Jatone Cognac

A brandy from Ukraine - and some holiday plans

If you had two weeks to visit Ukraine, where would you go?

A neighbour's daughter, over from Berlin to see her parents for Christmas, asked us for some advice on visiting the largest country in Europe.

Ukraine has been easy to visit for many years now - after winning the Eurovision song contest one year and needing to host it the next, they opted to allow foreign visitors to enter the country for up to 90 days visa-free, despite the lack of reciprocity from western European nations.

It was, I believe, a smart move as tourists from wealthier neighbouring countries coming to visit is rarely a bad thing and the money they spend on hotels, entrance fees and dining out and can be reinvested in maintaining and developing historic sights, ancient cathedrals and all the sorts of things that foreign visitors like to see generally.

For me, greater freedom of movement is generally a win:win all round.

On the back of the visa decision and the opening up of Kyiv's hotel development market, budget airlines also started flying between the UK and the Ukrainian capital making it easily accessible.

With two, possibly three weeks to spare, Alexandra had asked what should she see in Ukraine and what should she avoid.

Over tea and mince pies, we established that she was quite adventurous, so we suggested:

- a week in Kyiv to see orthodox churches, monasteries, Soviet-era memorials, the holodomor museum and so on; she was also planning a day-trip from Kyiv to Chornobyl, which struck me as brave if Romantic

- a weekend in Lviv, with its Viennese-style coffee house culture

- from there, a couple of days exploring the Carpathians, the forested mountain range between Ukraine and Poland / Slovakia / Hungary / Romania

Also consider other cities close to the Carpathians:

- Kamianets-Podilsky, the former capital with a mediaeval fortress on a natural island formed by a river

- Chernivtsi, larger, buzzier and closer to the Carpathians

- Ivano-Frankivsk, formerly Polish as well as Habsburg, also a former capital

To avoid:

- Crimea, part of Ukraine, but now occupied by Russia, is off-limits and Eastern Ukraine, richer and more industrial, is less exciting and more unstable the further you go

- Odesa, on the Black Sea Coast, is historically significant (the Potemkin Steps are iconic), but it is a working port, mostly charmless and a long way from anywhere else

- there are plentiful beaches on the southern Black Sea coast, but this was to be an exploring trip, not a lazing one

Travelling overland back to Berlin would afford her the opportunity to take more locally-sourced presents than a flight would allow, so some Ukrainian brandy is a must for its longevity-to-rucksack-space ratio.

Jatone Cognac V.S.O.P

raisins, sultanas, cooked mixed fruit, caramel and spice; citrus, custardy sweet vanilla, bonfire toffee and roasted Christmas spices with dried figs and prunes; warming and persistent.

Expressive more than elegant; thoroughly enjoyable.

Drink as a nightcap or match with dark chocolate, mature hard cheeses or sticky toffee pudding.

Cabal No.1513 Aged Dark Rum

An award-winning rum

I cannot remember the last time I had rum, but I rather liked this one; a blend of rums aged in PX casks, it has a bit of sweetness as well as complexity.

Cabal No.1513 is a blended rum made from a number of aged rums sourced from distilleries in Guatemala, Guyana, Trinidad, Panama and the Caribbean.

All the rums are aged at origin, then blended and finished in Pedro Ximénez casks in Speyside and bottled at 43% ABV without colouring or chill filtering.

Cabal No.1513 was awarded gold in the super premium golden rum category at the recent Spirits Business Global Spirits Masters 2021.

The rum is made by Scottish-based drinks business Harpalion Spirits which was founded by two entrepreneurs passionate about the complexity, creativity and integrity that surrounds rum and its taste.

Harpalion Spirits describes itself as "committed to using consumer insight to create its liquid, brand, story and future, with more than 200 people involved in the Cabal journey so far." 

CEO Claire Kinloch says: “People are at the heart of Cabal’s ethos. So, we brought together whisky drinkers, spirit lovers, rum champions, liquid specialists, trade experts, and literally the couple next door, to experiment and sample until we had created our very first expression.

“We make exceptionally high-quality liquids, informed by the consumer. Our rums are distinctive and flexible because they are developed and tested by both real people and industry experts. They have wide appeal and have been developed to offer choice in the way they are enjoyed and consumed.”

Martin Watts, Founder at Cellar Trends, said: “In 40 years working in the Caribbean and UK drinks industry, I’ve been privileged to taste some super sipping rums, but none better than Cabal. Cabal No.1513 is a great example of the spirit blenders’ art, using the best rums from several distilleries coupled with slower cask finishing in Speyside’s gentle climatic conditions.” 

Cabal No.1513 (£40)

initial volatile nail polish that blows off with aeration leaving fruitcake, roasted spices, dark chocolate and toffee; fresh, complex, viscous and savoury with grilled pineapple, roasted figs, cocoa and dark sherry; very long and persistent.

Good.

Match with roasted nuts or dark, bitter chocolate; sip at the end of a meal or match with sticky toffee pudding, Christmas pudding or mince pies.

***

From Cabal's website: a Christmas hamper and a recipe

Cabal No.1513 brand is launching a ‘Naughty & Nice’ hamper for rum and luxury spirits lovers this Christmas, bringing together the stunning first expression of Cabal No.1513 with some tasty accompaniments and branded tumbler glasses.

The Naughty & Nice luxury hamper is priced at £65.00 will be available from 1st November 2021 in the shop on www.cabalrum.com and contains:

- 70cl bottle of Cabal No.1513 award-winning aged rum

- 80g orange milk chocolate bar by artisan chocolate-maker Coco Chocolatier 

- Parmesan toasted pine nuts and basil flavoured drinks biscuits by The Drinks Bakery

- 2 x Cabal premium branded sipping glasses Cabal Christmas

Gift wrapped in bespoke luxury Cabal tissue paper with a gift message of your choice

For those who prefer to keep it simple and gift a bottle on its own, Cabal is offering free Christmas gift wrapping on all Christmas orders. Simply select the option at checkout on www.cabalrum.com/product/shop-cabal-no-1513/ 

Claire Kinloch, CEO at Harpalion Spirits, said: “The luxury taste profile we’ve created with our tropically aged, naturally finished rum, is perfect for enjoying throughout the festive season. Created and tested by both consumers and industry experts, means Cabal No.1513 has a wide appeal and has been designed to offer choice in the way it can be consumed. Neat, mixed, or in a cocktail – delicious either way.” 

Christmas recipe:

Serve Eggnog the Cabal way. Best made in a large batch to share with friends and family, this Eggnog recipe is quintessentially festive.

Serves 2. Multiply ingredients to make a larger batch.

- 2 whole eggs

- 40g caster sugar (or 3 heaped teaspoons)

- 150ml full fat milk (or 3 shots)

- 150ml double cream (or 3 shots)

- 50ml Cabal No.1513 (or 1 shot) 

- 30ml Pedro Ximénez sherry (or ½ shot)

Blend eggs in a blender on slow speed until smooth. Add the sugar and blend until dissolved. Add Cabal No.1513, sherry, milk and cream and keep blending for a few seconds until fully combined. Pour straight into a large glass of your choice (or a bottle and refrigerate if making a larger batch) and garnish with fresh nutmeg. 

 

Find out more and buy online at:

- www.cabalrum.com 

- www.facebook.com/Cabalrum 

- www.instagram.com/cabalrum

Tesco Finest Speyside Single Malt Whisky

A versatile Tesco Whisky

Whisky is, in (over)simplified terms, distilled beer; it is made from gains of barley that are malted to create sugars, then brewed to create alcohol, distilled for concentration and finally aged in casks for complexity and colour.

The original purpose of whisky, like all northern European spirits, is as a store of energy to survive the long, harsh winter.

High in alcohol and acidity, slightly oxidative and often with a touch (or more) of smokiness, whisky is made to last.

It matches well with many typically wine-unfriendly foods; think hot-smoked salmon, mince pies, chocolate and robust spicy dishes, from haggis to chili or curry.

There is very little whisky cannot cope with - except light and delicate foods; it is intense by its very nature, so positively demands old-school strong, sweet-savoury calorific foods that would overpower most table wines.

At 40% alcohol, it is around twice the strength of sherry or Madeira, and almost three times that of a table wine, so is more to be sipped than glugged.

Some people will suggest you add water or even mixers; personally, I prefer to sip it neat.

If you need an excuse to get some whisky in now, British Food Fortnight is from 18 September – 3 October in 2021; but, it makes a great drink in all but the hottest of weathers.

Tesco Finest Speyside Single Malt Whisky (£23)

floral and delicate with apples-and-pears fruit and roasted spices; citrus, pineapple and sweet vanilla with a well-integrated oak, good underpinnings and a persistent, harmonious finish.

Very Good.

A versatile whisky, sip as an aperitif or match with smoked fish, spiced dishes or mince pies and Christmas pudding.

It has an IWSC Silver Medal.

Dima's Vodka

A Ukrainian vodka, made by Dima

The Ukrainian word for vodka is horilka; vodka (VOHT-kah) is the Russian diminutive of the word for "water" whereas "horilka" refers to the "burning" process of distillation.

A Russian once told me around the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent chaotic hyperinflation: you westerners drink because you like the taste. In Russia, we drink to get drunk and forget how bad our lives are.

My experience of Ukraine has always been less harsh than in Russia; the winters are shorter and the land more fertile. Instead of never-ending taiga and silver birch forests, there are rolling hills and river gorges in the part of western Ukraine that I visit most.

And Kyiv has a Mediterranean vibe with an open, western-leaning, metropolitan feel that is recognisably European where Russia has always felt somewhat alien, more eastern than European.

I first visited the then-Soviet Union in 1991, making new friends in the Urals mere weeks before the failed coup and house arrest of Gorbachev that precipitated the collapse of the country in many ways.

By the time I arrived in Kyiv a year later, that country had been birthed into an independent state whose creation was more the start of its problems than the end of them.

In subsequent years, I went back to Russia only on business; travelling only to Moscow and staying in upmarket hotels, meeting mostly with linguistically-challenged expats living inside the bubble, I saw little of what everyday life was like for the locals.

This was not the real Russia.

By contrast, my experiences of visiting Ukraine were more authentic and perhaps because of that, perhaps because Ukraine is a more of a European nation, I have a greater fondness for the country, even though I speak less of the language.

Ukraine's name means borderland and it is a long-standing mixture of various people's backyards - originally Kievan Rus, the "common ancestor" of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, it has since been fought over and ruled by Poland, Lithuania and Russia, with Turkish, Cossak and Austrian elements.

This makes Ukraine something of a patchwork nation, with different influences in different regions.

My adopted region of Ukraine could be called southern mid-west, close to the Moldovan and Romanian borders and overlooking the Diester river (the back story of my relationship with this area is here). This is a pastoral region of rolling hills and fertile soils with peasanty foods; smallholdings with crops, fruit orchards and livestock plus freshwater fish.

Dima's Vodka

Handsomely presented, with the Ukrainian tryzub (trident), the vodka is made from three different grains, barley, wheat and rye, for a richer and more rounded flavour profile, crystal-clear clarity and an enviable velvety smoothness.

Dima's Vodka (£35, 70cl) yeasty-pastry nose with a touch of nail polish; rich, full and long; viscous and warming with some alcoholic bitterness. Elegant and refined.

Закуски / Zakuski

Zakuski are snacks, small bits of food to consume after your shot of vodka, serving a similar function as pintxos or tapas, but more closely related to the Scandinavian Smörgåsbord or Ottoman meze.

Simple zakuski consist of dark rye bread, pickled cucumbers, tomatoes with dill and ковбаса (cooked sausage).

Warm zakuski include vareniki and pyrohy, akin to dumplings or ravioli - filled pillows of dough with mashed potato, meat or sour cherries (as a dessert) served with butter, fried onions and / or sour cream.

Dima is fond of pickled cucumber and says: we always serve it with a pickle, which is the traditional serving in Ukraine. The pickle is a powerful little thing with an explosive taste profile – its saltiness perfectly complements the sweet smoothness of our vodka.

Toasting

Toasting is an important part of Ukrainian culture; traditionally, you gather at a table groaning with food and take it in turns to say a toast, followed by a shot of horilka and some strongly-flavoured food.

Dima explains the significance of "budmo" (pronounced Bood – more) on his website:

Budmo is at the heart of all Ukrainian celebrations and encompasses far more than just saying "cheers".

Budmo means ‘let us be’ and is the shortest and the most popular Ukrainian toast. Budmo is said to originate in Cossack times when the Cossacks would gather for a meal and each in turn had a chance to say “Budmo” followed by their wishes for their friends.

Ukrainians are earnest toastmasters, and a party is not a celebration without a series of toasts, which follow a strict hierarchy. 

The first toast is usually proposed by the host, for the meeting (za zustrich).

The second glass is usually raised for friends (za druziv).

The third toast, for women (za zhinok), is given by men while standing.

The last toast of the evening is always “Na Konya!” (Literally translated as “on the horse”).

It is the Ukrainian equivalent of ” one for the road” and comes from the time when the Cossacks would have had a last drink before galloping away. Coupled with the famous pickle, Budmo is a key component of a true Ukrainian vodka experience .

Aloha 65 - Winter Edition

Aloha 65 - a cocktail in a bottle

Aloha 65 defies easy description; it is probably best described as something between a flavoured spirit and an infused cocktail-in-a-bottle. You could also call it alcoholic ginger beer - in a good way.

Designed as a summer après surf, it now comes in a winter look as an après ski

This is from their website and tells the story much better than I can:

First crafted on the beaches of Florida at a popular beach-bar for surfers and sun-seekers, Aloha 65 is made up of an all natural infusion of fresh pineapple, ginger, Scotch-bonnet chillies and a selection of herbs in neutral grain spirit. Serve straight from the fridge or over ice, but it also does very well added add to ginger ale or aromatic tonic for a longer tipple.

Aloha 65 is like nothing else. It doesn’t fit neatly into boxes marked “gin” or “vodka”. It’s a spirit drink infused with fresh pineapple, lemon, ginger, scotch-bonnet chillies and carefully selected herbs and spices.

A delicious shot, a refreshing long-drink, or a unique heart of a great cocktail, Aloha 65 is all-natural, vegan, and lower in alcohol than many of the usual suspects. Original and mould-breaking, it’s an invitation to live life to the full.

There are so many ways to enjoy Aloha 65 with our cocktail inspiration below. Just chill, shake, serve and share! Infused with fresh pineapple, lemon, ginger, scotch bonnet chillies and carefully selected herbs and spices, our spirit contains nothing artificial. That’s no mean feat. Which is why it took 65 goes to get the balance just right.

That’s why our sequence of infusions happen over a whole month. And it’s why every time you pour Aloha, you have to give the bottle a shake.

Our unique product is relatively low in alcohol at 27% abv, vegan-friendly and made for sharing. Refreshing and warming. Complex yet smooth. Like nothing you’ve ever tasted before. Fruity fresh, spicy ginger balanced by herbaceous notes - the refreshing taste of summer in a bottle.

Aloha 65 £22.50 (aloha65.com, Amazon, Master of Malt) strong, sweet and warming with botanicals pineapple, ginger and chilli.

Serving suggestions include:

- a long drink mixed with ginger ale or a seasonal tonic like Fever Tree’s Clementine tonic water.

- The Aloha Mac, a modern twist on the classic

- Aloha 65 and Stone’s ginger wine

- Aloha Old Fashioned with Aloha 65 instead of half of the Bourbon

- Aloha Velvet with Aloha 65, brandy, orange and lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg yolk.

- mulling Aloha 65 in either red wine, cider or cloudy apple juice together with some cinnamon, star anise and cloves. 

Ten Years - Sara Rawlinson

A guest post by Cambridge-based fine art photographer Sara Rawlinson (pictured, at work, above)

A combination of a ten-year wedding anniversary, lockdown and a socially-distanced road tour give Sara a challenge to find the right wines for a romantic meal à trois.

Ten years.

We were so excited for our anniversary trip to Sardinia - what better way to celebrate 10 years than by soaking up some much-needed sunshine and amazing wine. But it was not to be: covid claimed yet another plan.

During the consolatory (and amazing) three weeks of hiking through our old stomping grounds in the rural parts of northern Scotland, I stumbled on our old favourite - the 15-year-old Mortlach. A bit on the sweet side, but with such a variety of flavours I’d be sure to create a fantastic meal with it and have at least half the bottle left for a bit of a present.

You see, the plan had been for each of us to cook a surprise dinner for the others. Yes, plural. Our 7-year-old munchkin wanted in on it too!

Nick created a dish for us based on firey fish on open flames. Little Esther cooked nachos - and was very proud!

And then it was my turn.

I wanted a three-course meal, with the Mortlach to shine for each. Research required!

I did some tasting and reading to try to figure it out - apple, caramel, pineapple, toast, honey, cherry, and of course the lovely peppery warmth. I dug into my Scottish memories for what pairs well with whisky and consulted a few of our favourite cookbooks.

Whisky Kitchen by Sheila McConachie & Graham Harvey:

Morocco by Paula Wolfert

Soup by Nick Sandler & Johnny Acton

Then I did what I do best; I mixed them all up and found my flavours. I wanted:

- mussel+saffron+whisky starter, followed by

- fish+pineapple+whisky, and 

- dessert of shortbread+fruit drizzle+whisky.

Woah, how on earth am I ever going to pair wine with this?! I had better ask Tom and Cambridge Wine Merchants for help.

Starter

A semi-regular Mussel and Saffron Soup recipe was adulterated with a drizzle of a reduction-concoction containing mostly saffron, Mortlach, shallot, lemon. It was served with our standard homemade “pot bread”, but of course since I always have to shake things up a bit, it was modified slightly to be almond-chia pot bread (we were out of hazelnut flour, or I would have used that instead of almond).

We almost added chillies to the soup to offset the sweetness but decided to let the saffron-Mortlach reduction shine instead.

Despite my attempts to get the exact wine that Tom recommended, someone else beat me to it. CWM recommended instead the Dr Leimbrock Riesling Spatlese 2006 - which was quite a nice accompaniment although a bit too sweet.

Main

For the main course, I had a tough time combining the flavours into one recipe but decided to just have fun and cross my fingers that it would work out. It was my munchkin who suggested it could be like a pineapple upside-down cake - which turned into a brilliant suggestion. I used a fairly standard fish tagine recipe from Wolfert’s (totally fantastically amazing!) book, but of course added a few flavours to make it my own.

The base flavour focused on red onion, cashews, pineapple, and chickpeas. At the last minute before popping into the oven, I added more fresh pineapple rings topped with the salmon, which in turn was dusted with crushed cashews, salt and pepper.

The fish had crisped so nicely, that I decided to serve the pineapple upside-down salmon upside down, or rather, right side up. This was all served with the saffron-Mortlach-lemon drizzle from above, and leafy salad with honey-mustard dressing. 

From both Tom and CWM’s advice, we ended up with Domaine Bouchard Beaune du Chateau Premier Cru Blanc 2016. This was the perfect combination - slight sweet oak with a touch of lemon. The wine was the perfect pair, nicely complimenting the pineapple, salmon and saffron-whisky.

Dessert

Dessert was Italian shortbread in a doughnut shape topped with a circle of honey-oak ice cream and artfully drizzled with a trio of coulis - pineapple, grapefruit and lemon - served with a dram of the Mortlach. The flavours were a delightful combination.

We all voted that the lemon coulis was the best with the pineapple a close second. Poor grapefruit was a resounding last (or should we just throw it out). Besides the excellence of the flavours, I’m afraid to say the dessert wasn’t a resounding success. The shortbread was indeed flavourful but sadly had fallen flat in the oven (oops) and the homemade honeyed ice cream was way too honeyed. Oh well.

We have a motto in our house: what we lack in skill, we make up for with enthusiasm. So while the dinner wasn’t perfect (is anything?), it was full of enthusiasm and encouragement - the sort that we’ve been sharing with each other for over ten years.

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L&C Gin from Virgin Wines

 A new gin from Bullards Distillery, exclusive to Virgin Wines

Virgin Wines have been working with Norwich-based Bullards Distillery to produce a new gin; a London Dry, the botanicals are re-distilled with the gin and juniper for elegance.

With an emphasis is on easy-drinking freshness, additional flavourings have been limited to lime leaf and cardamom.

Using fewer ingredients means that each must complement the others and be of the highest quality - there's no room to hide.

Fortunately, Virgin's spirits buyer, Dave Roberts, and Master Distiller of Bullards, Dave Crofts, have succeeding in creating a distinctive and very elegant gin.

L&C Limited Edition London Dry Gin (£41.99, Virgin Wines) aromatic, citrussy and botanical with lifted cardamom on the palate; zesty, fresh and inviting. Balanced, harmonious, elegant and long.

Good.

Serve as an aperitif, ideally neat. In the Garden. On a sunny day.

Frapin Millésime 26 Year Old 1992

A vintage Frapin Cognac from 1992 with a limited release of just 3,000 bottles,

Frapin Millésime 26 Year Old 1992

1992 was quite a year for those of us old enough to remember it; from Bosnia to the Rodney King / LA riots via Black Wednesday and the ERM, a quick glance at the bands of the time tells you everything you need to know about how the world was feeling: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Manic Street Preachers.

It was also the year that this Frapin Cognac was born, having been distilled with its lees and some pulp, taste-tested for aging potential then sealed in 350 litre Limousin oak casks under the watchful eye of the BNIC and left to mature in Frapin's dry cellars.

In the intervening quarter century, the fiery, raw, angry young Cognac has mellowed into something that Frapin's cellar master Patrice Piveteau describes as "rich but also fresh and fruity". Those of us who stood on the cusp of adult life in the early 1990s might feel we can say something similar of ourselves. I'm not so sure that it is equally true of the world in general, however.

Frapin Millésime 26 Year Old 1992 (around £150, Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange) complex nose of stone fruits, prunes, florality, tobacco and toffee; vibrant and fresh with pepper, dried orange peel and savouriness. Supple, mellow and harmonious, very elegant and adept.

Very Good.

Drink as a digestif or match with a tarte tatin.

There's a fuller review from Henry Jeffries here.

The English Whisky Company Smokey Single Malt Whisky With Jug - Virgin Wines

A Father's Day gift from Virgin Wines - English Whisky

The English Whisky Company Smokey Single Malt Whisky With Jug

To the list of things that you didn't know England did well you, can now add peaty whiskies.

The English Whisky was established in 2006 in Norfolk as a retirement project. Unlike vodka or gin which can be sold as soon as produced, whisky needs time in cask to mature; 8 years is considered entry-level, so it's a while before your project starts to pay back.

Is this a distinctively English whisky? Absolutely not - and that's no bad thing. Tasted blind, you'd be forgiven for placing it on Islay, home to Scotland's smoky, peaty whiskies.

It comes with a water jug and whilst it's all about personal preference, one rule-of-thumb is to add just a few drops, around 20% of an appropriate mineral water to your glass.

The English Whiskey Company Smokey Malt Whiskey with Jug (£46.99, Virgin Wines) complex and expressive; rich, sweet and full palate, viscous, saline and peppery with savoury fruitcake, roasted peaty spices and long, warming finish.

Very Good.

Drink as a digestif or match with sticky toffee pudding or espresso and dark, bitter chocolate.

Noveltea Earl Grey Gin

An Earl-Grey infused gin from Virgin Wines Sendagift

Early Grey tea and gin - what could be more British?

If you are looking for a gift or need something to cheer up a loved one in self-isolation lockdown, Noveltea's Earl Grey gin will put a smile on their faces.

The gift set comes with a teapot for serving the gin warm - or you can add ice and have it chilled.

Noveltea Teapot Gift Set With Earl Grey Gin (£26.99) cold-brewed loose-leaf Earl Grey tea and gin blended; citrus, florality and bergamot with sweetness, ripe peach and botanicals. Think iced tea cocktail.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

Serve as part of a boozy afternoon tea.

Warner's Rhubarb Gin

A pink gin for Valentine's, from Virgin Wines

Say you need to get a Valentine's present and you're not sure what to get. You want it to be special, classy and meaningful, something you hope the object of your affections might invite you to share. Something that looks both pretty and sophisticated. And, being a discerning sort of person, you are prepared to spend a bit of money.

A bottle of Warner's Rhubarb Gin might be just the thing; it looks and smells better than wilting petrol station forecourt flowers.

Authentically British, it is handcrafted by Warner Edwards from a 200 year old barn; it combines award-winning Harrington gin with rhubarb from Queen Victoria's personal crop, originally grown in the kitchen garden of Buckingham Palace.

It comes in a smart tin and you can add a special message. to your loved one - something along the lines of "Hubba, Hubba", perhaps.

Warner's Rhubarb Gin (Virgin Wines, £40.99) aromatic pink gin, with pepper, cardamom and cinnamon spice, citrus peel, elderflower; sweet and tangy, it is 1/3rd pressed rhubarb juice, giving a sweet and viscous texture.

Father's Day Cognac from The Co-op

I am your father
- Darth Vader, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

Daddy wasn't there
- Ming Tea ft Austin Powers

We all have dads.

Some of us are dads.

This Sunday is Fathers' Day; a day for Dads, a day to think of our Dads and about how much we love them. And maybe even tell them (if we can).

My Dad is generally happy drinking whatever is put in front of him; I can't be with him this Fathers' Day, so I'll toast him with a glass of something suitably Dad-like. And tell my kids some dad-jokes.

Irresistible Cognac (£20, the Co-op) warming, alcoholic and spicy with some nail polish on the nose; smooth and rich, with mixed fruit, baked apple and sweet caramel.

Drink as a digestif; match with espresso and dark chocolate or a raspberry meringue.

Three Wine Men in Cambridge

The Three Wine Men event returns to Cambridge

Another year, another Three Wine Men Christmas tasting; this time round there were noticeably fewer local independents.

With just a three-hour slot and over 30 exhibitors in the hall, there was no chance to get round everyone. So I focused on local heroes and noteworthy wines.

Cambridge Distillery

Meeting both of these criteria was Cambridge Distillery whose gins are something of a revelation. Owner Will Lowe cites three points of difference from pretty much any other gin you might try: all botanicals are fresh and seasonal, all are distilled separately and then blended separately.

Will's house gin is the Cambridge Dry Gin - fragrant, floral and perfumey with juniper and menthol, a firm grip leading onto a round sweetness. Very Good.

A step up is the Cambridge Botanical Gardens Gin with flavourings picked from the Botanical Gardens just up the road from the distillery. With rosemary, lavender and apples descended from Newton's tree, this is a more nuanced and elegant gin. Very Good Indeed.

The Truffle Gin is flavoured with white truffles from alba and is intended as a digestif, a gin for whisky-lovers. The musky white truffle dominates the nose leading to more juniper on the palate. Very Good.

Thorne Wines

New kid on the local oenological block is Thorne Wines, run by James Thorne, formerly of Cambridge Wine Merchants.

The white Rioja Perica Olagasa Blanco 2017 is a complex, nutty, fresh, leesy spicy old-school Rioja. Good.

The red Perica Olagasa Reserva 2010 is fresh, youthful and still primary with bramble fruits and spice; mellow and harmonious.

Also good and tasted on a previous occasion is the Vondeling Chardonnay.

Thirsty

Wine merchants inevitably reflect the personalities of their founders; Thirsty's wines are iconoclastic and zeitgeisty. There was South African Southern French / Pinotage blend with juicy fresh berry fruit, a Southern French Chardonnay that was fresh with a southern warmth and an orange wine that was highly drinkable and pleasant rather than challenging.

Chateau Musar

A vertical of Lebanon's Musar showed how this amazing wine develops: the 2011 red, the current vintage, is complex, harmonious and meaty with dried red berries, spice and freshness and just the beginnings of some secondary woodsy undergrowth alongside dried red fruits. Very Good.

The 2000 is paler with more secondary aromas of sous bois and truffles, but the fruit is still good and it will continue to age. Very Good.

The 1998 is very pale and almost tawny port-esque, very harmonious and mellow. At a peak and my top of the three vintages on show. Very Good.

I had not known about the Musar White, but got a chance to try the 2009. Complex, with nuts and oaky spices, waxy and old school, it is a unique textured wine that somewhat defies definition but is in the same category as amontillado, vin jaune and white Rioja. Very Good.

New Zealand Wine

If you think New Zealand is just Sauvignon Blanc, then look away now.

Greywacke Chardonnay 2014 is a complex, elegant and ageworthy oaked Chardonnay; fresh citrus and orchard fruits, gently toasty oak. Substantial and deft. very Good.

Greywacke Pinot Noir 2014 fresh, delicate and crystalline with elegant red fruits; supple and harmonious. Very Good.

Sud de France

Quality, consistency and affordability were all high here - these were some really lovely wines.

Domaine Morin-Langron Etiquette Noir 2017 fresh, elegant and long Picpoul. Good.

Ch Canet 2017 waxy, spicy, warming southern white blend. Good.

Domaine de Cebene Felgaria 2015 pruney fruit, feral, mineral red blend; concentrated, supple and fresh. Very Long. Very Good.

Ch de Prieure des Mourgues Grande Reserve 2015 poised, focused, concentrated St Chinian red blend. Fine tannins and will age. Very Good.

Alpine Wines

Swiss wines can be lovely, but they are always expensive; if you set next-door Burgundy as a benchmark, then they are reasonable value.

Provins Petite Arvine Grand Metral 2016 fresh, lemony and elegant. Good.

Whisky for Burns Night - Isle Of Jura 10 Year Old Single Malt

A single malt whisky from The Co-op

From the mountainous Inner Hebrides island of Jura, this whisky is sweet, peaty and easy-drinking - perfect for a Burns supper with friends.

Isle Of Jura 10 Year Old Single Malt Whisky (£35.49 - reduced to £24.99 from 24 Jan – 13 Feb 2018 inclusive) lightly peaty with spicy citrus, florality and honey; sweet and heather-honeyed with nutmeg, allspice and cloves finishing with a warm sweetness.

Good.

Match with cock-a-leekie soup, haggis and cranachan; or just sip after dinner.

Special Christmas Drinks From The Co-op

Two special Christmassy drinks from The Co-op

Christmas is a time for special drinks - not just superior versions of what we might normally drink, but drinks that are inherently associated with Christmas; Champagne's fizz suits the celebratory mood perfectly, whilst a sip of mellow aged spirit allows us time to relax.

The fizz follows a tradition of great, and great value, Champagnes from the Co-op; it recently won a Gold Medal at the Champagne and Sparkling Wine Championships. The whisky has a silver from the IWSC and is also great value for a whisky of this age.

Les Pionniers, Champagne 2006 (£25.99) Golden sandy yellow, it is complex, precise and assured, with orchard fruits and hints of redcurrant, musky melonskin, yeasty-biscuitiness and a fine mousse; taut citrus acidity, some aged, nutty character and a persistent minerality.

Very Good.

Crisp enough for an aperitif, but will match well with seafood starters and roast guineafowl.

Co-op Irresistible 12 Year old Scottish Highland Whisky £23.49 (70cl) golden, mahogany toffee colour, with a complex nose of citrus, sandalwood and roasted spices; cooked mixed fruit, pastry shop, sweet vanilla and complex dark sherry flavours.

Warming, assertive and persistent.

Good value and Very Good.

Match with haggis, dark chocolate and espresso and a crackling log fire.

If you are looking for table wines to match your Christmas dinner itself, the Co-op recommends these:

Fish starter silver winner, New Zealand Irresistible Explorer’s Sauvignon Blanc (£7.49)
Festive main silver winner, Australian Henry's Drive Shiraz (£16.99)
Cheeseboard silver winner, Finca Las Moras Barrel Select Malbec (£7.99)

Sorgin: A Gin for Wine Lovers

Sorgin: a gin from winemaker Francois Lurton made from Sauvignon Blanc

Francois Lurton is something of a winemaking legend - or at the very least, a prominent name from a legendary family.

His new gin, Sorgin, is made not from grain or potatoes but Sauvignon Blanc grapes from Gascony that might otherwise be distilled and aged into a brandy; to this is added a range of botanicals: grapefruit zest, lemon, violets, gorse, lime-zest and redcurrant buds, with juniper added as a distillate.

For the linguistically curious, Sorgin is a basque name for a witch - but not a witch wearing a basque.

Sorgin delicate and complex nose with aromatic herbs, fruitiness and sandalwood; elegant and long with an oily texture and an harmonious, persistent finish. No rough eges whatsoever.

Very Good.

Drink neat as an aperitif or, as Lurton recommends, garnish with a slice or orange or grapefruit.