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Charlie Lindbergh
Gin-laced with zesty citrus and rich apricot but made special and balanced by subtle quinine bitterness
Mike Gibb
27th July 2025 at 13:04
I'm looking to add the first kina to my collection, and the DiffordsGuide page on Kinas rates both the Mattei Cap Corse Blanc and the Bonal Gentiane-Quina as 5*+. The Tempus Fugit L'Aero d'Or is rated as 4.5* so I'm leaning towards one of the 5*+ ones. Any thoughts from anyone that has drunk them all or more than one? (My local supply, Les Caves du Roy in Paris, has all three so no help narrowing down the choice there..) TIA
28th July 2025 at 05:21
Greetings Mike. Frankly you're going to want to try them all. Like John, I haven't tried the Mattei. Several cocktails on the site call for a Kina and an aromatized wine. Lillet Blanc and Kina L'Aéro are marvelous together. Good place to start. Check out a Depth Charge (Savoy recipe). They are wine based, should be refrigerated and perhaps be consumed with an alacrity of haste. I love Bonal and it works well in everything I've tried.
28th July 2025 at 09:15
Thanks Calvin. The affinity for apricot that's been noted in these pages makes the L'Aero d'Or tempting, but I have just discovered that the Mattei Cap Corse Blanc also comes in a half-bottle. I'll start there.
27th July 2025 at 14:12
Haven’t tried the Mattei, but Bonal is VERY intensely herbal and bitter with some sweetness - the colour is rather muddy (if that’s important to you) - it will as a lot of depth but I don’t use it that frequently myself as I suspect it has something like mugwort in there which I find too drying for me, but that’s personal preference. I really like L’aero d’or - it’s intended to mimic Kina Lillet and can be subbed for it, which Bonal is not (it’s older). It’s not as complex but the intensity and sweetness, orange liqueurs and definite vinous notes are all in its favour. I also think it’s more versatile as a Kina Lillet sub if that’s what you’re looking for. For vespers I just Cocchi Americano myself, and corpse reviver no, 2 Lillet Blanc. But ask brislawn and he’ll prob contradict everything I just said 😂!
27th July 2025 at 14:54
Thank you! I'm more likely coming in from the Barney/ Ben Barnato (or 20th Century? (suggests Tempus Fugit on the L'Aero d'Or page review)) end rather than the Vesper end of matching cocktails. I need a very well-stocked bar and a head-to-head ...