The "New" Southern Comfort

[gillmang]

Chuck Cowdery has mentioned elsewhere that within the last 10 years, Brown Forman has tweaked the recipe by adding bourbon. Apparently Southern Comfort, for many decades at any rate, was a combination of GNS and a fruit concentrate.

Sometime in the last decade, bourbon was added and real fruit.

A friend of mine, Les Piller, had a bottle of Southern Comfort in his bar for many years (he thought 7 or 8) and lent it to me to compare to a current bottling.

The current one has a legend stating that the original recipe of M.W. Heron is followed; the older bottle (both 35% ABV) does not contain that statement.

The older bottle has a "95" embossed in the base and clearly was made and sold around that time.

The current one was bought a few weeks ago in Ontario.

In my view, there is no question they are different and no question the current one is better.

The oldie has a similar (virtually identical) smell but the taste is not the same. The current one has a deeper, richer taste. Also, it has a woody or gritty middle that is absent in the oldie - that is the bourbon, probably added in about a 20% ratio.

The oldie has a quick, light finish: it tastes like vodka married to the Southern Comfort fruit taste. The current one has a longer, more complex finish.

Kudos to Brown Forman for restoring the drink to tradition. Whether or not it is truly the original, it tastes more authentic (to me anyway) than the former version.

It is excellent on its own and makes a great U.S.-style Rusty Nail (50/50 Comfort and any good Bourbon).

Gary

[Mark]

I remember many years ago Chris was on a cruise and brought back a 50ml of Southern Confort 'Reserve' (I think it said reserve) and it stated how it was made with bourbon... So maybe they finally just made available here as a regular bottling what was at one point available as a special thing overseas(?)

[gillmang]

Could be Mark, except Reserve is still available.

The latter's label states that 6 year old Bourbon is used.

Maybe the current, regular SC uses Bourbon younger than that but otherwise is the same.

We often talk about how whiskey was better in the old days.

With SC, the reverse is the case.

Gary

[bourbonv]

Gary,
I am not sure you are entirely accurate with the belief that the new is better than the old. I am not 100% sure, but I do believe that there was bourbon in the original product that was removed in the 60's and the new is more of a return to the old. I will find out from Chris Morris and get back to you.

[gillmang]

Okay thanks, I didn't suggest though that old was always only GNS + concentrate, I said that applied in recent decades (before the last change) at least.

Gary

[gillmang]

Pending information from Mike, I must again signal the very high quality of the current Southern Comfort.

I am tasting from another bottle and if anything it is better than the one mentioned earlier.

The delectable fruity nose is very natural. I get fresh orange in it mainly, but also peach and apricot.

The taste is medium sweet (perfect for a neat dram after dinner) with a good depth of whiskey flavour from the bourbon.

Having tasted these current Comforts against the one of 10 years ago, I can assure people the current one is superior, and a major, world class spirit. It has a rich natural flavor without excessive sweetness.

Next time after dinner, try this in a deep snifter instead of Grand Marnier or Cognac - it is as good or better. More than ever it deserves its reputation of a quintessential American drink.

Gary