Cask Strength - two mere words that instil more excitement than most when it comes to whisky.

The term has come to be a catch all for whiskies bottled at high strength but, in its purist meaning, it really refers to any bottling that is not diluted from the abv that the spirit was at in the cask - and this can vary greatly depending on certain factors.

  Last week marked the end of an era for one of this country's most revered, most experienced and most passionate Pinot Noir pioneers, Larry McKenna, who retires from his role as general manager of The Escarpment Vineyard but not, he stresses, from wine. He will continue to manage a local Pinot Noir vineyard while also taking a brief break to see family in Australia; the place he was born and bred, despite having lived in New Zealand since 1980. The Escarpment Vineyard is now owned by Torbreck in South Australia, which purchased the business in 2019 from McKenna and the other original investors.  McKenna...

Chimay Goud 330ml Chimay is one of those beer names with a reputation that precedes it. As one of only 14 abbey breweries worldwide making authentic Trappist beer, it is special by any standard, and its 170 years of brewing history is testament to this.As per most Trappist breweries, there are only a handful of Chimay beers to choose from, spanning relatively high and higher ABVs, but the Goud (or gold) that we are looking at today is under 5%. With the current trend for lagers and lower ABVs, I thought this “old world” approach to a lighter style of beer would make...