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LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton commonly known as LVMH, is a French holding multinational corporation and conglomerate specializing in luxury goods, headquartered in Paris, France. They own various perfumes, cosmetics and fashion lines and also the following distilleries and whisky brands:
Ardbeg Distillery
Glenmorangie Distillery
Hennessy cognac
Belvedere Vodka

Glenmorangie The Lasanta Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/27/2017

In Single Malt whisky

This is one of the bottles that started my whisky collection before I even realized I was collecting whisky. I tasted the Glenmorangie Lasanta single malt Scotch whisky at my favourite restaurant and loved it. John brought a bottle home soon after to remind us of a great evening.

The Glenmorangie distillery was established in 1843, by brothers William and John Mathesen. This distillery is well known to be one of the first distilleries to experiment successfully with wood finishes. Glenmorangie Lasanta together with Quinta Ruban and Nectar D’Or make up the Glenmorangie ‘Cask Finish’ series.

These expressions start from a similar maturation background – 10 years in white oak ex-Bourbon casks. What makes them different is the additional 2 years spend in “finishing” casks. Glenmorangie Nectar D’or is finished in Ex-Sauternes Casks while the Quinta Ruban uses ex-Port barrels.

Glenmorangie Lasanta single malt spends the final 2 years in ex Olorosso and PX (Pedro Ximenez) sherry casks. According to Glenmorangie, the word ‘Lasanta’ means “warmth and passion” in Gaelic.

I have an older bottling still bottled at 46%. The ABV of newer bottlings is 43%. Glenmorangie, like Ardbeg, is owned by luxury giant LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy). It is an affordable release retailing at around R600. I see that the Glenmorangie Lasanta retails for approximately £40 at Master of Malt.

Also Read: The Macallan 12 yo whisky

Glenmorangie The Lasanta Whisky

REGION: Highlands

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Warm gold

NOSE: Sherry, dried apricots, apples and peaches, warming oaky spiciness with hints of vanilla, cinnamon and honey sweetness.

PALATE: Warming and spicy with notes of sherry sweetness, pepper, raisins, dried lemon slices in dark chocolate and a caramels sweetness. Without water, the Glenmorangie Lasanta has a bit of alcohol heat that is tempered when a few drops of water is added. Water makes this release very easy drinking.

FINISH: Medium length with lemon and warming black pepper balanced with hints of caramel.

RATING: VERY GOOD

It is a lovely easy-drinking dram that is perfect for winter. It warms you from the inside out. The only problem of drinking it today, here in the Southern Hemisphere, is it is a scorching hot summers day.

I should have scheduled this dram for winter when it is cooler. Regardless, I have finished the last little bit of the bottle and will undoubtedly restock.

An article I found on Food24 suggests that the Glenmorangie Lasanta pairs perfectly with biltong tartlets. It also works well with cured meats and food that resembled Spanish dishes. Now I have to buy another bottle to try these food pairing ideas.

I have also tried the Glenmorangie Spios, a whisky aged in casks that previously held American rye whiskey as well as the Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX.

Also Read: Glenfiddich 15 yo Solera Reserve whisky

Whisky and Wensleydale Cheese Pairing

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/20/2017

In Whisky & Cheese

Whisky and Wensleydale Cheese Pairing to try
This past couple of weekend I have been testing a lot of whisky and cheese pairings again. After the craziness that was June and July, weekends have slowed down and lefts some space for experimenting.

I was sitting back, grabbing a few whiskies, opening up some interesting cheese and in general just relaxing a bit. I tried a goats cheese and bourbon pairings, but that elicited a slightly negative response from John.

He hates goats cheese and no bourbon and goats cheese pairing worked for him. Me, well I love goats cheese and appreciated all the pairings. I served it with some crusty baguettes and thought it was fabulous. The next weekend we moved on to a Wensleydale cheese with cranberries.

Also Read: Nectarine Bourbon Smash

Previously I paired a Wensleydale cheese with mango and ginger with some Glenkinchie 12 year old whisky, and it was a great pairing.

French Cistercian monks from the Roquefort region, who had settled in Wensleydale, first made Wensleydale cheese. When the monastery dissolved, the local farmers continued making the cheese-making tradition.

Wensleydale cheese is traditionally firm and creamy with sweet notes. It is a great cheese to pair with fruit. This Wensleydale with cranberries is from Somerset and a crumbly semi-hard cheese. The cranberries add a zesty note to the flavour. So let’s try a few bold and exciting whisky and Wensleydale cheese pairings

Whisky and Wensleydale cheese pairing

Glenfarclas 12 year old Whisky

Glenfarclas 12yo Whisky and Wensleydale cheese pairing
The first pairing was the sherried Glenfarclas 12 year old whisky. Tasting notes for the Speyside classic single malt Scotch include notes of fruitcake, raisins, oak and spice. The sweetness of the Glenfarclas complimented the sweetness of the cheese and made for a creamy combination. The tart cranberry notes got a bit lost in all the sweetness. RATING: 3/5

Johnnie Walker Swing Blended Whisky

Johnnie Walker Swing Whisky and Wensleydale cheese pairing
A Johnnie Walker blended Scotch with hints of peat, dried fruits, tobacco and leather. There are bits of sherry sweetness with some ginger in the Swing. The peaty smoke worked well with the creamy, rich cheese and created a comforting and delicious pairing. RATING: 3.5/5

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Glenmorangie Sonnalta Whisky

Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX Whisky and Wensleydale cheese pairing
After spending ten years maturing in American white oak casks, the Sonnalta PX is transferred into PX casks for its final two years of extra-maturation. This makes it a sweet dram with hints of dried fruits, honey and spices. The pairing of the Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX with the Wensleydale is fantastic. The cream of the cheese and the body of the whisky are perfectly paired to make for a delicious combination. RATING: 4/5

Macallan 15 year old Fine Oak Whisky

Macallan Fine Oak 15 yo Whisky and Wensleydale cheese pairing
The Macallan Fine Oak 15 year old whisky boasts notes of oak and orange blossom sweetness barley, vanilla sweetness mixed with some pepper spice and nutmeg. It is big and bold, and I was scared that it would overwhelm this cheese, but the pairing was excellent. Creamy and elegant with bright tart notes from the cranberry. RATING: 4/5

What is your favourite whisky to pair with a creamy Wensleydale?

Also Read: Peaty whisky and blue cheese pairings

Ardbeg Dark Cove Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/13/2017

In Single Malt whisky

Another Ardbeg Day release, the Ardbeg Cark Cove Islay single malt Scotch whisky. I always look forward to last weekend in May. It is when the world celebrates Ardbeg Day. Ardbeg day started in 2012, and this annual event has been filled with fun and whisky every year since.

With loud fanfare, a new limited Ardbeg release is launched and the day is spent tasting and appreciating Ardbeg around the world.

From New Zealand and Australia, South Africa, Europe and the USA, special Ardbeg themed events turn the day into a worldwide party. We try and make our annual pilgrimage to Dullstroom for this event. It is such a beautiful venue with such a fantastic team and a special place to celebrate.

Since the launch, there have been quite a few extra special moments. One of my favourite Ardbeg releases was from Ardbeg Day 2014 when they released the Auriverdes. This creamy, smooth, peaty dram was created in celebration of the World Cup soccer in Brazil.

And 2016 was no different. We spent the weekend in the beautiful Dullstroom. We rented a cottage next to a trout dam; relaxing while sipping whisky and we celebrated the new Ardbeg Dark Cove whisky release with good friends at Wild About Whisky. Dark Cove was inspired by turbulent times and pays homage to the shadowy past of Ardbeg’s coastline.

Dark Cove is a secret fusion of Ardbeg whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks as well as in dark sherry casks. According to the lore, it is the darkest Ardbeg ever. It is a limited edition NAS release.

The Ardbeg distillery is located on the Kildalton shore of Islay, not too far from Lagavulin and Laphroaig. It is owned by Glenmorangie Plc., which in turn is owned by the French company, LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy).

Also Read: Tamdhu 10 yo Whisky

Ardbeg Dark Cove Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 46.5%

COLOUR: Golden Wheat

NOSE: Islay peat, smoke, salt and seaweed drying on the shore with notes of vanilla sweetness. The peat and smoke disappear after a bit and only leaves the sweetness on the nose.

PALATE: Ash, mild peat and heavy smoke, sherry sweetness with a pepper bite. Hints of liquorice and nori seaweed. Bits of lemon with salty notes. Not very complex and a few rough edges. Water softens the palate, making it smoother and softer, balancing the peat and the sweetness better.

FINISH: Long and end on dry sherry and ashy tobacco.

RATING: VERY GOOD

Is it worth it?

As much fun as Ardbeg Day is every year, the Limited releases do not come cheap. The Ardbeg Dark Cove retailed for around R1 175 per bottle. For a NAS release. Is this really the darkest Ardbeg yet? I am not so sure.

I feel like the notes don’t mix quite right. It tastes like something that wants to be Auriverdes but did not quite get there. A younger, less complex version of Auriverdes.

John described this as starter peat. A peaty dram that you would give to someone one who wants to try peat for the first time. Peaty enough to get the point across, but not overwhelmingly so. Nothing that will offend too severely.

For Ardbeg Day, I expect (rightly or wrongly) something that is big, bold, loud and makes a MASSIVE entrance. At a premium price, for a day that comes with this much fanfare, I expect something that will blow people away – something different, something that will polarize people. Something that will get people talking. For me, this was not it – sadly. What did you think of the Ardbeg Dark Cove?

Also Read: Laphroaig An Cuan Mor whisky

My Top 5 Whisky Food Pairings

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/22/2017

In Lifestyle

My Top 5 Whisky Food Pairings
Today I look at my favourite whisky food pairings that I have tried over the last couple of years. I capture my whisky tastings in a pretty notebook. I love the act of scribbling notes, pictures and drawing emotions on paper.

Sometimes a whisky creates such strong feelings that it is easier to draw an emotive face on paper than to write down the emotion words. Old school, I know. John loves technology, and he captures his thoughts via speech recognition software.

Perhaps I also prefer paper because paper does not complain about my bad spelling. Capturing my thoughts digitally leaves me with many red-underlined miss spelt words that I first need to fix before I can continue. My beautiful book is more forgiving. My shorthand doesn’t need to be spelt correctly.

Yesterday I was paging through my notebook looking at some of the fun combinations I have tried this past couple of years. Some have made it on to the blog; some have a ~~THICK Black line~~ through them as a reminder not to try that specific combination again. Notable failures include various whiskies and Emmenthal cheese, or Monkey Shoulder whisky and milk chocolate.

However, there have been some excellent whisky food pairings. Pairings I whip out time and time again. So I decided to compile my top 5 whisky food pairings that are a staple in my house.

Also Read: Maker’s Mark vs Woodford Reserve Bourbon

Laphroaig Whisky and Stilton Cheese

The Laphroaig 10 yo Cask Strength is a pretty unique whisky. It is a big whisky in the best Laphroaig tradition. Big peat flavour, followed by smoke, iodine and seaweed. One of the first whisky food pairings I did was pairing the Laphroaig with a Blue Stilton. And not only is it my most read whisky food post, but it one of our favourite pairings to snack on. Rich and filling but not too heavy.

The strong taste of the Stilton complements the smoke and peat of the Laphroaig. It brings out the creamy, buttery flavour of the cheese in a remarkable way. A perfect pairing!

Bourbon and Snickers

Snickers & Bourbon whisky pairing Wild Turkey 101 whisky food pairings with chocolate

Bourbon pairs wonderfully with Snicker Bars! It is one of those pairings that shouts comfort! Like your favourite slippers and gown after a crazy long week. The bourbon balanced out the sugary sweetness of the chocolate and enhanced the peanuts and caramel notes. The caramel enhanced the bourbon vanilla and softened the alcohol notes. It created a match made in chocolate heaven.

Also Read: Tiramisu with Whiskey

Roasted Lamb and Ardbeg 10 Whisky

Whisky and Lamb Pairing Ardbeg 10 yo whisky food pairings
We eat a lot of lamb over weekends. On the braai in summer and warming stews in winter. Weekends are the perfect time to experiment. I have tried this Garlic and Rosemary roasted lamb with various whiskies, but always return to the Ardbeg 10 yo. My tasting notes for the Ardbeg 10 yo included notes of peat and smoke, citrus and hints of vanilla. The Ardbeg 10 yo is a big complex whisky, but not overwhelmingly so.

It has enough peat to be typically Islay, but not so much that it would frighten a non-peat lover. The Ardbeg is robust enough to stand up to the Garlic and Rosemary flavour and the richness of the lamb. The peat and smoke in the Ardbeg enhanced the lamb’s earthiness and made it simply delicious.

Bain’s Whisky and Camembert Cheese

Whisky and Camembert Cheese pairing Bains whisky food pairings
Another whisky cheese pairing I regularly enjoy. I paired the Camembert cheese with various whiskies, but the pairing with the Bains’ whisky remains my favourite. My tasting notes for the Bain’s whisky included sweet hints of toffee, banana and vanilla.

The sweetness and spice of the Bain’s enhanced the earthy notes of the Camembert. The richness of the cheese softens with the Bain’s, and you want to try the Bain’s whisky food pairing again and again.

Coffee Bourbon Ice Cream

National Coffee Ice cream Day with Bourbon Whisky food pairings
Not technically a whisky food pairing, however something I make regularly. I love coffee; I love ice cream. Add some Knob Creek Bourbon, and you have magic. Perfect for a grown-up dessert in summer. Best of all, it is easy to make, without too much fuss.

Use the best quality ice cream you can get your hands on, add some good quality coffee, grab any bourbon that you have. It is as easy as that. Not too many dishes and the grownups will smile.

What is your favourite whisky food pairing?

Also Read: Checkers Private Barrel Co No 68 whisky

Whisky Chocolate Truffles

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/12/2016

In Lifestyle

Whisky truffles header
Chocolate truffles, those delectable nuggets of indulgence, have been enchanting taste buds for generations. This symphony of flavours wrapped in a velvety chocolate embrace has become a symbol of culinary elegance. Now imagine that you add a few drops of peated whisky your chocolate truffle.

The origins of truffles are shrouded in a few charming legends, with one story attributing their accidental discovery to the renowned French chef Escoffier.

Picture this: a bustling kitchen, the intoxicating aroma of chocolate filling the air. Escoffier, the maestro of French cuisine, was experimenting with a pastry cream when, in a twist of fate, he poured scalding cream into a bowl of chocolate chunks instead of the intended sugared egg mixture.

Rather than lamenting the mishap, he found that the chocolate paste was malleable, easily shaped into delightful spheres. And thus, the truffle was born, a confection that blended elegance with happenstance.

Truffles, characterized by their invitingly rounded forms, entered the culinary stage between 1890 and the 1920s. Their popularity soared as their recipes travelled the world, giving rise to regional variations like European, Belgian, American, French, and Swiss truffles.

Moroccan and Peated whisky truffles

A tantalizing journey into the world of truffles reveals a range of delightful infusions. Among them, the marriage of a hint of alcohol like brandy or Champagne has emerged as a beloved choice. Yet, today’s truffles transcend these classics.

Enthusiasts embrace coatings as diverse as crushed peppercorns, sweet curry, paprika, and even chocolate vermicelli. Regardless of the chosen coating, each truffle promises a symphony of taste.

I still remember when I first encountered whisky truffles as a child. In honour of Whisky Chocolate Month, I took on the challenge of crafting these delights myself. My initial attempts adhered to the traditional ganache recipe, yielding a rich but slightly daunting texture. Pursuing perfection led me to reconsider my approach, prompting me to dial my mom’s number.

Also Read: Whisky and Brie Cheese

Ah, the wisdom of mothers! She shared a recipe she had cherished for years that deviated from the conventional ganache method. It departs from tradition yet promises a smooth, creamy delight. With renewed determination, I embarked on the journey to refine the recipe.

But the flavour was the true heart of the matter. My experimentation led me to add some Ardbeg 10 yo whisky, birthing a peaty whisky truffle that captured the essence of Islay. Yet the journey wasn’t over; a Moroccan Ras el Hanout spice paired perfectly with Chivas Extra, resulting in a spicy-sweet variant.

In a world where culinary exploration knows no bounds, truffles are a testament to the artistry of accidental discovery and the harmony of flavours. These little spheres, once borne from a mishap, have become a canvas for gastronomic imagination.

The Basic recipe for Whisky Chocolate Truffles

100 grams dark chocolate broken into little pieces (I used the Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa
63 grams of butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
4 tablespoons cacao (+ extra for dusting if required)

Peated Whisky Truffles

Ardbeg 10 yo single malt whisky peated truffles
ADD:

30 ml peated whisky – I used the Ardbeg 10 yo (the peatier, the better)

Moroccan Truffles

Truffles with Chivas Regal Extra blended whisky and Ras el Hanout spice
ADD:

2 teaspoons Ras el Hanout spice
30 ml whisky (I used the Chivas Extra blended whisky)

Directions

Add the chocolate and butter to a small pot and heat gently to melt. When melted, take off the heat and add in the rest of the ingredients. Add the peated whisky for the peaty truffles or the Ras el Hanout for the Moroccan flavoured whisky chocolate truffles.

Stir well until everything is incorporated. Cool the mixture in the fridge for an hour until it starts setting. While the mixture is still soft enough to handle, but stiff enough to hold the shape, roll into small balls.

If you like, roll the truffles in some cocoa powder to coat.

I am not the most patient person in the world, so I spooned the mixture into heart-shaped chocolate forms. For the Moroccan whisky chocolate truffles, I dusted the form lightly with some Ras el Hanout seasoning.

Allow truffles to set in the fridge for at least 5 hours and serve straight from the fridge.

Ardbeg 10 yo single malt whisky peated truffles
It is that easy. You can quickly make it in an afternoon and it makes the ideal gift for the whisky lover in your life.

Also Read: Coconut Panna Cotta