Meet Hazel – Polly’s first Barrel House Blend
Polly’s House Blend (PHB) is a program of barrel ageing and blending spirits to create a singular, limited, unique offering which is served on its own or with a mixer. The idea is based on appreciation for the huge amount of time, effort and skill that has gone into making each product we sell, and presenting it in a new light.
This is distinct from barrel ageing classic or original cocktails. PHB is primarily concerned with creating new ways for guests to experience spirits. Carefully selected, high-quality spirits, amaros and liqueurs are paired, then barrel aged for up to 4 weeks. The resulting blend is then drawn from the barrel and sealed until called for.
The blend typically coalesces into a smoother, much more integrated version as the spirits rest in the barrel. Delicate vanillin and caramelised oak flavours are added from contact with the wood; but more pronounced is the individual complexities of the spirits coming together to provide a unique, long lasting flavour, bereft of the common peaks and troughs one would find if they were briefly stirred together.
Our First Installment
Called Hazel it is a blend of Delord VSOP armagnac and Amaro Montenegro.
Tasting notes
Colour: deep amber with reddish rose hues on the legs
Nose: delicate floral notes, candied orange and rose petals. Light cinnamon, dry clove, grape and musk.
Flavour: seamless with no burn. Rustic grape spirit with vanilla, clove, cassia, hyssop and orange. Long finish gradually becoming dry but not bitter, with oak tannins and charcoal leaving you thirsty for another sip.
Why Hazel?
Hazel was one of the famous Ziegfeld Girls, these ‘girls’ were chorus girls from Florenz Ziegfeld’s theatrical Broadway revue spectaculars known as the Ziegfeld Follies (1907–1931), in New York City, which was based on the Folies Bergère of Paris. These women are pictured throughout Polly and we thought that we would pay homage by naming out PHBs after different women who took up the stage in this group.
