by Yannis Valavanis

After my first foray into bourbons – coincidentally, as you may recall from my previous article—I decided to delve deeper into the category, as the entire experience genuinely sparked my interest. The spirit was willing, of course, but availability in bottles proved to be something of a challenge. In the Greek market there aren’t many products in this category beyond the widely known brands, and to be perfectly honest, it wouldn’t have been very wise on my part to purchase bottles at random without having sufficient information about their contents, aside from what I had read online, which was for the most part rather cursory.

I began with the well-known method of tasting at bars and restaurants, although this too was somewhat difficult due to the limited commercial popularity of Bourbon and Rye in our country. Almost immediately, a bar-restaurant I had visited in the recent past came to mind – one specializing in meat smoking and related dishes. I spontaneously gave the evening a title in my head: “Food & Whiskey from the American Frontier.”

As I remembered well from my last visit, the food was excellent – American-style, of course – which means some will absolutely love it and others won’t want to see it again. But that’s how it goes; every cuisine has its own character. And without further ado, it was time for the bar. With the help of the bartender – an essential prerequisite here – and after the necessary explanations, I found myself drinking Willet Family Estate, Four Years Old, Kentucky Rye Whiskey, 55.6% Alc. Quite a long and explanatory title. No comments, please.

I set out for bourbon and ended up drinking rye – I mixed things up a bit – but a little extra grain never hurts, and expanding one’s palate is always welcome. Very good and very strong, with plenty of aromas of ginger, caramel, and chocolate, while the rye clearly takes center stage, leaving a powerful finish – as expected. Very spicy and peppery, I would say, but I won’t complain, as I enjoy bold flavors, just as I do with smoked foods.

Since a day – or rather, night – of tastings calls for an appropriate accompaniment, a cigar of a new label was in order. Either we do our research properly, or not at all. The new addition was found on the Habanos shelf: Trinidad Vigia. Anything new must be tried immediately – you never know if you’ll see it again. Those in the know will understand. Earthy aromas, oaky flavors, and a touch of spice, with a 54 ring gauge (21.43 mm) and 110 mm length, it proved to be a perfect match for the intense character of the Willet.

I could say that the tasting was an absolute success in every respect – both in exploration and enjoyment. If you manage to source these products somehow, given their scarcity due to the increasing rarity of Habanos and the limited production of Willet, I would recommend them without reservation. As for me, I’ve already begun my search for the whiskey; when it comes to Habanos, we are now firmly in “whatever comes up” territory.