I was out of Bourbon so used, and I’m almost embarrassed to admit this, Canadian Club whiskey, and I think the Campari overwhelmed this because of it. A better bourbon may have handled this better

I made this with Wild Turkey "91" bourbon (WT 101 + WT 81), Campari, and Smith & Cross. I needed a "splash" more water than 7.5 ml to mellow out the bitterness and sweetness, but I really liked it after that. It was still fairly bitter upfront, but there was subtle orange from the Campari and "je ne sais quoi" from the Smith & Cross adding balance and complexity on the back-end. Maybe the most unusual use of overproof Jamaican rum that I've come across yet, but I liked it.

I usually make Boulevardiers with 2:1:1 proportions so The Professional has twice as much high-proof base liquor to flavorants; the last thing it needs is 114-proof bourbon! In the absence of any vermouth I used Martini & Rossi Riserva Speciale Bitter for its extra complexity and "roundness" compared to Campari, which was good here. The Smith & Cross really adds a distinctive flavor that makes this differ markedly from other Boulevardier variants.

I'm trying to restrict my imbibing to every 3rd day (although I just sipped a caballito of tequila Ocho blanco... I must fudge a tad!) but am anxious to try this recipe.

I don't dream of whiskies like some do, but love 8-10 whisky cocktails. The Vieux Carre' is my recent fav.

I have all the ingredients above (even fresh grapefruit) substituting Don Q 151 & WILL add the .25oz H²O... can't wait!

OMG can't wait to try this! Must do some shopping first.

I really enjoy the Boulevardier so this recipe caught my eye. I used Bulleit bourbon, Blackwell's and Campari. I slightly oversalted (1 teaspoon solution). To remedy, I added a drizzle more water and rum. That calmed things down but, however palatable, this doesn't significantly improve on a Boulevardier. But ... I learned about saline and about water and I now have more decent rum in my cabinet so I'm looking on the upside.