The Punch ManTua cigar has serious oomph throughout. Some find a slight sweetness, but Ken Gargett’s had no evidence of it. This cigar has considerable complexity and there is no hint of anything out of place or any of the awkwardness that sometimes afflicts younger cigars.
Hunter Valley Semillon is one of the more curious styles of wine likely to be encountered. Most wine lovers from outside Australia (indeed outside of the eastern Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland) treat it with a little disdain, have never tried it or perhaps even heard of it. Ken Gargett explains why it should be on any wine lover’s radar.
There are many styles of sherry, but there is one which is perhaps the most perplexing and confusing of all – Palo Cortado. An accidental wine if ever there was one, but a glorious one. Ken Gargett explains.
Ken Gargett reports that the sensational Bollinger RD 2008 is a deep golden bronze colour. The immediate impression was two things. First, an impressive array of nutty notes. Hazelnuts certainly, but also walnuts and a touch of almond. Fuller than many, as one expects from Bolly, but the balance never wavers. It shows just how much time on lees can bring about changes in a wine.
Bombay Sapphire is one of the most widely used gins and the fastest growing premium gin in the world. These days, with the gincredible popularity of the spirit, that means it is one of the most loved and drunk spirits on the planet. Ken Gargett takes a deep dive.
Singleton 40-Year-Old Malt Whisky in Ken Gargett’s opinion is alluringly mellow but with undoubted power, there is amazing length. If a hedonistic malt is your thing, then you will find this a majestic malt.
A good sherry vinegar is a truly wonderful and, in Ken Gargett’s opinion, necessary indulgence in a good kitchen that can transform many dishes. Great sherry vinegar needs only to contribute a meagre splash to change and enhance a dish.
Why is it that Chablis never seems to get the love it deserves? Why do so many wine lovers, even those who buy and drink Chablis wine, often dismiss it as merely a little sibling of White Burgundy? Ken Gargett considers that no matter where Chablis sits in your perception, it should not be ignored or treated with the contempt of familiarity. Chablis is one of the world’s great white wines.
Over the years, Ken Gargett has been fortunate to have tried almost all of the Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnays, usually on several occasions. And he has found that he wine has never been anything less than enthralling at whatever stage he has encountered them.
At the 2016 World Whiskies Awards, Teeling Whiskey was awarded “World’s Best Irish Single Malt” and then in 2019 “World’s Best Single Malt.” Ken Gargett takes a look at (and a few drams of) a couple of the company’s wonderful whiskeys and explains what makes them so exceptional.
