BBQ Chef Adam Perry Lang

I recently had a chance to chat with BBQ Chef Adam Perry Lang and George Dickel National Brand Ambassador Doug Kragel. Chef Lang is one of the biggest names in BBQ. Back over the summer he was on Jimmy Kimmel teaching Jimmy how to cook steaks. When I had the chance to talk to him, I thought I’d grill him (Sorry for the horrible pun) on what else: BBQ and whisky.

Photo courtesy of George A. Dickel & Co.

Adam on his cooking style: My style is one of just an active griller. I like to talk about BBQ as cooking with live fire. I like to let the situation dictate. (I like to) feel the fire, understand how it’s behaving. Often times I’m very active moving meat around or sometimes just leaving it alone. I don’t have any type of set protocol.

Adam on his favorite winter cuts to cook: I like to cook large roasts. I’m typically a person who loves to cook beef, so I love rib roasts. A bone-in or bone-out ribeye roast is a favorite of mine. I love cooking bone-in strip loin as well.

Photo courtesy of George A. Dickel & Co.

Adam on cooking those tough cuts like brisket: I don’t know what you’re cooking on, but you should cook between a temperature range of between 250 and 300 degrees, and really be patient. As the meat cooks to about 160 degrees internal, let it cook there for a while. A quick tip to tenderize it is to wrap it in butcher’s paper or aluminum foil and put it back on the grill and cook to a temperature of 205 degrees.

Adam on whisky and BBQ: It’s a match made in heaven for two reasons. First, drinking whisky with things that tend to be heavier in fat, it’s a great counter-balance. It’s very palate cleansing in respect to something that’s very deep and rich in fat. Just as important I find that whisky, with it’s smoky overtones, is similar in so many ways – even just the craft of making whisky, specifically George Dickel, how they’re handmade the hard way. The beauty is in all the details. BBQ is the same thing. You really have to be very attentive to all the details.

Photo courtesy of George A. Dickel & Co.

Doug on George Dickel and BBQ: I think Adam hit it on the head. First and foremost it’s about our connection to the whisky and how that goes so well with the core principles of cooking BBQ. Having 25 guys at the distillery who man every single part of the process, they’re paying attention to it and are constantly aware to what’s happening. We’re not removing ourselves from the process like you are with other types of cooking. The flavor profiles of George Dickel have the right balance of smokiness and whisky bite that everybody loves. The astringency works well with fatty meat. Also because it’s 84% corn, the sweetness that comes in as well provides a great contrast to the spices you add to your BBQ. They really mesh well together. That balance balance between the sweetness in the whisky and what comes out in the meat really meshes well.

Adam on his secret whisky BBQ sauce: The secret is there is no secret. It’s probably one of those fantastic combinations where we’re just using three ingredients. We’re cooking down the whisky until we cook off the alcohol. Then we’re adding honey. At that point either add your own homemade BBQ sauce or your favorite store brand. It’s really tremendous.

Courtesy of George A. Dickel & Co.

Adam on other ways to incorporate whisky into BBQ: Drinking it. (laughs) I’m not really looking for crazy different ways to cook with it. I only want to use it where I think it’s appropriate. For me, it would just be an accent with the BBQ sauce or to just drink it. I don’t feel it would carry through so much that… it would just be lost if I were to baste with it or something else.

Doug on whisky cocktails and food pairings: When it comes to pairing whisky with food in general I think that starting neat, especially when cooking with BBQ, is the way to go. I think Adam would second that there’s something about the process of being involved with your with your cooking and being able to enjoy that whisky neat to start, and being able to sip on it. When we get into cocktails I think it’s more of an accent. Cooking, especially with BBQ, is about entertaining as well. It’s about creating an atmosphere. What I really love to do in that scenario is make some whisky punches. You make a very simple punch (see recipe below) with George Dickel Rye and some citrus. Very simple to make, and it’s about the entertaining and the experience. That’s what I’ve been doing lately, other than making a classic Manhattan at home for that pre-meal cocktail. That’s one of the better places to start pairing is before the actual meal. It starts off the whole experience.

Courtesy of George A. Dickel & Co.

Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Vanilla Bean Infused Whiskey Review

The A. Smith Bowman Distillery just released the Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Vanilla Bean Infused Whiskey. According to their press release:

This new whiskey was aged a total of seven years and six months in the barrel. Barrels of A. Smith Bowman bourbon were infused with chopped up Madagascar vanilla beans in October of 2012. Beans were added at various levels and tasted every ten weeks to observe how their flavor interacted with the bourbon as it aged. After a little over two years, all of the barrels were married together for bottling.

The distillery was kind enough to send me a review sample. First, I’ve got to say vanilla is the star here, but not in an unnatural way. It doesn’t come across as having fake vanilla flavoring added. This vanilla bean infusion also doesn’t completely overtake other flavors, but make no mistake – if you don’t like the traditional vanilla flavor in your bourbon, you won’t like this.

On the nose, there’s a bit of vanilla up front, followed by some oak and even a little maple syrup and nutmeg. It’s a nice, sweet smell. I pick up some sweet vanilla, oak, caramel, sweet corn and some spice (very traditional bourbon flavors). The mouthfeel seems a little thin. I also notice that at 90 proof, this whiskey is a great sipping proof. There’s not a lot of bite. The finish is medium-long and sweet. There’s a hint of vanilla afterwards, which makes me long for another sip.

There’s a good news and bad news situation here. The good news: this edition of Abraham Bowman is an interesting and successful experiment in infusing additional “traditional” flavors. I suppose this is technically a flavored whiskey, but it doesn’t have the artificialness of others in that category. It tastes like a traditional bourbon with slightly elevated vanilla flavors. The bad news: it is extremely limited, and mostly available in Virginia (where the distillery calls home). This will run you about $70. Recommended.

8/10

Last Minute Holiday Gifts 2014

The holidays are right around the corner, and if you still have gifts to buy, here’s a handy little guide. I’ve listed some of my favorite bourbons of the past year. I’ve posted about some of these here on AdventuresInWhiskey.com. What you won’t find on this list are super-rare, ultra-premium releases. The bourbons listed here are widely available, for the most part, in most higher-end liquor stores. Each entry in the list contains two bourbons of different price points from the same family. Want to buy something other than whiskey? I’ve got some non-whiskey holiday items that I’ve enjoyed throughout the year.

Whiskies, in no particular order:

1. Bulleit 10 year old bourbon ($45) is a slightly more mature version of Bulleit. The extra time in the barrel helps bring out more of the vanilla and oak notes. If you’re looking for something cheaper along those lines, you can’t go wrong with Bulleit bourbon ($30). It’s great neat and makes for a old fashioned.

2. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof ($50) is a monster of a bourbon. Not for the faint at heart. It’s barrel proof, so that means no added water. In this case, that equates to a delicious full flavored bourbon. Elijah Craig 12 ($27) is a nice substitute for the budget-minded. Its the one I generally refer people to when asked which bourbon to buy.

3. George Dickel 9 year old ($40) is a single barrel offering of George Dickel Tennessee Whisky. You’ll have to check with your local store to see if they carry it. Full of caramel, vanilla and oak. My bottle has become one of my favorites. George Dickel No. 12 ($25) is one of the better whisky values on the shelf.

4. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked ($50) offers more of that great oak flavor in your bourbon while still staying young and vibrant. Woodford Reserve ($32) is no slouch and comes recommended as a nice everyday whiskey. This is the first premium bourbon I fell in love with.

5. Four Roses Single Barrel ($35/$50) comes in two slightly different versions. There’s the standard single barrel bottled at 100 proof, and the more expensive private selection bottled at barrel strength. Really, you can’t go wrong with either one. Four Roses Yellow Label ($20) is a budget-priced, lighter style bourbon that’s great as a daily sipper.

Non-whiskey items:

1. Noble jeans from Noble Denim. Everything from these guys is handmade. I can attest to the quality and fit of their raw denim jeans (I received a pair of their small batch barrel-aged jeans. While not completely broken in, they fit like a glove).

2. Books. Nothing like reading a whiskey book while drinking a little whiskey. “American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye: A Guide to the Nation’s Favorite Spirit” by Clay Risen profiles more than 200 American whiskies. Another one aimed at the whiskey novice is “Whiskey Distilled: A Populist Guide to the Water of Life” by Heather Greene. This one is full of stories and is a nice guide through the world of whiskey.

3. Ice Spheres mold. The larger surface area on these ice spheres melt slower, diluting your whiskey less. Plus they look great in your glass.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: