The Cohiba Maduro 5 consists of three cigars – all using maduro leaf as wrapper, which gives the cigars a much darker, almost chocolaty appearance. These are upper leaves that, as all do, have been through fermentation but have seen five years ageing, more than twice the norm. And that’s only part of why Ken Gargett thinks these Cuban cigars are so special.
A Venezuelan tells an Australian, in Helsinki, to go to Spain to drink local Pinot Noir by a family that has been making it in the Ribera del Duero region for more than 30 years. The region is world famous for its Tempranillo wine, but when Pinot Noir takes hold of a winemaker, it inevitably becomes an obsession. Here’s what Ken Gargett thought of it.
One of the highlights of the wine world every year is the release of the Gimblett Gravels’ winegrowers’ association Annual Vintage Selection – this year from the 2016 vintage. Ken Gargett takes us through this little-known New Zealand region and shares his scores for wines tasted. Cheers!
Fans of Japanese whisky will be all too aware that the better offerings are extremely hard to find. Once a curiosity, then mainstream, and more recently highly awarded and much sought after (okay, now subject to a feeding frenzy), the stuff is as rare as an honest politician. So grab whatever you can whenever you can!
There was a time when the words “Penfolds champagnes” would have sent the Champenois into a frenzy far frothier than any of their fizz. No wine region on the planet has been more vigilant than Champagne in protecting its name (and reputation). Ken Gargett explains how the big Aussie wine producer pulled off the trick of making genuine French champagne and if it’s more than hype and bubbles.
Lagavulin is from the Scottish island of Islay. Malt lovers immediately fall into one of two camps: one does not enjoy the peaty, smoky, seaweed notes that whisky from this island usually offers. The second group loves those characteristics. No prize for guessing where Ken Gargett falls. But what about Ron Swanson?
A blend of rare single malts – the youngest of which was filled in December 1967 – The Glenlivet Winchester Collection Vintage 1967 is non-chill filtered at cask strength. It offers drinkers a rich and fruity nose with notes of apricot jam, sweet ripe peaches, and a touch of toasted almonds. And it costs $25,000 per bottle. Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle explains why.
A question often asked is whether a wine three or four times the price of another can be three or four times as good. In reality, people pay high prices for special wines for all manner of reason, so that is very rarely the case. And for Ken Gargett, in the case of the Henschke Hill of Grace 2014 & Henschke Mount Edelstone 2015 definitely not.
For the last 250 years, Hine has been headquartered at Hine House on the banks on the Charente River in Jarnac. Hine holds a special honor given to no other cognac producer: in 1962, it was granted a royal warrant from Queen Elizabeth II to act as supplier to the royal household. And how does the brand’s Antique XO measure up?
Most of us, when traveling, might sneak a guilty pleasure into the luggage for the trip. A good cigar or two, a fine wine, or a bottle of malt perhaps. If you have a lazy £100,000 (or in Australia, an estimated $230,000), the highly regarded whisky producer Glenfarclas has done your packing for you by releasing the Glenfarclas Family Cask Trunk.