This was pretty good, but I used a newly opened bottle of Carpano and I thought it overpowered everything else (which is no easy task).

How do you flame a cherry though?

Presumably hold a flame under the Laphroaig-soaked cherry. I've never bothered with the flame, just the Scotch. I didn't find this as Carpano-heavy as you did, but I can definitely see how the vanilla could overpower even the bruisers (arrack, agave, allspice) in this drink.

I guess if you put the cherry on a stick it will be ok. I took a maraschino cherry, misted the top with Ardbeg, and called it a day.

Name updated from "Airbag" to how it appears in the Death & Co book, a nod to Avery Glasser, who inspired the drink.

It looks like an insane mish-mash but it really works. The way all the flavors are there to be almost-cerebrally picked apart like aurally picking out particular parts of an orchestra reminds me a bit of another improbable cocktail I found here, El Nacional.

Just made this for the first time and really enjoyed it. It is nicely balanced--refreshing but with a weighty bitterness. I accidentally misread the ingredients and used a 50/50 mix of angostura orange and Fee's Orange. Will have to try as directed next time. I wonder what would be a better garnish--a lime twist or an orange twist?

There was no garnish mentioned (or pictured), so I usually skip it. But maybe a flamed orange peel?... As far as the orange bitters, I usually do 4 dashes of Regan's and 3 of Fee's Gin Barrel-Aged, although 7 dashes of Bitter Truth is equally delightful.

We've been making these for a couple of years, found the recipe in the book "Bitters" by Brad Thomas Parsons. Delicious drink with an outrageous amount of bitters! When I garnish it, I usually use a lime wedge. But, these drinks don't last long!

Duh just noticed your attribution to the Parsons' book.

I've made it w/ a London style per the recipe, but I'm a big fan of it w/ an American style gin--like Small's. It gives the cocktail a softer flavor. Also, Bittercube's Orange Bitters are better (IMO) than the Regan's/Fee's recomendation

The first time I made this I didn't have hot pepper-infused honey, so I added a pinch of cayenne to my honey syrup and thought it worked well for some subtle heat. I also found that with this substitution, the drink tasted better to me if made with a scant 1 oz lemon instead of .5 oz lemon and .5 oz lime.

Later I got my hands on some chile-infused honey ("Mike's Hot Honey") and it stood up to the lime well. My preferred ratio was 60% lemon, 40% lime. 

The maraschino is delicious addition and the amount is subtle, just right. This is my go-to whiskey sour now.