Great Drinks
Wed 24 Oct 2007
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 […]
Fri 12 Oct 2007
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 […]
Thu 22 Feb 2007
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 […]
Sat 2 Dec 2006
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 […]
Tue 21 Nov 2006
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 […]
Tue 31 Oct 2006
I ran across a board topic recently asking what everyone’s favorite cigar drink was. I was pretty surprised that though many mentioned port or whisky, no one actually mentioned cognac. Now if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you will have noticed how much I love single malt Scotch whisky. I equally appreciate […]
Wed 16 Aug 2006
Here’s a full-bodied single malt for that full-bodied Cuban or Nicaraguan cigar. The Oban 14 Year is a “West Highland Malt” and a real classic in its own right. Both on the nose and the palate it comes across as a marriage of the sweet Island character and the soft and fruity Highlands.
It has […]
Mon 7 Aug 2006
I was on the way to our hotel in the province of Navarra when, lo and behold, I found myself driving right past a local winery near the town of Puente La Reina. Well, you know that immediately my daily goals shifted and I knew I had to come back to that spot for a […]
Mon 29 May 2006
This week’s fine spirit comes in the form of the Glenkinchie 10 Year Lowland Scotch whisky. My first impression is that it has a personality of its own. From its hue all the way to the finish, the single malt is just not exactly a conforming lowland malt.
The hue is golden, but with a certain […]
Mon 22 May 2006
This little blurb comes straight from the table of a tiny restaurant in the middle of nowhere; well, somewhere in the Pyrenees. What else could I order with this typical local meal? I had to go with a locally produced wine, and this 1999 Madiran Vignes Vieilles was just the thing.
The robe on the wine […]
Mon 15 May 2006
The Dalwhinnie single highland malt is an absolute classic. This fifteen-year-old scotch strikes as gentle and timid from the beautiful light golden hue to the sweet nose. You should not be fooled, though. On the palate, the whisky is bold and firm, while managing to maintain a semi-sweet character.
On the nose it is light, delicate […]
Mon 8 May 2006
Being in France and all, I’ve become a big fan of fine cognac. I am particularly fond of the smooth and floral quality in contrast with single malt whisky. When a cigar calls for a cognac, the Hennessy XO is one of a definite goto. It sure isn’t the cheapest there is, but it’s oh […]
Mon 1 May 2006
Every now and again a man has a chance to get his hands on a rare delight that he just can’t pass up. With only 910 bottles made, this Laphroaig 31 year old single islay malt is certainly one of them. I had the exceptional pleasure of obtaining bottle number 599 several weeks ago and […]
Mon 24 Apr 2006
You may have noticed that for a little over 30 hours HumiBlog was down due to hosting SLQ failures. I have taken steps to change hosts and within a couple of days the transfer should be complete. In the mean time, there may be some glitches here and there.
Now, without further ado, here’s this week’s […]
Mon 17 Apr 2006
This week’s single malt comes from the Scottish isle of Jura that gives this whisky its name. I picked this one up at the duty free shop at Heathrow airport. I don’t know why this particular bottling is different than the usual Isle Jura, but one thing I can say: The color on this is […]
Mon 10 Apr 2006
When it comes to younger wine (less than 10 years old), my preference is clear: I’d rather have a smaller, lower profile wine, that is actually drinkable, than a corpulent “Grand Vin”, however good it maybe, before it reaches peak maturity. In general, the better the wine, the longer it has to be laid down […]
Mon 3 Apr 2006
Everyone knows that cigars and Port are classic companions, and I must admit that for a long time this has been my favorite combination… perhaps until now.
On a recent trip to Cadiz, I arranged an outing to the nearby city of Jerez to sample the region’s best Sherry wine (something I highly recommend). I just […]
Mon 27 Mar 2006
You happen to be traveling across continents for either business or pleasure. On the way back, you make sure you get to the airport three hours early so you have enough time to stop at the duty free shop to take a look at the cigars and spirits section. As you wander about you spot […]
Mon 20 Mar 2006
“Mill on the Hill” is the meaning of the Gaelic word that gives this aromatic single malt its name, since the distillery sits beside the mill on the banks of Allt a Choire, a tributary of the great river Livet, in Scotland. Far from being a powerhouse scotch whisky the Tamnavulin 12 Year is rather […]
Mon 13 Mar 2006
Well, a rather recent discovery of mine is how magnificently well a cigar can be accompanied by medium-bodied aged rum. It’s not the first thing that comes into mind when looking for a “cigar” drink, since most aficionados talk of cognac or whisky, yet I was very surprised by how diverse rums can be; […]
