According to Ken Gargett, there is nothing any gin distiller in Australia makes today that has grabbed attention like Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin. If you are yet to jump on board the gin revolution, this would make for a great start.
The real excitement for wine lovers comes when they find something that sings; that drinks well above its pay grade. And so it is with the latest rosé champagne from Louis Roederer, the 2012 vintage. Ken Gargett has a glass (or two) to see if this champagne from the house that makes Cristal lives up to the hype.
The long-awaited, much-hyped, and very much debated line of premium cigars Línea 1935 from the house of Montecristo is finally hitting the shelves. The Línea 1935 range is very much aimed at the pinnacle: these are high-priced cigars for special occasions. But how do they smoke? Ken Gargett has specific opinions on this.
What a wonderful champagne the Bollinger RD 2004 is. It has a glorious level of richness. It is complex with dark fruits, mushrooms, nuts and florals, and notably lemon blossoms. Its impressive length and wonderfully seductive texture make it a wine to search out.
Islay whiskeys may hold pride of place for Ken, but there are many other whiskys he thoroughly enjoys, and the offerings from Glenmorangie, at home in Scotland’s Highland region, are among them. Especially the delightful Signet.
Top-shelf Cognac: perhaps no more divisive drink exists. However, by any measure, Hennessy Paradis Imperial is a superb Cognac with finely balanced flavors and magnificently packaged. It is definitely worth the search.
To many, big must be bad. How often have we heard Johnnie Walker demeaned? Quite why is hard to fathom. Johnnie Walker Blue is a very fine whisky, and now we have something even more special: Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare. But is this expensive bottle overhyped or that good?
There is one wine producer that has taken on almost mythical status in recent years: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. And one of its wines, Romanée-Conti, stands out above all others. Many wine lovers, perhaps most, consider it to be the very best wine in the world. I’m one of them.
The last decade has been the most tumultuous for the Cuban cigar industry since the Revolution. There will always be the occasional “I miss the good old days” from old timers, but overall there has never been a more exciting time for cigar lovers. However, if there was one program that has not lived up to the expectations of many, it is the Aged Habanos Series called Habanos Añejados.
Seppeltsfield has just released its 1918 100-Year-Old Para Vintage Tawny Port-style wine. There is, quite simply, no other wine in the world like it. Where else could you hope to find a wine whose current release is the 1918? It exists, but only thanks to the extraordinary vision of one man.