12.5% alc./vol.
Producer: Champagne Lanson, Reims, France
Lanson was founded in 1760 and was one of the very first Champagne Houses to be established. Unusually for a non-vintage champagne, and somewhat controversially, Lanson does not use malolactic fermentation. Black Label comprises: 35 per cent Chardonnay, 50 per cent Pinot Noir and 15 per cent Pinot Meunier.
Appearance: (disgorged Nov-2011) Clear, pale golden yellow with persistent small bubbles.
Aroma: Lemon meringue pie filling and lemon sherbet served with toast and honey. Very faint crispy bacon-like whiffs.
Taste: Citrus led, high acidity, steely, tart and zingy - more a wake-up call than a celebration.
Aftertaste: Lingering lemon zest and citric acidy.
diffordsguide rating: 3.5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: The Edrington Group Ltd, 2500 Great Western Road, Glasgow, Scotland
Like the regular Cutty Sark blend, Storm is based on grain whisky from the North British Distillery but with a higher proportion of malt whiskies, which are also considerably older. Being an Edrington owned blend these malts include a high proportion of the company's Highland Park and The Macallan.
Launched in May 2012, Cutty Sark Storm is the second blend to be formulated by Master Blender, Kirsteen Campbell and supersedes Cutty Black and Cutty Sark Blended Malt which are no longer produced.
Appearance: Clear, mid golden with bright clarity.
Aroma: Rich and pungent with tropical fruit, fudge, nubuck leather and crème anglaise.
Taste: Sweet nubuck leather, peachy fruit, delicate cinnamon spice and top dressing of oaky malt.
Aftertaste: Gently drying with lightly smoked oak emerging.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
46% alc./vol.
Producer: High West Distillery, 703 Park Avenue, Park City, Utah, USA
Campfire is unusual in that it is a blend of Scotch, bourbon and rye whiskeys (possibly the world's first?). It uses a straight bourbon (75 per cent corn, 20 per cent rye and 5 per cent peated barley malt), a straight rye (95 per cent rye and 5 per cent barley malt) and a peated vatted Scotch malt - all 5 years or older. The bourbon and the rye are from the old Seagram plant in Indiana.
The inspiration behind such a blend of whiskies, to quote High West Distillery's Proprietor, David Perkins, goes like this: "One morning at the Bruichladdich distillery B&B, my wife and I smelled peat in the air - the ladies that made our meals were simmering a bottle of peated whisky and sugar! Later that night, they brought out a dessert of ripe honeydew drizzled with the peat syrup. That was the most unusual, delicious and memorable ending to dinner I have ever had. The combination of melon and sweet smoke really worked - so (naturally...) I thought why not mix sweet bourbon and peat? The main flavor (or melody) is sweet honey from a ripe bourbon. The enchanting flavor (or harmony) is floral fruity spice from a mature rye whiskey. The accent (Satchmo's gravelly voice!) is the smoke from a peated Scotch."
Appearance: Clear, dark golden.
Aroma: Vanillery leather, tobacco, slightly over toasted bread and whiffs of musty old oak wardrobe sit over fruity, floral spice with jasmine, chai and lapsang souchong tea.
Taste: Dry oak, cedarwood and buttery old leather with nutmeg, cinnamon spice and campfire smoke (appropriately) is softened with vanilla, honey and ripe berry fruits. Rye spice leads this trio of whiskies.
Aftertaste: Salty caramel, old dry leather, tobacco and spicy oak with lingering lapsang souchong smoke.
diffordsguide rating: 4.5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Gripsholm Distillery, Vikinggården, 20 Sågkärrsvägen, Åkers Styckebruk, 647 51, Sweden
The name references this vodka being made at the site of a former cannon foundry in Åkers Styckebruk, southwest of Stockholm. Kanon is made from organically grown wheat sourced from four farmers local to the distillery and the vodka's eco credentials extend to its bottle being made of 60 per cent recycled glass.
Appearance: Crystal clear.
Aroma: Mineraly, wet flint nose with a slight whiff reminiscent of crispy seaweed, olives and eucalyptus - in fact not unlike a very slightly 'dirtied' Martini.
Taste: Clean, smooth mouth feel with a touch of oilyness and crisp black pepper character and the merest hint of fennel.
Aftertaste: A flavour reminiscent of jacket potato skins with faint aniseed emerges in the peppery finish.
diffordsguide rating: 5+/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Nordic Spirit (PUBL), Sweden
DQ is a Swedish vodka made in a neutral spirit made produced from Swedish winter wheat.
DQ vodka's website and press information claims: "Only three other distilleries in the world, out of many thousands, utilize the same special methods of fermentation and distillation as our distillery in Sweden". However, when I questioned this I was told: "DQ does not ferment their own grain themselves to produce the base neutral spirit. They buy this [neutral spirit] locally, according to their recipe and their needs on a continuous basis from a company that uses the best wheat in all of Sweden."
The water used is sourced from Malmköping, a region the Swedish government have declared a water protection area forbidding any farming or industrial activity that might interfere with the purity of the subterranean aquifers. DQ says: "Blending happens in another location, not too far away" and they blend in "a richer fine spirit" with the neutral spirit base but their representative would only tell me "this is part of their formula that remains a secret ingredient; one that gives the vodka its distinctive character." DQ vodka is not charcoal filtered and does not have added sugar.
DQ is packaged in an over-the-top bottle which looks like the result of a school boy's engineering project. In fact, the press release says, "The metal surfaces of the parts are produced to high-quality automotive standards. The finish for the top and bottom caps is satin chrome." Those familiar with Heavy Water vodka will recognise the concept of a plastic rod running through the middle of the bottle but still the question remains, why would you want a rod in your bottle of vodka?
Appearance: Crystal clear.
Aroma: White pepper and fennel with faint aromas reminiscent of hairspray.
Taste: Clean with more fennel and subtle notes of toasted almond.
Aftertaste: Fennel and star anise remains throughout the clean finish. A clean, fresh vodka in a ridiculously over engineered bottle. Simple is beautiful - especially in these environmentally friendly times.
diffordsguide rating: 3/5
45.5% alc./vol.
Producer: Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Ltd, Bardstown, Kentucky, USA
This Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey is produced by the folk at Kentucky Bourbon Distillers in Bardstown and their oldpogue.com website tells of the story of the Old Pogue distillery and an interesting history it is. However, it's worth mentioning that the juice in this bottle was not distilled there.
For the full history from oldpogue.com see: here
Appearance: Clear, mid-dark golden with medium tears.
Aroma: Musty tack room - leather saddles and hay with a whiff of cellar. Buttered popcorn, maple syrup and beeswax.
Taste: Dry, earthy leather, popcorn, toasty oak and sandalwood with red pepper corn spice, sweet corn, peanut butter, and vanilla.
Aftertaste: Leathery, earthy, spiced finish. Indeed leather, earth and spice best sums up this bourbon.
diffordsguide rating: 4.5/5
20% alc./vol.
Producer: Bramley and Gage Ltd, Ashville Park, Thornbury, BS35 3UU, England
A traditional liqueur made from Cydonia Oblonga or European Quince and not Chaenomeles or Japonica, which apparently, while good for making jelly are too acidic for liqueur making. Bramley and Gage use varieties including Vranga and Meecher's Prolific and do not use of preservatives or colourings. The makers recommend using within three months of opening.
Appearance: clear, coppery amber with bright polished golden highlights.
Aroma: Subdued nose with earthy quince, figs and plum fruit.
Taste: Restrained use of sugar makes for a dry liqueur if there is such a thing - at least while it starts sweet it is quickly dried with fruit tannins. Flavour is of figs and quince.
Aftertaste: Fairly short finish with lingering leathery tea-like tannins.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
27.5% alc./vol.
Producer: Lignell & Piispanen, Satamakatu 13, Kuopio, 70100, Finland
Flavoured with the rare Mesimarja berry (Rubus arcticus) from Finland's Kuopio region, which is illustrated on the map on this liqueur's back label, and apparently lies in Northern Finland near the Arctic region.
Appearance: Clear, reddy-coppery-brown with burgundy highlights. (Seal broken for this tasting but we fear could be a dated sample).
Aroma: Complex and pungent Christmas cake fruit and fresh raspberry with window putty and spirit spice.
Taste: Intensely flavoured and intensely sweet, like a crème de framboise on steroids blended with currants, sultanas, dates and spicy spirit.
Aftertaste: Powerful, spicy sultanas and dates.
diffordsguide rating: 3.5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: The Reyka Distillery, Borgarnes, Iceland
William Grant & Sons constructed Iceland's first and only distillery in the small fishing village of Borgarnes, on the island's west coast. Operated in partnership with Egils, a local company with a bottling facility on the same site, the Reyka Distillery launched this vodka in September 2005.
Reyka is powered by environmentally friendly geothermal energy and the name derives from the old Icelandic word for 'steam'. The vodka is made from barley grain spirit (we presume imported to the island from a third-party distiller - not so environmentally friendly) using a replica Carter-Head still, built specially by the coppersmiths Forsyth's of Rothes, Scotland. The distillate, which is produced in batches of 890 litres, is passed through lava rock which has a filtering effect.
Reyka Vodka is hydrated with spring water direct from the Grábrók Spring, which is located under a 4,000 year old lava field near the distillery. The water is so low in minerals that it does not require demineralising treatment before blending with the spirit.
Reyka is packaged in a heavy-based glass bottle with a cork stopper. The original label featured Mt. Hekla, an Icelandic volcano which erupted in 1845, spreading volcanic ash as far as Scotland, then again on 29-March 1947 when the activity lasted for over a year ending in April 1948. Its last eruption on 26-February 2000 was not so noteworthy.
However, many will remember the April 2010 eruptions of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull which caused air travel disruption closing the airspace of some 20 Western European countries due to the ash it through into the atmosphere. Not surprising then that the new 2012 label with its stamp-like perforated edges features illustrations from the distillation process rather than a troublesome Icelandic volcano.
Appearance: Crystal clear.
Aroma: Creamy, almost dairy-like, with faint aniseed and light cracked black pepper spice.
Taste: Superbly clean, slightly sweet with subtle aniseed and fennel, faint vanilla and light peppery spice.
Aftertaste: Lingering subtle aniseed and red pepper spice.
diffordsguide rating: 5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Rajamäki Distillery, Finland
Launched May 2012, as the name suggests this is classic barley-based Finlandia vodka flavoured with a blackcurrant essence.
Appearance: Crystal clear.
Aroma: Pungent blackberry boiled sweets with black pepper spirity spice.
Taste: Dry, concentrated blackcurrant fruit chews with faint sweetness and powerful full-strength spirit.
Aftertaste: Blackcurrant cordial with lingering black pepper spice. Lacks subtlety - in your face whack of flavour.
diffordsguide rating: 3/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Angostura Ltd, Laventille, Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies.
In 1973, The House of Angostura acquired Fernandes Distilleries and with this acquisition came the VAT 19 gold rum brand as well as Fernandes Black Label and Ferdi's Premium Rum. All of these are now distilled at Angostura's Port of Spain distillery although VAT 19 was acquired by William Grant & Sons in 2002.
The name originates from a blend of rum created by the Fernandes Family using a superb parcel of rums distilled in 1919 they had acquired after a competitor's warehouse was badly damaged by fire.
Appearance: Clear, pale golden yellow.
Aroma: Pungent and fruity - pineapple and red grapefruit juice with light sweet vanilla oak.
Taste: Slightly sweet and fruity - grapefruit zest and pear, yet at the same time lightly aggressive with faint note reminiscent of oily paint.
Aftertaste: Fruity finish with lingering notes of old-fashioned oil paint.
diffordsguide rating: 3.5/5
27.75% alc./vol.
Producer: Made in France under licence from Cooper Spirits International, USA.
Crème Yvette or Creme d'Yvette was first produced circa 1890 by the Sheffield Company of Connecticut, USA. In 1900, the liqueur was purchased and subsequently made by Charles Jacquin et Cie of Philadelphia who widened the brands distribution beyond the USA.
Despite being listed as an ingredient in many respected cocktail tomes, production of the liqueur ceased in 1969. Due to popular demand by cocktail enthusiasts (Difford included) Crème Yvette was re-launched in March 2010 by Rob Cooper, the creator of St-Germain elderflower liqueur and present Vice President of Charles Jacquin et Cie.
Crème Yvette is now made in France and flavoured with four berry fruits: blackberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, and wild strawberry blended with dried violet petals from Provence, honey and orange peel.
Appearance: Clear, burgundy red.
Aroma: Hint of perfume to a boiled sweet, candied nose with aromas of violet drops and berry fruits.
Taste: Slightly syrupy, raspberry pavolvia-like palate (complete with meringue) with violet blossom and a hint of liquorice.
Aftertaste: While the palate is more fruity than floral, the finish sees the violet flavours come to the fore. Very rich - possibly a little overly sweet but this is a faithful reproduction of a great cocktail ingredient of yesteryear.
diffordsguide rating: 5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Fratelli Francoli S.p.A.., Ghemme, Corso Romagnano, Italy
Italian designer Roberto Cavalli has put his name to this vodka in addition to his lines of clothing, sunglasses, shoes and handbags. Cavalli is known for using wild animal prints in his designs and this vodka sees a serpent wrapped around a frosted bottle.
To quote Cavalli: "The art of hospitality has always been one of my greatest passions, that's why creating this vodka felt very natural and spontaneous to me - it's limpid, pure and brilliant as my perfect woman." Sure it is, Roberto.
This vodka is not run up in some sweatshop but crafted by Distillerie Francoli in Ghemme, Italy. It is made from Italian-grown grain, hydrated with water from the peaks of Monte Rosa and filtered through crushed Carrara marble.
Appearance: Crystal clear.
Aroma: Fairly neutral with hints of nuts and dried fruit.
Taste: Creamy palate starts soft and slightly sweet with fennel and anise but quickly builds with peppery spice turning dry with nutty, raisin notes.
Aftertaste: The finish is dry and peppery with lingering star anise.
diffordsguide rating: 3.5/5
4.5% alc./vol.
Producer: Brouwerij Oud Beersel, Laarheidestraat 230, B-1650, Belgium
While relatively low in alcohol this top-fermented Belgium ale is brewed to resemble a Belgium tripel.
Appearance: (bbd c-Jun-12) Slight haze, golden yellow with a this lasting white head and spotted lacing.
Aroma: Yeasty with and malty aroma reminiscent of a barn of fresh hay with citrus zest and coriander seeds.
Taste: Malty with yeasty fruit, caramel, coriander and faint orange zest.
Aftertaste: Yeasty doughy bread finish with light spice. This Belgium ale is reminiscent of a flavoursome lager.
diffordsguide rating: 3.5/5
10 alc./vol.
Producer: Sharp's Brewery, Rock, Wadebridge, Cornwall, England,
Quadrupel's informative back label says, it is brewed with pale, chocolate and crystal malts with Centennial, Hallertauer and Aurora hops. It is fermented with three yeast strains then matured on fresh Simcoe hops for a month at -1°C, it is then seeded with fourth strain for bottle conditioning.
Appearance: (2011 vintage, bbd 06-Dec-14) dark red/brown with a quickly fading beige head and spotted lacing.
Aroma: Rich, dried fruit/slightly burnt fruit fortified by generous alcohol with chocolate, roasted grain and old oak wardrobe.
Taste: A huge yet approachable ale with chocolaty malt, prune and berry fruit. The high alcohol content competes with and effectively balances syrupy sweetness.
Aftertaste: Bittersweet with berry fruit and bitter tannins. Lingering note of overdone charcoal covered toast spread with raspberry jam.
diffordsguide rating: 4.5/5
4.5 alc./vol.
Producer: Sharp's Brewery, Rock, Wadebridge, Cornwall, England,
The 'single brew' in this beer's name refers to its being brewed with a single hop, whole cone Saaz from the Czech Republic.
Appearance: (2011 vintage, bbd 07-Dec-13) Cloudy, sandy golden yellow with a lasting thick white head but minimal lacing.
Aroma: Lemon sherbet, caramel and crusty white baguette bread and tart gooseberries.
Taste: Great malt and hop balance with zesty lemon, resinous pine with a greenness and faint strawberry fruit.
Aftertaste: Lingering malty pine.
diffordsguide rating: 5+/5
10% alc./vol.
Producer: Sharp's Brewery, Rock, Wadebridge, Cornwall, England,
This bottled conditioned English tripel is brewed using a yeast culture from a Belgian Trappist brewery with extra pale malt, Cornish honey, with Czech Saaz and Styrian hops, coriander and citrus peel.
Appearance: (2011 vintage, bbd 02.04.16) Clear (no sediment found), bright golden -honey yellow with no head.
Aroma: Pungent honey, pear skins, malted loaf with pear drop sweets and coriander.
Taste: Full bodied and slightly sweet with rich honey, pear skin and light herbal notes with a punch of spicy alcohol.
Aftertaste: Malty spice with lingering pear skin and pear drops. One for connoisseurs of powerful beers indeed.
diffordsguide rating: 3.5/5
4.8% alc./vol.
Producer: Flensburger Brauerei Emil Petersen GmbH & Co., Munketoft 12, Flensburg, D-24937, Germany.
First brewed in 1922, this German pilsner from Flensburg enjoys almost cult status to a cartoon screened in Germany during the 1980s and its distinctive swing-top china closure. It is brewed with Magnum and Herkules bittering hops and Spalter Select and Hallertauger Tradition aroma hops. 11.3° Plato
Appearance: (bbd 16-Jul-13) Clear, light-golden yellow with lasting thick white head and heavy lacing.
Aroma: Subdued water biscuit/cracker and grissini grainy nose with grassy hops.
Taste: Dry palate with bitter gassy hops and grissini malt.
Aftertaste: Faint grapefruit zest emerges in the moderately bitter finish. Cleansing and refreshing but perhaps a tad one-dimensional in its flavour character.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
4.8% alc./vol.
Producer: Flensburger Brauerei Emil Petersen GmbH & Co., Munketoft 12, Flensburg, D-24937, Germany.
An excellent Dortmunder style lager from the Flensburger brewery.
Appearance: (bbd 29.05.13) Clear, golden with large but quickly fading head and heavy lacing.
Aroma: Bready and grainy - sweet corn, biscuit/cracker and day hay with faint grassyness.
Taste: Dry, crisp and refreshing, quaffable but flavoursome larger with light baguette crust maltyness and grassy hops.
Aftertaste: Frefreshing hop biyte with mild lingering malty bitterness.
diffordsguide rating: 4.5/5
8% alc./vol.
Producer: Brauerei Schlenkerla, Dominikanerstrasse 6, 96049 Bamberg, Germany
The name translates as 'Schlenkerla Oak Smoke', Schlenkerla being the name of this traditional Bavarian brewer. The malt for this Christmas double bock is kilned by an oak wood fire - unlike other Schlenkerla beers which are smoked with beech wood. (Original gravity: 18.9% - bitterness: 40).
Appearance: (bbd Aug-08) Clear, dark coppery amber with quickly fading white head leaving spotted lacing.
Aroma: Smoked ham, smoky bacon crisps
Taste: Slight maple syrup sweetness is balanced by dry woody smoke bitterness and savoury smoky bacon flavours with caramel/toffee.
Aftertaste: Long lingering sweet wood smoke with a bite of dry crispy bacon.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
5.6% alc./vol.
Producer: Augustiner Bräu Wagner, Munich, D-80339, Germany
A Helles Lager from Munich's oldest brewery established in 1328.
Appearance: (bbd Jul-12) Pale, straw golden with generous but quickly fading head leaving heavy lacing.
Aroma: Slightly skunky with whiffs of cabbage over biscuit/cracker malt and grassy hops.
Taste: Better than the aroma suggests with crispy white bread, zesty lemon and a distinct soapy note.
Aftertaste: Lightly bitter dry finish with lingering pine hop notes.
diffordsguide rating: 3/5
