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Whenever I restock my liquor cabinet, aside from picking up my old favorites, I can never resist the temptation of trying something new, which I guess means that my collection is always expanding.

I am particularly delighted with my latest pick: The Balvenie Double Wood 12 Year single malt. This stuff is actually matured in two different kinds of wood, hence the name. The first cask is the traditional whisky oak and the second is actually sherry oak, and I must say it really works wonders into this Scotch, making it a particularly good companion for a good cigar.

The color is rich with a deep amber hue. The nose is quite prominent and has recognizable notes of Oloroso sherry, vanilla, some honey and some underlying tobacco.

The palate is ever so smooth. Sweet notes of nuts and spices dominate early on with caramel and vanilla surfacing before the end with a good note of sherry. The finish is long, smoky and warm.

I paired this with the new Cuban Cohiba Maduro 5 and I sank into my leather chair like an old man into a warm bath.

As you could’ve guessed there’s no way I was about to leave the Hennessy distillery without bringing something special home. We eventually made it to the tasting counter where we were about to sample four different cognacs and I was excited like they were about to give out money!

We had some stuff which they normally serve as a cocktail mix because it’s just not complex enough for the connoisseur. I had it pat and with ginger ale and agreed with them that I probably wouldn’t drink it pat. I mean, it was great, but nothing really special.

We went on to sample two more, both marketed as cognac for the cognac lover. I had the XO, which I’ve had many times in the past, and of which I remain a big fan to this day, but they also had something new, which they called Fine de Champagne.

This stuff is obviously not like a Hennessy XO, but it was certainly delightful: made with over sixty eau de vie’s, it boasts a wonderful amber hue, an awesome nose full of orange blossoms, honey, and maybe even some pepper, good viscosity, and a fresh palate with plenty of zest, wood, and spice. Come to think of it, as I sip it now, it has a nice touch of French Brioche as well, which explains how well it went with my H. Upmann from earlier.

I really enjoyed this one for its finesse, but even more I appreciated the price. I was able to get his for 30 euros at the Hennessey shop. If you enjoy your cognac pat or with ice only, you’ll appreciate this one, and if someone wants to mix it, you won’t feel guilty because of the great price. A++

I’m sure you’ve seen it. It’s on banners, souvenirs, shot glasses, T-shirts, and just about anything “Spain” from the actual Spanish flag to car bumpers in Madrid; and if you’ve ever gone for a road trip in Spain, you will see its gigantic black silhouette on hills and fields everywhere. The Osborne Bull has indeed become a cultural symbol of Spain.

What originally began as an advertising campaign for Osborne Sherry brandy in 1956, overtime became a renowned national icon by international visitors. It wasn’t until 1994, though, after a law was passed to outlaw billboards on roads, that the Bull, created by artist Manuel Prieto, was officially recognized as a cultural asset by Spanish courts and became a permanent sight of the Spanish landscape until today.

Well, it was only fitting that, living in Spain, I would visit the Osborne sherry company in Cadiz, and become acquainted with their brandy. I mean, this stuff is very popular in this country and incredibly affordable when compared to French Cognac; testimony to another little quality I have come to appreciate about the Spanish: thriftiness. It is this quality that helps keep their most cherished products very reasonably priced.

The Osborne Magno, though not a special reserve by any means, is touted as elaborated from the estate’s best grapes and is aged in American oak. As with all of their brandies, the Magno is distilled in a way that is unique to the Jerez (sherry, also spelled Xeres) region, and thus possesses certain qualities that in my opinion make it recognizably Spanish.

The most outstanding characteristic of this sherry brandy, is an incredibly smooth palate that makes it one of the most drinkable spirits in this proof. You’d be surprised how easily you can put this down; before you know it, you’ll have probably downed more of it than you really intended to.

The Magno is the color of reddish oak. It has a rather intense nose with clear notes of oak, molasses and honey. Distinct indications of sherry wine are all over it. It is semi sweet on the palate, with notes that are also reminiscent of a fine port. I got delicious notes of molasses, which dominate at first, as well as smooth oak and a tinge of citrus rind in the finish. I would say that it has adequate viscosity for a brandy in this category.

I have yet to open my bottles of the Osborne Gran Reserva brandies—the Independencia and Conde de Osborne—but so far I’m sold with their little Osborne Magno. I keep dreaming of Joya de Nicaragua Antaños as the smoothness of this authentic Spanish sherry coats my senses.

The only other Brandi to truly compete with Cognac when it comes to name recognition is Armagnac, from the French region which contributes to its name. In essence, it is basically the same product, and even made from the same grapes. With a different distilling technique, however, Armagnac differs, if ever so delicately, from its Champagne cousin.

As you can imagine, the alliance of cigars with the finest Armagnacs is as classic as that of Port or Sherry; and even so far as to drive some Chateaux to gear their distillation master pieces toward the realm of fine cigars.

A recent discovery of mine, which exemplifies this, is Chateau Tariquet, located in the Bas-Armagnac region. I had the chance to sample their “Le Legendaire”, and it was fantastic. They recommend that this be paired with a Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas but I had it with an Epicure No. 1 for what was a delightful alliance.

I can describe the “Legendaire” as lightly woody and spicy on the nose with some delicate vanilla and apricot notes. It is very well rounded and smooth on the palate going from initially sweet spicy notes toward more fruity notes—caramelized apples come to mind. It’s delicate balance of oak and fruit come together with sweet pepper notes toward the end for a very fine and elegant finish—it was a real treat folks.

When settling down to a nice cigar in my lounge, I find that more often than not, I reach for my trusty coffee cup, a combination that is both unassuming and relaxing.

Now, if you guessed that I’ve never been a Folgers kind of guy, you’re absolutely right. In fact, wherever I go, I usually try to find a small local roaster where I can get some sort of good quality artisan coffee.

But I never thought that, in my search for perfection, I’d be going a step further to even roast my own beans. I mean, if the pros can’t get it right, how could I possibly do it, right?

Wrong! What I didn’t realize is the difference it makes when coffee is brewed shortly after roasting. Usually, unless you get the beans from a local roaster, they may sit in sackcloth for days, if not weeks, before they are officially packaged and shipped to the retailers.

That means that by the time we grind and brew the coffee, it’s months after roasting has taken place and well after the coffee has gone stale. The real difference with home roasting is that you can now enjoy the coffee when it is still at its peak freshness: between 24 and 48 hours after roasting.

Well, after months of thinking about it, I finally took the plunge and bought me a small Hearth Ware home roaster with a good selection of green coffee beans; and all I can say is that while I was perfectly happy with my pickings from my local shop, the home roasted stuff is absolutely the best I’ve ever had.

An added bonus of roasting your own is the great variety of coffee beans that are available for purchase, each with their own character and unique flavor.

From the well structured power beans to the subtle aromatic ones, their wonderful complexity and aromas make these home roasts excellent companions to a fine cigar.