy notes from Suze and the rye. The Montegro replacing Amaro Nonino works fabulously. Is it better than a PP? No, it isn't. Is it a good replacement when you want something darker and different? Absolutely.
As other commentators noted, a really interesting mix of bitter and sour but with some depth from the Montenegro and bourbon…. It’s also a lovely colour; perfect for a NZ autumn
I'm always hesitant with recipes with Suze in because on its own -- to me -- it's so bitter that it feels like it'll completely take over everything. Not here - it's definitely a Suze cocktail but it's perfectly balanced.
Original recipe is quite good, my wife and I are big fans of Tequila and Mezcal. Try Blanco Tequila instead of Rye and Mescal instead of Bourbon. You won't be disappointed.
I definitely liked the "revised" version (3 whiskey, 3 amaro, 2 gentian, 2 lemon) better. An interesting cocktail, where you can play with different amari to find the one that works best for you. I wouldn't do it again for aperitivo though, I will use it as an after-dinner