Indulgences

Ian Wisniewski and Adrian Lesley offer expert guidance on whiskies and cigars, including one of the most expensive malts ever to hit the market

If you’re prepared to part with €1,500, a glass of Johnnie Walker 1805 ( www.johnniewalker.com) could be yours. Yes, it’s being sold by the glass, because only 200 bottles have been made available – and only to top bars such as Gleneagles in Scotland and Salvatore at Fifty in London. Using whiskies at least 45 years old and selected mainly from distilleries that no longer exist, Johnnie Walker 1805 provides supreme sophistication. Elegant, balanced richness on the palate includes ripe and dried fruit flavours, accompanied by vanilla and lightly spicy oak.

If you’re already a fan of Glenmorangie single malt, get ready for an amazing new range. The 10-year-old has been replaced by Glenmorangie Original (€35–€40, www.glenmorangie.com), while a new Extra Matured label is replacing the Wood Finish range, with elegant new bottle designs throughout. Glenmorangie Original is an ideal introduction to the new line-up.

Peated malts are considered to be an ultimate style of malt whisky and have acquired a devoted following over the past 10 years, with a great new release from Benromach providing further choice. On the nose, Benromach Peat Smoke (€40, www.benromach.com) releases wafts of smoke accompanied by embers, with underlying vanilla notes peeping through. On the palate, rich crème caramel sweetness opens up with smokiness in the background and a hint of balancing dry oak.

Ian Wisniewski is a renowned UK food and drink writer and broadcaster

If I had to choose a cigar to accompany my morning coffee, I would have no hesitation in lighting up a Partagas Shorts (€10–€15). A small cigar with a big effect, the Shorts has been around for many a year but never fails to deliver an irresistibly rich, pungent, slightly sweet aroma.

After a light lunch, one should consider the Ramon Allones Small Club Corona (€10–€15). This diminutive version of the Specially Selected Robusto quintessentially embodies the “English taste” in Cuban cigars. Its earthy fragrance and absorbing complexity provides an appropriate conclusion to any meal.

As a comparative new kid on the block, the Trinidad Reyes (€10– €15) has steadily grown in popularity since its launch in 2003. Created by master blender Raúl Valladares, who was also responsible for the recent Cohiba Maduro Secretos, this pocket cigar certainly packs a punch by virtue of its high proportion of ligero leaf.

Adrian Lesley is proprietor of CigarsUnlimited, one of London’s leading cigar specialists and Habanos Gold Medal retailers.
www.cigarsunlimited.co.uk +44 20 7386 9000