New Cocktail: the Hillaby Cocktail

This came out of a simple desire to finish off a bottle of rum. There are a number of bottles that are getting low and they currently stand between me and feeling justified in opening some new ones. As I wanted something on the stiff side, this was the result, named after the highest point on the island of Barbados.

Hillaby Cocktail
1 oz Barbados rum
0.25 oz mango tincture
0.25 oz orange tincture
0.25 oz palm sugar syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients, stir with ice for 15 seconds, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The nose is rich, reminiscent of an orange creamsicle, with the addition of spices and strong palm sugar funk. The sip is initially thin, but then becomes stronger with rum and bitters, which are then joined by the fruit notes of orange and mango.

While a bit on the simple side, this was a tasty and solid drink. The tinctures add fruit flavors without any sweetness or sourness as you would get with fruit juices. The rum and palm sugar also worked well together. Around everything, the bitters kept the sweetness in check and tied the drink together.