I like a Manhattan on occasion, but once in a while I like to branch out a little. Tonight I tried a Rob Roy, made with Johnny Walker Double Black and Cinzano. I used a nice bourbon barrel cherry and a couple dashes of Angostura bitters.
The first sip was not great. Too bitter, too much bitter finish. I decided to add a little squirt of simple syrup, which helped quite a bit.
I think a smoky, Islay- heavy blended Scotch like this is not the best choice. I could see it being a good use for some crappy blended Scotch. It would probably be decent with a Highland Scotch like Macallan or something. Obviously this merits more research and experimentation.