Small Batch Bourbon Tasting

Harvest Restaurant, St Louis, MO - Small Batch Bourbon Tasting and Dinner to Boot!

The internets are a wonderful thing when they bring an endless parade of tempting local wine, beer, and spirit events to my email inbox. I have been pleasantly surprised by the variety and number of events that are being held on a fairly frequent basis in the metropolitan area and have begun selecting events with a more practised eye. To that end, when I was on the receiving end of Harvest's January newsletter and spotted a Bourbon / Appetizer pairing on the one Wednesday night Jason didn't have to work late, I was on it faster than a Disney foodie freak on Food & Wine Festival special event booking day!

For a mere $30 per person, the restaurant was hosting a local spirit expert who would provide eight small batch bourbon tastings, each paired with a yummy appetizer to prevent guests from falling out of their chairs in a drunken stupor. I took a big risk attending something like this in the middle of the week - one never knows what will set off that goblin bastard what lives in my intestinal tract - but spirit tastings are much harder to come by in Stinktown and we've only recently discovered the joy of bourbon, so I rolled the dice and on this night came out a winner!

There were about 25 people in attendance, which surprised us - in a good way. It's nice to know that there are others out there who enjoy this kind of stuff ... hopefully it will encourage local restaurants to continue offering events like these which are both educational and drunkenly delicious!! We tasted the bourbons in groups of three because table space was at a premium. Taking pictures of all the shots was rather pointless because they all looked the same, but I did take one and will include it here just for fun.

Here are the bourbons we sampled with tasting note information:

Conecuh Ridge: 90-Proof; Aged 6 years; Dark Amber; Tastes of Butterscotch and Sugar Maple Candy

Four Roses Small Batch: 90-Proof; Aged 6 years; Medium Amber / Dark Gold; Tastes Spicy with Sweet, Fruity Notes

Four Roses Single Barrel: 100-Proof; Aged 9 years; Deep Amber; Tastes of Honey, Maple Syrup, and Cocoa with hints of Ripe Plum and Nutmeg

Jefferson's (a personal favorite of Jay & Bendy): 82-Proof; Aged 8 years; Amber; Tastes of Vanilla, Caramel, and Dried Fruit (pairs wonderfully with mulled cider!)

Jefferson's Reserve: 90-Proof; Aged 15 years; Deep Amber; Tastes of Vanilla, Raisins; Caramel and Butterscotch

Old Pogue: 91-Proof; Aged 9 years; Medium Amber / Pale Bronze; Tastes of Maple, Caramel, Plum, and Sweet Corn

Rowan's Creek: 100-Proof; Aged 12 years; Deep Amber; Tastes of Honey, Vanilla, Citrus, Caramel, Cinnamon, and Molasses

Noah's Mill: 114-Proof; Aged 15 years; Deep Copper; Tastes of Butterscotch, Vanilla, Citrus, Pecans, and Brown Sugar

And then we were told that we were going to get a sample of pure Rye Whiskey that the distributor had just received that morning - hot damn! Bonus Booze is one of our favorite daily life surprises!!!

Bonus Booze: High West Whiskey Rendezvous Rye; 92-Proof; Age Confused because it's a blend of a 6-year 95% Rye and a 16-year 80% Rye; Amber; Tastes of Spicy Cinnamon, Caramel, Honey, Mint, and Vanilla. This baby won a double gold medal at the 2008 World Spirits Competition ... just another reason I wish we lived somewhere other than Stinktown. An interesting note about this Rye - it's made in Park City, Utah. Maybe I'm the only one who thought it was odd that in a fairly dry state someone has established a first-rate distillery ... but then again maybe it's not so odd after all - Lynchburg, Tennessee is a dry county and they push out barrels and barrels of Jack Daniels on a daily basis.

Jay and I were in complete agreement about the bourbons that we liked best: Jefferson's, Four Roses Small Batch, and the Rendezvous Rye. We liked the Rye so much that we bought a bottle at the end of the event because, as I rather tipsily explained to Jay, this would allow us to make the perfect sazerac at home since we already have the Absinthe and the Peychaud's bitters! Jay told me later that he was quite impressed with my ability to recall the drink recipe after downing all that bourbon, especially since I'm so forgetful in everyday life. Perhaps bourbon has amazing restorative powers when it comes to my memory?!

Bourbon times three!


Our appetizers for the evening were wonderful and creative; I will list them out and then give you the pleasure of looking at the pretty pictures - they are listed in the order in which they were served.

Maple Cured Smoked Trout Salad with Preserved Lemon; Rosemary Grilled Chicken Salad with Belgian Endive and Blood Orange; Harvest's Specialty Canadian Bacon on a Toasted English Muffin with Brick Cheddar and a Quail Egg; Smoked Venison Sausage on Crispy Grits with Dried Cherry Relish; Butternut Squash Custard with Parmesan Crisp and Balsamic Reduction; Pork Rillettes on a Garlic Crouton with Apple Butter; Honey-Vanilla Foie Gras Terrine on Brioche Toast with Candied Orange Zest; and Candied Bacon with a Toasted Pecan Gremolata.

Jay and I agreed that most of these were pretty good; of them all we thought the Butternut Squash Custard was the least memorable - it was just very bland and no amount of balsamic could save it. From my perspective I didn't care for the Rosemary Grilled Chicken Salad (too many nuts) nor did I like the Pork Rillette which just had a very strange taste to me that was not at all pleasant. The winners of the night were the miniature Quail Eggs Benedict, the Foie Gras Terrine, and the Candied Bacon!!

Trout Salad on a Chip and Chicken Salad on Endive


Same as the above but look at the Quail Egg Benedict!


Butternut Squash Custard, Pork Rillette, and Venison Sausage


Candied Bacon and Foie Gras Terrine


The Quail Egg Benedict was amazing ... in part because of its dollhouse-like serving size, but also because the taste was simply incredible. Everyone at our table agreed that it was just a wonderful little treat and we all would have liked to have had more. Unfortunately the appetizers were limited to one each, per guest. The Candied Bacon was actually more like a slab of pork belly but this was amazingly good - the perfect mix of sweet and salt - and not at all fatty like the pork belly that the Leather Meat Puppet served at his signature dinner back in October. And was I ever pleasantly surprised by the Foie Gras Terrine! When we tried terrine at Bistro Paris a few years back neither one of us cared much for it ... cold liver gacked us both out and we decided that our preference was for seared fatty liver, preferably served with some fruit. I don't know why we liked this version so much, unless it was because it was served at room temperature; all I know is that it had a wonderful, mild flavor with just a hint of sweetness and it was so smooth and buttery that I'd be willing to eat it again!

I mentioned earlier in this post that we were able to purchase a bottle of the Rye - the gentleman leading the tasting was no dummy ... give people a minimum of eight half-ounce shots of bourbon with an option to try more of their favorite(s) and they will invariably want to buy something at the end of the event! He gave everyone a $5 per bottle discount for each purchase so we bought the Rye and we bought another bottle of Jefferson's because we had exhausted our supply mulling cider for everyone over the holidays.

Bendy saves her biggest smile for booze!

I have to admit, it wasn't in our original plans to stay and have dinner at Harvest that night, but Jay and I both felt that it was in our best interests to do so. See, after the first three shots of bourbon we were both "feelin' fine!" I distinctly remember saying that I wasn't even cold any longer. After the next three shots and a refill on the Four Roses Small Batch I looked across the table at three Jasons and said, "Buddy, if we don't stay for dinner I don't think I'm going to know which one of you to go home with."

And just like that it was settled. Luckily we were seated right away and it was our good fortune that Harvest was offering their Restaurant Week special which was any three menu items for $25 or any four menu items for $30 - that's a steal! And Harvest is one of the best restaurants in the St. Louis area - it won't wow you with its decor but the service and menu more than make up for its plain appearance. And isn't that what we all want?

Of course it is! And for any of you friendies out there who may happen into Stinktown some day ... if you have the time, get yourself to Harvest for a wonderful meal made with fresh local ingredients - it will be worth the visit.

As for our dinner, for some reason Jay and I both decided that we needed more alcohol ... like we hadn't already had enough ... hahaa! Jay opted for a glass of red wine but I spotted a specialty drink on the cocktail menu and had to order it: The Highlands Scotch Cooler! It was made with Glenfiddich 12-year Scotch, Lillet, Navan Vanilla Liqueur, and a splash of Grand Marnier and served on the rocks. This was a terrific drink and as soon as I get my hands on some Lillet I'm going to try making it here at the house - who doesn't like a drink that's comprised of four different types of alcohol???

Highlands Scotch Cooler

To start the meal, Jay and I both ordered soup ... I went with the Butternut Squash Soup with an Apple Muffin and Cinnamon Creme Fraiche. Jason requested the other soup on the menu that evening: Smoked Cauliflower Soup with Pickled Vegetables and Olive Crostini. Oh, imagine the horror when the waitress had to tell Jay that they were out of the Cauliflower soup!!! I felt bad for him because once again, something he tried to order while we were out was suddenly unavailable, but Jay is a trooper and just switched to the Butternut Squash soup instead. And I don't think he was disappointed because this soup was wonderfully rich and delicate, although a little more like a puree than an actual soup. Regardless, it was warm and sweet and spicy and so delicious that we were both trying to find acceptable ways to lick our respective bowls clean.

Harvest also provided wonderful fresh, warm bread for us to enjoy with two different spreads: Bean Paste (tastes like Hummus!) and Brown Sugar Butter (tastes like Yum!).

Bean Paste Spread and Brown Sugar Butter

Fresh Bread


Amazing Butternut Squash Soup


When it came time to select our second course there was never any doubt as to what I was going to select: MEAT BUTTER!!! Yes Virginia, there's still a Stinktown restaurant with the stones to serve foie gras!! So I ordered the Pan Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Brioche French Toast, Candied Kumquats, and Star Anise Gastrique. What can I possibly say to convey to you all the depths of my digestive joy? We haven't had foie gras since April 2009 and this was just as good, just as smooth, just as buttery, as we hoped it would be. Our only complaint was that there wasn't more on the plate because we both wanted to eat it!

Foie Gras ... is that a celestial choir I hear?


Jay selected the Lobster Macaroni and Cheese made with Fontina Cheese and Creamy Lobster Sauce. I have to say, although I'm not a big fan of lobster in general this was really tasty. It was very creamy but not sticky and had nice chunks of lobster meat and just a hint of spice. If meat butter hadn't been available I would have chosen this as my runner-up appetizer.

Lobstah Mac-n-Cheese


While waiting for our entrees to arrive, Jay and I were being silly (what's new?) and we each posed with a bottle of the bourbon we'd purchased. Only Jason's was worth sharing - mine was just scary. Here you see him listening to the sweet, siren song of Jefferson's ...

What's that? You want me to drink you???


Jason selected the Heirloom Pork Mixed Grill which included Pork Tenderloin, Braised Pork Belly, and Choucroute with Cinnamon Sauce and Apple Butter. I had a taste of the tenderloin and thought it was amazing - tender and bursting with spicy sweetness!

Pork Trifecta!


I decided to order Harvest's evening special for my dinner: Beef Tenderloin with Spinach and Parmesan Cheese Polenta. There were also two sauces, one of which I believe was a wine reduction, but I requested them served on the side since the Crohn goblin is not a fan of sauce (he doesn't seem to mind bourbon, though!). The meat was prepared medium, just as I'd requested, and it was wonderfully flavorful and tender. And the polenta was awesome - creamy with just a hint of cheesy bite to it. I only finished half of this - the eight appetizers from the bourbon pairing finally caught up with me I suppose!

Beef Tenderloin and Polenta


Harvest is famous for their amazing bread pudding and on any other night we would have ordered some along with a cheese plate, but even remorseless eating machines have a threshold, and we'd reached it. Still, it was an amazing meal and a really fun and informative bourbon tasting. We skipped away from Harvest that night as warm and happy as it's possible to be in Stinktown in January with snow falling from the skies. Harvest remains one of the best small, locally owned restaurants in St. Louis - we give it our highest rating: Monstrous Fine!