Cockspur 12 Year Old

Appearance / Colour 
Intense red sherry colour.
 
Smell / Nose
Nuances of oak, shortbread and exotic fruit from banana to pineapple. 
 
Taste / Palate
Dried fruit, roasted nuts and in the end taste prevailed with spices.
 
Finish
Very long, dry finish with prolonged spices.
 
Flavour Spiral
Rich, Tobacco, Vanilla, Walnuts, Roasted, Caramel, Toasted, Fruit, Fresh, Cinnamon, Neat, Bitter, Coconut.
 
Cocktail know-how:
 
Knickerbocker
This post-Civil War cocktail perfectly illustrates why you should make your own syrups. Only ¼ ounce of raspberry syrup shines through here, mixing seamlessly with the rum, lime, and orange liqueur and giving you a drink that has great complexity.
 
- 1/2 lime
- 2 1/2 / 70 ml of Amber Rum
- 1/4 ounce / 10 ml of Raspberry Syrup (see below)
- 1/2 teaspoon orange liqueur
 
1. Squeeze juice of the lime through a sieve into a mixing glass and drop the juice shell into the glass.
Add the remaining ingredients, fill the glass three-quarters full with ice cubes, cover with a Boston shaker tin, and shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled, 15 seconds.
2. Pour the drink, lime and all, into a rocks glass. 
 
Raspberry Syrup 

- 6 ounces / 150 ml of fresh raspberries, washed and dried
- 1 teaspoon strained, freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup warm simple syrup (1:1 granulated sugar and water)
 
1. Place raspberries in a 4-cup glass bowl or container and gently muddle the raspberries with a wooden spoon.
2. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine, then add the warm simple syrup and again stir to
combine. Allow the mixture to sit overnight at room temperature.
3. Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve or multiple layers of cheesecloth and discard the solids.
Transfer the syrup to an airtight container and refrigerate. The syrup will keep, covered and
refrigerated for up to two weeks.
Substitute: Monin Raspberry Syrup