Darian Sanatpour

I had to perform some substitutions, but the result was superb and I'll gladly credit the original recipe with that. The integration of flavors between rum, cassis, vinegar, liquorice and salt worked stunningly well. I used Flor de Caña 7y rum, Giffard Cassis Noir de Bourgogne, and about 1/2 tsp or 2.5ml of Duval pastis (strong liquorice taste) in place of grated liquorice.

Made with Asbach 8y (German brandy, never drink any Asbach without an age statement though) and liked it a lot. Surprisingly chocolately despite not many drops of the chocolate bitters landing in the drink. Not too sweet, and almost not fruity at all. Flavors melded quite well.

Great with Luxardo Fernet.

Here in Germany it's bottled at 37.5% alc./vol, and at its price point (less than 10€ per 0.7l bottle) it's the most pleasant vodka I've tried. Everything cheaper is pretty terrible, and others in the 9-13€ range either have a harsher burn or some clear "off" flavors.