mansfield cocktail

1 1/2 oz Lagavulin 16 Scotch (Caol Ila 12)
1 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Monin Orgeat (B.G. Reynolds)

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.

A few Fridays ago for the cocktail hour, I opened up World's Best Cocktails and found the Mansfield in the whiskey section. The recipe is attributed to Rob Libecans who works at the Black Pearl in Melbourne, Australia. The drink's combination of Fernet Branca and orgeat intrigued me, and I had only tasted the pairing in the Tar Pit. The Scotch and orgeat is actually a solid pairing which I have had in the Act of Union and other drinks.
The lemon twist's aroma joined that of the Scotch's smoke. Next, the malt and caramel sip had a sweet almond note to it. And on the swallow, the Scotch was joined by the Fernet Branca that was pleasantly modulated by the orgeat's almond, and the finish offered a lingering menthol note.