Our third and final day in Burgundy began in quite possibly the most picturesque little town known to mankind: Meursault. As the sun rose on the town hall, this sleepy village yawned into action, the light streaming across the vineyards in on the horizon.

A short, brisk walk through the village took us to the door of Domaine Latour-Giraud, where we were met by Jean-Pierre Latour. He tentatively told us that he speaks a little English. This was the first sign of his tendency to understate: he had a grasp of the language which continues to elude many native speakers. He was similarly humble about his wines, despite being widely considered one of the best wine-makers in the region, and the winery itself was all business.

Now perhaps it was a function of the time of day (a 9am tasting is enough to challenge even us hardened professionals), but the balance of citrus and vanilla oak on Jean-Pierre’s wines was quite extraordinary. The first wine I tasted (2009 Meursault Cuvee Charles Maxime) was so reminiscent of honey on toast, I felt like I could’ve eaten it for breakfast (please note, this is a metaphor, no need for an intervention). Jean-Pierre uses only free run juice, and ferments using only natural, wild yeasts – another great example of the regions tendency to embrace a more natural approach to wine making once again.

Our next and final stop was to Pouilly-Fuisse, in the Mâconnais sub-region of Burgundy, where we paid a visit to Nicholas Robert of the Robert-Denogent winery.

It was apparent from the moment we arrived in Pouilly-Fuisse (which is actually made up of two villages, Pouilly and Fuisse), that the area has far steeper hills then the rest of Burgundy. Closer inspection reveals a different pruning system is in place to allow airflow through these hill-top vines. In the winery, however, all of the previous revelations pale into insignificance.

Having been in the wine and spirits trade for some time now, I’m well aware of the effects of using oak to age a liquid. I’m also aware that different types of oak will work in noticeably different ways, and that even when the same species of oak is used there will be subtle variations in the way the flavour manifests itself. What I was not ready for, however, was quite how marked these variations could be. Two identical wines, made from the same grapes, from the same vineyard, which had been stored in barrels in the same cellar, side by side, made from the same type of oak should, to all intents and purposes, taste very similar. Well, we tasted two such wines, straight from the barrel, and they were completely different! I would happily believe that one had spent two years in American oak, and the other six months in French oak, but it wasn’t the case.

Of course, oak is a natural product, and as such will be prone to natural variations, but quite the extent to which two barrels can vary took me completely by surprise.

And so it was that our whistle-stop tour of Burgundy came to an end. From Chablis, through the Côte d’Or to Maconnais, we had visited five different wine-makers, each making very different wines. The lessons we learnt? Well, there was an enormous amount of technical knowledge which simply cannot be gleaned from textbooks, but the most important (in my humble opinion) were as follows:

* Terroir is important, and makes a huge difference to the style of wine produced
* Oak can vary tremendously in the effect is has on wine
* Burgundian wine makers are amongst the best (and, in some cases, maddest) in the world
* “I don’t like Chardonnay” is an invalid sentence

Day two of our vinous adventure began, unsurprisingly, where day one had ended: Chablis. After a quick breakfast, we set about trying to find the inimitable Patrick Piuze (accompanied, incidentally, by a rather lovely sunrise).

I’ve been aware of Patrick Piuze for a few years now, and imagined that a brief walk through Chablis would take us right past his door – it’s not that big a town, after all. The reality was far more difficult, with the lettering on his door being negligibly bigger than the words you are reading now. This, he tells us when we finally arrive, is quite intentional. “Only the post-man knows where we are” he tells us, giggling with obvious amusement.

Patrick is not like the other wine producers in Chablis. He is not alone in wanting to stay off the tourist track, but he is unique in his history. Patrick, you see, isn’t even French. He’s French-Canadian, and has followed a rather unconventional track to arrive as a highly respected wine-maker in one of the world’s most highly revered wine regions. His travels have taken him through Australia and South Africa, and delivered him, thankfully, to Burgundy – and what a wonderful addition to the region he is.

Patrick currently produces 18 wines each year, and invited us to join him in tasting through the 2011 vintage, unfiltered, straight from the tanks.

The wines were, simply put, a revelation. It is always a delight to be able to taste wines in their infancy, and everyone enjoys a sneaky peek ‘behind the scenes’, but these wines were exciting in their own right. Never mind that they had come straight from the tank, they were absolutely stunning! In all honesty, I would never have been able to tell you these were unfiltered wines if I had tasted them blind-folded, and I can’t wait to see them when they’re ‘finished’ (which reminds me, you should come to the Bibendum Annual Tasting on January 25th and see for yourself). Without exception they were exciting, racy wines, with acidity and minerality galore, as Chablis should be.

Patrick, as a late-comer to the region, doesn’t own his vines. He does, however, work extremely closely with the people who do, and even does all his own harvesting (helped by friends and family, but never machines). Because of this, he knows every inch of the Chablis region like you know the back of your hand. Or like you would know the back of your hand if you spent every waking minute looking at it. With a microscope.

He delights in showing us precisely which part of which vineyard each of his wines comes from: he knows the soil, the temperature, the rainfall of each vine, and chuckles to himself as he regales us with stories from each one. He’s a character, and his wines represent him well.

If you ever thought Chablis was all about stuffy pretentiousness, you have to meet Patrick: he will change your mind conclusively.

On November 21st, Bibendum’s Training Team packed up and headed to Burgundy for an educational extravaganza. Why Burgundy? Simple, really: if you can understand Burgundy, then you can understand Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from all over the world. And November is an ideal time to visit, since the sun-seeking tourists are long gone, the harvest is completed, and the wine makers are still around making wine rather than on their annual pilgrimage to various wine shows around the world.

Our first visit was to the village of Prehy in Chablis, where we met with Bernard Legland. This enthusiastic wine maker took us immediately to a beautiful hillside from where we could view his vineyards. The panorama which unfolded was stunning, as you can see above.

He then showed us around the vineyards, and took the time to show us the pruning technique he employs to ensure the right amount of sunlight and air movement is afforded to his grapes. Moving into his tasting room – a wonderful cellar which I am extremely envious of – Monsieur Legland was kind enough to take us through a range of different vintages from the various parts of his 15 hectares.

It was clear, even with my basic grasp of French, that for Monsieur Legland, Chablis is defined in the main by two things: acidity, and minerality. The terroir is so important in Chablis, and the best wine makers allow it to speak as clearly as possibly. I’m aware that I risk sounding like a wine-bore here, but it can be seen obviously when you look at his vines. 10 – 15 years ago, the vineyards here would have looked very different. The vines were the same (literally, the ones pictured above are 30-60 years old), but the spaces in-between have changed vastly, as a result of a change in viticultural practice. Herbicides and pesticides are a thing of the past now, so grass and weeds grow quite freely in and around the vines.

The emphasis now is on interfering as little as possible, and simply allowing the ground and the vine to work together to produce great quality fruit (which is, obviously, all Chardonnay grapes since we’re in Chablis). I say ’simply’ somewhat inaccurately here: though the concept may be simple, in practice it is actually far more difficult! Bernard is an extraordinary chap, making extraordinary wines, and I’m very pleased that I am now familiar with both.

Bernard Legland will be in London displaying his wines at the Bibendum Annual Tasting on January 25th, 2012.

June 14th was a date I’d been looking forward to in my diary for quite some time. My debut judging with the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) was doubly exciting for the fact it was for the Tequila category, a long standing favourite of mine.

Upon arrival my first impression was, to be honest, that I must’ve taken a wrong turn. The venue looked more like the place they shoot Top Gear than somewhere you would expect to taste world-class flights of spirits.*

It turned out I was in exactly the right place, easily identified by the group of people outside the front door excitedly discussing agave spirit (which would have been a heck of a coincidence otherwise).

Tasting at the IWSC is all about business. Now I’ve been to my fair share of tastings – some would say more than my fair share – and all have had one thing in common: industry gossip. Small-talk and networking often plays as much a part of the day as actual tasting. But not with the IWSC, oh no. Given that the ever present ‘no smoking’ signs in this office also dictate ‘no aftershave’ and ‘no perfume’, this should have come as no surprise. Tasting is not simply an event here, it’s a profession.

With a minimum of fuss, some very brief introductions were made, and it was on with the first flight.

I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to tell you about the tasting itself. I do know that all results are held in the strictest of confidence until they are publicly announced, so I shall err on the side of caution and not reveal too much.

I didn’t take any pictures, so here’s some glasses to look at. Fun, eh?

Some features were definitely notable, and I’m sure (or at least quietly confident) that I won’t get in trouble for revealing them. Firstly, the speed of tasting was quite breathtaking. This is fast, accurate tasting at its best. Certainly, there was time for reflection between flights but, with some flights taking in a dozen tequilas at a time, this was a genuine test of my palate.

Secondly, the level of expertise in the room was truly humbling. It’s not often I say that kind of thing, and I certainly don’t use the phrase lightly. Well over a century of expertise combined to make that panel. With that level of knowledge gathered together, you might well expect a few disagreements to occur. And you’d be right. Which brings me to my next point: the level of respect each judge showed for their contemporaries’ opinions was impeccable. It’s almost disappointing that I found this surprising, but sad to say there are many out there who consider themselves ‘expert’ who still fail to recognise that taste is above all else a subjective experience.

Last but not least, the integrity of the tasting shone through when, even after the judging was complete, there was not a single mention or glimpse of any of the brands involved. Even as I write this, I have no idea which brands we assessed. Given the proliferation of social media etc. (case in point: you’re reading this), this is clearly a wise move.
Respect is certainly due to the IWSC. A truly professional operation from beginning to end. And I’m very pleased to say I’ve been invited back for next year. I’m already looking forward to it.

*Apparently, you really should trust your first impressions. I found out as I left that they literally do film Top Gear there!

Read more posts to feature here on B Times by Spirits supremo Will Lowe –

Will Lowe’s Blogtails: Whisky for Beginners

Will Lowe’s Blogtails: Dairy Cocktails

Will Lowe’s Blogtails: Vegetarian Wine

Recently I was asked to write a (frustratingly short) introduction to the world of whisky. Always willing to oblige, I did exactly that. Whisky is a real favourite of mine – indeed, it was whisky which got me interested in spirits in the first place. Apologies to those of you for whom this is old ground, but as I mentioned, the brief was for it to be a ‘beginners guide’. Here it is:

The world of whisky can be a complicated and, at times, intimidating place for the novice, but a little knowledge goes a long way. Here are a few pointers to get you started:

Firstly, when people refer to ‘whisky’, in the UK at least, they are most often referring to Scotch. Scotch whisky comes in many different forms, the most prolific of which are Single Malt and Blended.

Single Malts

For a Single Malt Scotch to be named as such, it must adhere to strict rules and regulations. Most importantly, it must:

• be the product of a single distillery (hence the name)
• be exclusively made from 100% malted barley, no other grains are permitted
• be double distilled in a copper pot still
• be aged in oak casks, in Scotland, for at least three years

Blended Scotch

Blended Scotch, as the name suggests, is made from the whisky of a variety of different distilleries, which are then blended together. It may also contain grains other than malted barley, which can significantly lower the cost of production (and, therefore, purchasing). Famous examples include Johnnie Walker, Bells, and Famous Grouse.

Where blends are concerned, a general rule of thumb is that the more expensive ones will contain a higher proportion of malted barley, with cheaper ones using more wheat, rye, and corn.

Whisky Styles

There are different areas in Scotland known for producing particular styles of single malt, of which Speyside and Islay (pronounced ‘eye-lay’) are probably the most famous.

The former is typically a sweeter, lighter style, with notes of honey, apricot and dried fruit. Islay is better known for its medicinal (think TCP) aromas. This comes from the smoke produced by the peat which is used to heat the kilns in which the malted barley is dried before fermentation. The amount of contact this peat smoke has with the drying grain will play a huge part in the profile of the finished product (more smoke = more peaty flavours).

Another main source of difference in character comes from the oak barrels in which the whisky is aged: longer ageing can produce chocolaty, spicy, Christmas cake-like aromas. It will also generally smooth out some of the edges of a whisky, resulting in a more pleasurable drinking experience. The ageing process also sees a vast amount of whisky lost through evaporation (about £1 million of whisky evaporates each year in Scotland), so it is inevitable that older whisky will cost more than younger ones.

Tasting Whisky

When tasting whisky, I advise trying them first at room temperature. Adding water is a case of preference. If you chose to do so, start by mixing one-to-one, so that you can compare different whiskies on a level playing field.

Start with the nose: delicate, honeysuckle and stone fruit character is likely to be indicative of a Speyside, whereas strong, peaty notes are the trademark of an Islay.

In the mouth, take a small sip. Let it sit on your tongue for five to ten seconds before swallowing. This will acclimatise your palate to the alcohol. After a few breaths, take another sip and savour with your whole mouth before swallowing. Don’t worry too much about the various flavours involved – the most important thing is whether you like it! A quick search for ‘whisky flavours’ online will provide a list of likely characteristics to look out for for those who are interested.

Last, but by no means least, the finish. Here, the taste will often evolve and develop, rather than just fading. Whiskies of greater quality can show incredible complexity at this point.

If you are keen on experimenting, I would highly recommend seeking out one of the many great independent retailers out there. The Whisky Exchange, for example, is staffed by highly knowledgeable and enthusiastic whisky fans, who are always happy to share their opinions (and might even let you try a few sips too!).

Read more from Mr Lowe on his blog Will Lowe’s Blogtails or follow him on Twitter – @will_lowe

When I was asked to write an article on dairy based cocktails, my head was immediately filled with the sound of Calvin Harris singing “it was acceptable in the 80’s”. Fortunately, it’s a short song, so it wasn’t long before I was able to focus on the task at hand.

Fashions in what we drink are just as susceptible to change as fashions in music and clothing. Back when Michael Jackson was black and neon leg warmers were worn without even a hint of irony, the cocktails we drank were – by today’s standards at least – questionable. The impact of 80’s cocktails in undeniable: the success of the 1988 film ‘Cocktail’ (which has haunted me since the beginning of my professional career) showing the extent to which cocktails had permeated popular culture. Any time you find yourself in a bar ordering a ‘Woo Woo’, a ‘Blue Lagoon’ , or even (dare I say it?) a ‘Sex on the Beach’, you are drinking directly from the bar-roladex of 1980’s recipes. And yet, while these particularly sweet concoctions are still very much in circulation (despite my best efforts), their dairy based equivalents seem to have slipped gently into retirement.  If you fancy bringing them back, either at home or in your bar, read on for some inspiration.

Before we start, a few words of advice: one of the reasons that dairy based cocktails fell out of favour in commercial venues is the mess they create. Milk and cream are not the bartenders friend, and any equipment you use in creating a drink with these ingredients will need to be washed thoroughly before it can be used again. Failing to do this could easily result in curdling, when fruit acids react with dairy: the ‘cement mixer’ (a shot with Baileys and lime cordial which I strongly advise against trying) is a rather extreme example of the result this would bring. Which brings me to my next point: to help avoid curdling, rather than using cream or milk, I suggest using both. Mix full fat milk with single cream in equal measures – this is what we refer to as ‘half and half’, for obvious reasons.

Brandy Alexander

One of the earliest dairy based cocktails still with us today, the Brandy Alexander is said to have been created in 1922 for the wedding of Princess Mary to Viscount Lascelles in 1922. It utilises what has since become a classic proportion for dairy drinks:

25ml Brandy
25ml Crème de Cacao (brown)
25ml Half and half

Shake all the ingredients together over ice, and strain into a frozen cocktail glass. Garnish with a touch of grated nutmeg.

Grasshopper

The Grasshopper is one of the most easily recognised dairy cocktails, identifiable at twenty paces by its green hue. Although it is reputed to have originiated in the Southern States of the USA around the 1950’s and 60’s, it wasn’t until much later it became popular here as an after-dinner drink. Here’s how to make it:

25ml Crème de Menthe (green)
25ml Crème de Cacao (white)
25ml Half and half

Put all the ingredients into a shaker, shake over ice, and strain into a frozen cocktail glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.

White Russian

The White Russian was permanently etched into popular culture with its starring role in the Coehn Brother’s film The Big Lebowski, as the favoured drink of the main character ‘The Dude’. It worked its way into my heart for quite different reasons: it can be built directly into the glass, meaning the rest of my equipment stays clean! The only difference between the White Russian and the Black Russian is the addition of cream in the former (though some prefer to add cola to the latter), and neither is actually Russian in origin – the name is simply a nod to one of the key ingredients: vodka.

To make it, simply fill a tumbler with ice, and slowly pour in:

25ml Vodka
25ml Kahlua (or Tia Maria)

Then gently pour some single cream (or half and half) over the top, so that it floats on top of the other ingredients. Mix it all together with a straw before drinking if preferred, but a note to bartenders here: this is for your customers to do at their leisure, not for you to rush at with a shaker in hand.

Mudslide

Variations of this recipe exist in numbers generally reserved for discussing banker’s bonuses, but the basic format is as follows:

20ml Vodka
20ml Baileys
20ml Kahlua
50ml Half and half

Shake all the ingredients over ice, then pour into a tall glass over fresh, cubed ice. If there aren’t enough calories in there for you, add a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream, and blend. This can then be served in the same glass, but without the need for ice. If you want to serve it up in place of a dessert (rather than afterwards), add an Oreo cookie into the blender for a decadent milkshake – with a noticeable kick!

So there we have four of the most famous dairy based cocktails around. Looking through them, it is curious that they should have fallen out of favour whilst the filling-inducingly sweet drinks of the same era maintained their popularity.  Maybe, just maybe, this is the start of their resurgence? If Vanilla Ice can come back and still be considered a celebrity, anything is possible.

Read more from Mr Lowe on his blog Will Lowe’s Blogtails or follow him on Twitter – @will_lowe

Follow the link below to read more posts which featured here on B Times from Will Lowe’s Blogtails –

Will Lowe’s Blogtails: Vegetarian Wines

I was asked recently – minutes ago, in fact – if it’s true that there are fish guts in wine. Simply put, the answer is no. But it reminded me of an article I wrote recently, which may or may not be of interest to some of you, so I’ll post it here:

With around four million vegetarians in the UK, it should come as no surprise that there is in ever increasing number of vegetarian wines and beers available on the market. Unless, of course, you were unaware that there even was such a thing as vegetarian wines, as many people are. If you are one of that number, you will doubtless be wondering what on earth a vegetarian wine could be: what makes one wine vegetarian, when others are not?

Quite simply, a vegetarian wine is denoted by the fact that no animal products are used at any point in the wine’s production.  In most wines, the process of filtering out dead yeast is completed with the addition of filtering agents. These filtering agents bind with the unwanted components, and then fall to the bottom of the vessel as a sediment, so that the clarified wine can be siphoned off.

Traditionally, the fining agent would be either gelatine, bull’s blood, or isinglass – which is a substance obtained from dried sturgeon bladders (yum!). Before I put the non-vegetarians off wine for life, fear not; none of these fining agents remains in the wine. The whole point of them is that they are heavier than the wine, and sink to the bottom taking any impurities with them.

However, the use of any animal product renders the wine or beer unsuitable for vegetarians, if they are particularly strict in their dietary choices. The good news is that there are alternative fining substances, such as an algae known as Irish Moss, which do the job just as well, and are of course vegetarian friendly.

So are these wines and beers any good? In short, yes. In fact, you would literally never be able to tell the difference. Bold words, you might think, but this is not like saying Quorn nuggets taste just like chicken. Once the sediment is removed, there is no way of telling these products apart from there carnivorous counterparts. And to prove it, I tried a good many vegetarian wines (how I suffer for you!), and had a rather jolly time doing so.

The first wine I tried was the Argento Chardonnay Viognier. Argentina is famous for enormous barbeques, so it is testament to their knowledge of their export market in the UK than they produce a vegetarian wine. This lively, light bodied wine is bursting with crisp, tropical fruit, and a touch of oak. It would make a fantastic aperitif or accompaniment to any salad with a vinaigrette dressing.

Next was the Hawksburn Pinot Noir, from Central Otago in New Zealand. This is a real gem of a wine, providing everything a Pinot Noir should: rich, smoky, spicy notes with loads of jammy dark fruit character. Often recommended with meat dishes, this would work fantastically well with flavoursome vegetarian dishes such as a three bean chilli.

If you’re in the mood for celebrating, then there’s more good news. Almost all of the major Champagne houses use vegetarian (and, often, vegan) production methods. A personal favourite sparkling wine of mine, which also happens to be vegetarian, is the Chapel Down Brut NV. This delicious English sparkler uses precisely the same traditional production method as they do in France, and has become recognised for routinely coming out on top in blind tastings above its French counterparts. Light and elegant with delicate oak character, the crisp citrus works well with simple canapés with fruity acidity, such as bruschetta.

For those of you with a sweeter tooth, there are also vegetarian dessert wines available. An absolute stunner comes in the form of the Muscat de Rivesaltes from Els Pyreneus in the south of France. This sticky wine is a brilliant, bright yellow, and the flavour is equally intense. It is relatively light bodied for a dessert wine, which helps it to retain its refreshing nature, and delivers notes of honey and Turkish delight.

There are a great many more wines we could go through, time permitting, but the important point is that there is a wealth of choice available. Vegetarian products are by no means inferior to their non-vegetarian counterparts, and with a little research you will easily be able to find the right ones for you.

Since its creation in 17th century Europe, gin has taken an interesting journey through history. From its early days, when it was sold in pharmacies across Europe to treat ailments, before a boom in gin production in 18th century London; following the British government allowing unlicensed production. This leading to London’s ‘Gin Craze’ and the cause of many social and medical problems in the city. However today, its safe to say gin isn’t causing such problems, and its popularity has been rejuvenated, centuries after those dark days.

Today many gin brands hold a premium position in the spirits market, with increased consumer knowledge of botanicals and artisan production, very much fuelling a gin revival. In today’s crowded premium gin market, it is often the size of the marketing budget that creates a point of difference between gins. Citadelle gin however bucks the trend here, offering a point of difference through its unique production method and use of botanicals, not oversized marketing spend.

History -

Citadelle Gin was born in the late 18th century, when Louis XVI authorised two distillers to make gin in the Citadelle of Dunkirk, which then became the French royal distillery for many years. Here the two distillers had 12 traditional copper pot stills made for the distillery, which were the first of their type in France. Producing around 1000 litres a day, the Citadelle distillery was positioned perfectly for access to botanicals such as juniper berries and exotic spices brought by vessels arriving from the Orient. At the time nearly all the production was destined for England, and was imported across the channel by English smugglers.

By the 19th century gin had become an industrial spirit, losing much of its complexity and refinement.  So at this time Alexandre Gabriel of the Pierre Ferrand Cognac distillery, decided to make a handcrafted gin from copper pot stills according to the techniques used in Dunkirk centuries earlier.  Alexandre and his master distiller were successful in creating a gin bottled under the Citadelle name, made within their Cognac distillery through the centuries old method of copper pot distillation with a naked flame. A production method still going strong today.

Distillation -

In the heart of the famed Grande Champagne Cognac region, Charentais pot stills make some of the World’s finest Cognac at Pierre Ferrand.  However, with the strict AOC laws of the Cognac region only allowing distillation of Cognac to occur between November and March, the pot stills were left inactive for much of the year. So with Alexandre Gabriels quest to move the gin production methods of the 17th century to Pierre Ferrand, the Citadelle gin distillation would take place around that of the Cognac.

Citadelle gin is now the world’s only Charentais copper pot distilled gin, with this unique production method imparting great texture, aroma and flavour not found with other distillation methods. This slow distillation process enables the distiller to select the heart of the gin, eliminating the unwanted heads and tails.  While the Charentais pot still’s relatively low swan’s neck shape enables the concentration of essential oils, which contribute to the gin’s refinement and aromatic complexity.

The Botanicals -

As well as having boasting rights as the only copper pot distilled gin, Citadelle is also the only gin to use 19 different botanicals. Citadelle starts life by distilling wheat from France, before adding these 19 botanicals to add aromatic complexity. This long list of exotic ingredients includes: Juniper and violet root from France, coriander from Morocco, almond and lemon rind from Spain, the peel of Mexican oranges, angelica from Northern Germany, cardoman from India, cassia bark from Indochina and cinnamon from Sri Lanka, Liquorice from China, paradise grains from West Africa, cubeb pepper from Java, Dutch cumin, star anise from France, Indian nutmeg, Mediterranean fennel and Italian irish root.

Tasting Notes -

Citadelle, 44% ABV

Citadelle is characterised by a delicate and fragrant nose of jasmine, honeysuckle and cinnamon, plus strong herbaceous aromas of anise and cinnamon. On the palate, juniper is dominant, with an elegant and soft finish. Perfect g&t material!

Citadelle Reserve, 44% ABV

Matured for several months in old Pierre Ferrand Cognac barrels, the Reserve has the freshness of Citadelle, but with the body and depth of old, cask-aged spirits. With its pale gold colour, this is unlike most gins out there. Citadelle Reserve is also produced in very low quantities; in 2010 only 11,250 bottles were produced. Perfect over ice, or added to a Martini.

Citadelle Cocktail Recipes -

Here are two interesting ways to drink Citadelle, one from the team at Citadelle and the other from one of Bibendum’s spirits team -

Exotic Gin & Tonic -

Created by Citadelle’s Spanish team.

1 oz. Citadelle gin
4 oz. Tonic
Orange
Liquorice root

In a wide glass, place to slices of orange. Pour gin then tonic.  Add the liquorice. Garnish with orange peel.

Aramis Martini –

Check out the video of Bibendum’s Will Lowe creating a Martini with a difference.

Aramis Marinti – Will Lowe from Will Lowe on Vimeo.

Ageing in oak barrels is a critical part of the production process for many spirits. Once distilled, every spirit is completely clear, and it is only in the barrel that they take on their colour.

Barrels come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but are almost always made from oak, since the grain is tight enough to ensure the barrel remains water tight, but porous enough to allow the liquid to penetrate the wood as it expands and contracts with fluctuations in the temperature. Many other woods have been experimented with, but oak has triumphed over many hundreds of years of trial and error.

Barrels are constructed of lengths of oak, known as staves, which are held together with metal hoops. No nails, screws, or adhesives are used in barrel construction, just precision cutting, alignment and pressure. Most barrels are constructed of either European oak (Quercus Robur and Quercus Sessilis) or American oak (Quercus Alba). The former has a tighter grain, promoting slower ageing and higher tannins, whilst the latter tends to be richer in lactones, which lend vanilla and coconut flavours to a spirit.

Since Bourbon whiskey is legally required to use a brand new barrel for each batch of whiskey, there are many ex-bourbon barrels around the world which have been sold on. These barrels are always made of American oak, and are also ‘toasted’, meaning the inside of the barrel has been scorched. This process caramelises some of the sugars in the wood, increases the vanilla aromas, and provides ‘roasted’ flavours in the liquid stored within.

During the ageing process, an amount of the liquid will evaporate over time – known as the ‘angel’s share’. This evaporation further concentrates the flavours within the remaining liquid, as well as driving up the cost of what is left!

This the last in a series of Spirits post from Will and the Bibendum Spirits team; if you missed the previous posts check them out below –

Cognac – The Basics

Armagnac – The Basics

Calvados – The Basics

Distillation – The Basics

Distillation is a very simple process for separating two liquids in a solution from each other, utilising different boiling points. In the same way as evaporating sea water leaves salt behind, so heating a low alcohol solution will allow the alcohol to evaporate whilst the water content remains. By collecting and condensing the vapour as it evaporates, we separate out a concentrated alcohol.

The equipment used for distillation is known as a ‘Still’, and can take many forms. Most will fit into one of two categories:

The Pot still is the most basic type of still. Generally made from copper, it consists of a large copper pot sitting atop a heat source (usually gas nowadays), with a ‘swans neck’ at the top where vapour is collected. This pipe is usually cooled to encourage the vapour passing through it to return to liquid form, before being collected in a receiving cask.

Using a Pot still for distillation is very time consuming and labour intensive, since only one ‘batch’ can be processed at a time, and the distiller must wait until the whole process is finished before he or she can empty the pot and begin again. (pictured above)

The Continuous still is a more technically advanced piece of equipment, which allows a continual input of the low alcohol solution, whilst separating out the desired alcohol in a constant output stream. A ‘column’ element within a Continuous still will see the vapour condensed and vaporised many times over, each time increasing its alcoholic strength, which allows this type of still to produce incredibly high abv spirit.

The economic advantages of a Continuous still are obvious, but in a classic quality / quantity debate, Pot Stills are still considered to produce the most flavoursome and characterful spirits.

If you missed the previous Spirits Basics posts from Bibendum’s Spirits team, follow the links below for everything you ever wanted to know about Cognac, Armagnac and Calvados -

Cognac – The Basics

Armagnac – The Basics

Calvados – The Basics