My favorite wife recently returned from a business trip to Barcelona and brought me a nice bottle of white port. I knew of the existence of white port but had never sipped any, relying on the traditional ruby port at the appropriate time.

White port comes, unsurprisingly, unlike ruby port, from white grapes and is lighter in taste with a nice golden color. While ruby port has a strong taste in grapes, the white taste if more floral with hints of citrus. This makes white port more of a dessert wine or as a fortified aperitif and is excellent if served cold.

The bottle she brought was from the Ferreira concern which was founded in 1751. What made the gift even better was that it was under the Dona Antonia label and had been aged for ten years. Like red port, armagnac and calvados, a ten-year span helps to ensure that a product is going to provide a very enjoyable treat. I have tasted one- and three-year-old bottles of calvados, and it was a good lesson in tasting a cooking product from a product designed to please.

White port may be a bit more difficult to find, but it is worth the effort and I do not believe you will be disappointed. Enjoy!

For ten generations (since 1630) the Elie Ferrand family has produced excellent Cognacs. The eldest son in each generation is named Elie to commemorate the founder, and the latest “Elie” has decided to start his reign by producing “10 Generations”.

It is a blend of Cognacs, each aged 5 to 25 years with 20% being aged in Santernes barrels as opposed to traditional oak barrels. Additionally, it is higher proof which denotates that it is not aimed at the mass market, but rather the higher end. This shows that the company is not aiming at the Big 4 (Hennessy, Martel, Courvoisier, Remy Martin) but rather at a niche of its own choosing.

It is definitely a “city girl” cognac (as opposed to a “country girl” calvados), with a smooth start that continues as you enjoy. The flavor is complex with raisons, brown sugar and others that make you want to really sip and enjoy each taste. Although one review thought the end was a bit muddied, the finish was quite smooth.

The cost is $50-70 a bottle and a very solid option as opposed to one the Big Four’s price of $100+.

Grab on before they are gone!

I recently received as a gift a bottle of Kavalan Concertmaster single malt whisky which is considered a top Taiwanese whisky. Top Taiwanese whisky? OK, let’s give it a try.

The Kavalan brand was the personal project of a whisky enthusiast and head of the King Car Group. Founded in 2002, the first distillery opened in 2006 and by 2017 the company had two warehouses with 130,000 casks. Along the way, the brand won numerous international awards and was well received by most markets. The Concertmaster brand is first aged in American oak casks, then finished in Portuguese Ruby Port barriques. This is designed to create a mixing of flavors and a smoother taste.

Upon opening the bottle, a pleasant hint of ruby port was noticeable and continued through my first tasting. Smooth and tasty. The Concertmaster has hints of several flavors including chocolate and raisins. What a pleasant surprise! As I tend to do in a first tasting, I went back a couple of hours later for another taste to see if the initial reaction could be duplicated and lo and behold it was!  I enjoyed the second tasting as much as the first and was very happy with the smooth ending.  I had one more tasting, this with a White Band Montecristo robust cigar and found that they made a nice match; there was no fighting between the two, no hint of bitterness and again, a nice smooth finish.

If you want to offer your guests something new, you will be complimented after they taste the Concertmaster single malt whisky.  Give it a try!

There is a saying in France when comparing Cognac to Armagnac and Calvados; Cognac is a city girl, Armagnac and Calvados are country girls.  That is a nice way of saying that the former is smoother, silkier and gentler whereas the other two are a bit rougher but also more challenging.  As a rule, I would agree and I would also say that there are times and places for both to be enjoyed.

This July 4^th holiday was an excellent time to enjoy a good cigar and a twenty-five-year-old Bas-Armagnac by Delord (also under the Marie Duffau label).  Bas-Armagnac is a region of France and the Delord family has been producing excellent Armagnacs since 1875.

I read a review of this vintage, and it went as follows:

The nose is biscuity, caramel-like, cream Sherry-like with a touch of cheese-like rancio. The palate entry tastes like bittersweet dark chocolate, cocoa butter, chocolate-covered raisins and dark honey; the midpalate is fruity and less bittersweet than the entry, making for a succulent aftertaste. A genuine classic.

I am sure that to an individual with a fine nose and a cultured pallet, this might make sense, but, being the simple soul that I am, I would sum this excellent vintage as being smooth, silky with a wonderful smell that makes one want to slow down and enjoy.  With a good cigar ( I chose an AVO Classic), and cradling the Armagnac in a cut crystal brandy snifter, one must slow down and enjoy those precious quiet moments.

I am always satisfied with a vintage with the Delord label, and I recommend with ease.  Enjoy!

Over the holidays, our good friends from Belgium stopped by as they were on their way to New Zealand and other points in that area.  They came baring gifts, including a package of wonderful Neuhaus Belgian chocolate and a three-bottle tasting package of Gouden Carolus Belgian whiskey.  That was enough to open any door and be welcomed!

The Neuhaus chocolates are famous not only in Belgium; on a cruise in the Baltic last year, a coffee shop in Lithuania boasted that they carried Neuhaus chocolate!  The quality of chocolate is excellent, and they are very creative in their fillings.  Unfortunately, I limit myself to one treat a day as who knows when our friends shall return!  Onto the whiskey tasting!

You will find that more and more beer distillers are beginning to come out with a line of whiskey.  Why?  Because they both use the same basic materials and some of the same steps, so adding whiskey to a brewers’ offering makes sense. By brewing standards, Carolus is new to the game, officially starting beer production in the late 19^th century.  Their line of whiskey is even newer but let us take a look at what they are offering.

First Sample: Sherry Oak

This whiskey has a sweet smell and there is a slight fruity taste to it along with a hint of dark chocolate.  The fruitiness comes in part from the use of Oloroso sherry barrels, made from 100% American oak.  It has the darkest color of the three samples, but it is a beautiful rich gold in color that just entices you to give it a try. 

For the novice whiskey drinker, this could be a good introduction to whiskey and certainly would encourage further exploration of the blends.

Second Sample: Blaasveld Broek

            The name of the product refers to a beautiful nature preserve next to the Molenberg distillery in Blaasveld.  It was from that area that peat has been harvested for centuries as a fuel and for drying out malted barley.

            This product is not as sweet and has a hint of peat.  It is a new formula and uses a specialty prepared wash containing peated malt.  The result is a hint of smokiness combined with a tad of vanilla.  This would be a good second step for a novice and might lead one to try a smoky scotch or two.

Third Sample: Imperial Mask Whiskey

            This is the newest addition to the line and in fact, it is not even shown on the corporate website.  Gouden Carolus (Golden Charles) Imperial Day is celebrated on 24^th February which was the birthday of Emperor Charles V. The first batch was distilled in 2015 and allowed to age for more than five years in oak casks.

            This is a very smooth whiskey with a bit of fruit flavor from apricot and vanilla. Like the other two, this is a gentle whiskey and can be enjoyed with a bit of dark chocolate or a nice cigar.  The dueling favors of the cigar and whiskey is quite nice.

PRICE:  About $60.00 a bottle

If you are a cigar smoker and do a bit of travel, finding a good cigar lounge can be a daunting task. Yes, there are shops that sell cigars, and a few may have a comfortable chair or two, but there always seems to be something missing.  So, we continue to hunt for that gem of a cigar lounge that seems to bring it all together.

One such gem is Cubana Creations Cigar Bar at 533 Toulouse St. in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  A nice selection of well cared for cigars is available and the bar features an excellent selection of liquid pleasures, including some that can be difficult to find.  Aside from the bar, there are two rooms with comfortable seating in a setting that allows one to enjoy a smoke, your drink of choice and have a pleasant conversation without having to shout as is so often the case in many bars in New Orleans.

Matthew manning the shop that day, has travelled the world and provided each new customer a nice overview of the club and its offerings.  After inquiring about my favorite cigars, he suggested a Bandolero Vanidosos 50, which was a new cigar for me.  I teamed it with A Remy Martin Tercet cognac, and it was a happy choice.  The Bandolero was mid-range in strength and the Remy very smooth, a great team.

CC is the only indoor cigar lounge in the French Quarter so there was a slow but steady influx of clients, all happy to be able to enjoy their pleasures in a location that was far enough away from the sometimes craziness on the street to be a nice place of shelter. 

I recommend Cuban Creations not because it is the only shop of its kind, but because it offers a good selection of cigars and liquors in a calm, well-tended manner.  A step above a neighbor shop, it offers good value with a personal touch.

I was recently invited to participate in a whiskey tasting/seminar, and being of strong intellectual curiosity, I was persuaded to attended (someone must do it!). It turned out to be quite interesting and cleared up some questions I have had for years. So, let’s see what we found out!

The tasting was of three quite different whiskeys:

• From Japan, Kikori, a rice whiskey
• From the U.S., from the Hirsch distillery, The Horizon, a straight bourbon whiskey
• From Scotland, Old Pulteney, a single malt scotch whiskey

Firstly, there are a few simple things to know regarding some terms in the whiskey world. For example, a single malt is simply a malt whiskey from a single distillery, while a blended is a blend from two different distilleries. One might believe that a single malt might be “purer” in the sense of having a consistent taste, but the taste can vary based on a number of factors, such as the outside temperature. A hot or cold year impacts how the wood of the barrel expands or contracts which affects the taste.

One of the treats of visiting New Orleans is sampling Sazeracs at various locations in the French Quarter. The drink, originally started sometime between 1850-1870 us the official cocktail of the state of Louisiana and is a stable at the carousel bar at the Monteleone Hotel and at the Sazerac bar at the Roosevelt Hotel. During our latest venture into the French Quarter, Brian (whom we believe is the best bar tender in the French Quarter) at Mr. B’s introduced us to the Virus Casse, a relatively new drink invented locally: it gives the traditional Sazerac a real run for it’s money. It consists of equal parts of Rye Whiskey, Sweet Vermouth, Cognac and Benedictine, all poured over ice in a cold tumbler. As you enjoy this drink, as you valiantly work your way to the bottom of the glass, you will enjoy shifting flavors that will continue to hold your interest. A word to the wise; before you order this at your favorite bar, negotiate with the bar tender so that you do not get charged $10 for each ingredient!

I hope you enjoy this treat!

After valiantly testing several Cognacs (I am doing this in order to save you, I hope you appreciate it), I have found that I enjoy Pierre Ferrand Cognac better than Hennessy, Remy Martin, Martel and Courvoisier in the $50-60 price range (this would include their VSOP labels). The two formulas that I enjoy are the Ambre and the 1840. Both are stored for up to ten years (some Cognac is sold after only two years but it is only good for cooking) and have distinctive tastes.

The Ambre has more of an orange and floral taste whereas the 1849 is more of a honey and carmel taste. They are both smooth, do not burn and show the difference between Cognac and Calvados in the best light. The price difference between the two is only in the range of $5.00 so it is easy to have a tasting for a reasonable price.

I have enjoyed both with and without a cigar, sometimes to top off an excellent meal or even when I am simply reading. But, be careful, they can sneak up on you! Enjoy!

I once was told by a wine merchant that the difference between Cognac and Armagnac is like the difference between a city girl and a country girl. Interesting comparison but if you develop your taste for these two staples of France, the comparison might come to mind.