Lark Rare Cask Series Para100 Whisky: Yes, Tasmania Makes World-Class Whisky – Reprise

What does Tasmania’s Lark Rare Cask Series Para100 Whisky taste like? Ken Gargett reports an immediate impression of an array of nuts, caramel, apricot kernels, quality chocolate, raisins, dark berries, and a hint of a Christmas pudding doused in maple syrup with unabridged power. A wonderful whisky, not for the fainthearted. For him it’s 98. But the price might make your eyes water, even if the whiskey’s rarity precludes it.

Montblanc Meisterstück Soft Grain Leather: Harnessing The Timeless Luxury Of A Snow-Capped Icon 

Montblanc’s earliest history is in pen making, and each of the lifestyle products that followed – watches, jewelry, leather, fragrance, and more – in some way acknowledges the foundational writing instrument. The new Meisterstück leather collection is no exception, paying very evident respect to the pen whose name it shares as Nancy Olson relates.

1907 Heidsieck Monopole Gout American

1907 Heidsieck Monopole Gout American: After Perfect ‘Cellaring’ In A Shipwreck, It’s The World’s Most Expensive Champagne – Reprise

Heidsieck Monopole Gout American 1907 is the world’s most expensive champagne. This is the famous “shipwreck champagne” and it has a truly extraordinary story to tell, much more interesting than simply the prices it has achieved.

Penfolds Bin 60A 1962: Australia’s Greatest Wine Ever (Or Certainly A Serious Contender) – Reprise

Best Australian wine of all time? There are a few options, but for Ken Gargett there’s a clear winner: Penfolds Bin 60A 1962, a wine that was never commercially released. And whether the Bin 60A 1962 is indeed the GOAT of Australian wine hardly matters. He does suggest, though, that if the opportunity to try it ever comes up, cross oceans to do so. You’ll never regret it.

How Long Can We Age Champagne, Should We Age Champagne, And Is Late Disgorged Or Aged On Cork Best?

Champagne is a lot more robust than people think. While reds and even whites get a fairly rough hand on occasion, there is a feeling that champagne must always be handled with the proverbial kid gloves. When discussing or presenting champagne, Ken Gargett is often asked how long it can be kept. And the answer is far longer than we sometimes suspect. Here he explains why. Cheers!

Hip to be square: rectangular Jaeger-LeCoultre watches

How To – And Not To – Photograph A Watch – Reprise

One of the great pleasures GaryG has of being a contributor here at Quill & Pad is that it gives him an excuse to set aside other priorities on a regular basis and immerse himself in the world of macro watch photography. Along the way, he has been asked by a number of people to reveal techniques that he uses to create the images you see in his articles, so here he shares some of his tips.

Batman’s Favorite Watches

With the new Batman movie hitting theaters this week, Elizabeth Doerr looks at some of what Batman – or perhaps more precisely, his alter ego Bruce Wayne – has worn (or might want to wear) on his wrist.

Bindi Block 8 Pinot Noir Australian Wine: A Peacock’s Tail Of Exploding Flavors

There is one Australian winemaker who has not only been extraordinarily consistent, but produced world class Pinot (and Chardonnay), vintage after vintage, across the board: Bindi Wines, thanks to owner and winemaker Michael Dhillon. It would be a brave critic to leave Bindi out of any list of great Aussie Pinots and Ken Gargett rates the small winery among the very top.

For The Sake Of Sake: A Primer With Tasting Notes – Reprise

Basically, sake comprises rice, water, and the fermenting agent called koji, resulting in an alcoholic level that usually sits between 13 and 16 percent. And you might be interested to know that the rice used is different from the standard table rice so popular with Japanese food. Ken Gargett takes a deep dive into what sake is, what types of sake are available, and whether you should drink it warm (like James Bond) or cold. Kampai!

Lustau 125th Anniversary Sherry: Spanish Liquid Gold

To celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2021, Lustau released a set of three special sherries at the end of last year. These only come as a set, and there are only 2,500 bottles of each of the trio. Beautifully packaged, they have never been seen before, and they represent not only the history and the very DNA of Lustau, but also the three towns of the sherry triangle with one wine from each. Ken Gargett thinks that for sherry lovers these are an absolute must.