The original recipe calls for aromatic bitters, but this deliciously sherry-infused Rum Old Fashioned is better with the zesty freshness of orange bitters...
Initially made with Plantation Dark - the PX displaced the rum in leading the flavor. I remade with Coruba and now I get the Trader Vic vibe - loads of potent burnt sugar notes from Coruba dominate the taste - definitely a tiki-type (notwithstanding the nod to the Caribbean region in the name) cocktail from post WWII era.
I note that this is only 2 dashes of Bolivar bitters and a twist on rum selection away from being identical to the "Black Mesa". Maybe the Black Mesa was derived from this, or maybe it was a very similar cocktail that emerged independently - I found the formulation for the Black Mesa to be slightly more interesting (I think that is nearly all due to the rums I selected - Appleton 8 and Smith & Cross, I believe).
I note that this is only 2 dashes of Bolivar bitters and a twist on rum selection away from being identical to the "Black Mesa". Maybe the Black Mesa was derived from this, or maybe it was a very similar cocktail that emerged independently - I found the formulation for the Black Mesa to be slightly more interesting (I think that is nearly all due to the rums I selected - Appleton 8 and Smith & Cross, I believe).