San Francisco based Brucato's line of liqueurs is a long-time favorite at B&B, and their Chaparral California "Alpine herbal" expression is particularly exceptional. By incorporating uniquely Californian botanicals such as Yerba Santa and California bay leaf, alongside spearmint and cardamom, they have crafted a distinctive, West Coast interpretation of a traditional French monastic (green) herbal liqueur.

Seeking to deepen the complexity of their bright and vibrant Chaparral liqueur, Brucato Spirits recently introduced a whiskey barrel-aged expression. The aging process adds a new dimension of flavor and depth, crafting a spirit lovely for sipping on its own by rounding out the liqueur with warm notes of toasted oak, cinnamon, and anise. (For those familiar with the French monk version, think VEP bottling.)

While we were and are very excited for the distillery release, the unique opportunity came up to play with the recipe and create a unique and exclusive batch of Brucato Amaro Reserve Chaparral. First, we chose Chaparral aged in a Rittenhouse rye barrel, selecting it for the herbal and spice notes we felt perfectly complement Chaparral's existing character. To further concentrate the flavors of the Reserve line, the full barrel Chaparral is then blended with an even older "seasoning" barrel. Notably, this barrel is a quarter the size of the traditional 53-gallon barrel, allowing the liquid greater contact with the wood. Finally, the liqueur is finished with cane sugar, which balances the flavors and adds desirable texture and viscosity. In comparison to the distillery bottling, we dialed back the ratio of the seasoning barrel significantly, allowing more of the herbal complexity and honeyed saffron character to shine, while pulling back on some of the heavier oak and anise notes. In terms of sweetness, while the original Reserve already has less sugar than the classic Chaparral bottling, we reduced it even more. Finally - as an homage to our shared San Francisco home (and since we can't help but be curious), our batch went through only a partial filtering. So it may be a little cloudy, a little foggy if you will, but there is a theory that the filtering that lends a spirit its clarity can also filter out flavor - so we decided to go with only the bare minimum.

This exclusive, barrel-aged expression of Brucato Amaro Reserve Chaparral represents a unique collaboration, perfectly capturing the spirit of California craft. Offering much more than a "stand-in" for Green Chartreuse.