I dislike this cocktail. It is bad - somehow the wine conspires with the cognac and Grand Marnier to create a harsh, shallow cocktail. This may be the worst drink rated 4* or higher on Diffords that I have tried.
Not really as over-spiced as "mulled" would imply - this is clearly a negroni, but with some additional sweetness and spice, esp from the sloe gin and falernum. A very nice, seasonal variant.
Interesting - definitely worth a try. The vanilla syrup (I used a prepkgd syrup, not homemade) was too strong, and tilted the drink into the too sweet and too vanilla area. However, the PX dried fruit is apparent on the rum backbone, and the Suze earthiness is there on the edges as well. The small amount of earl grey tea is lost though. I may try again, with less (or a lower sweetness) vanilla syrup.
Boozy heat from the bourbon is the dominant player, but the rich sweetness of the Benedictine smooths things out, and the herbs/botanicals of the amaro couple with the Ango (and saline) to create a unique twist on a bourbon old-fashioned. Excellent cocktail.