Ramon Allones Estupendos. Regional Release Asia Pacific (TEB OCT 07) – Beluga Gold Line Vodka - Bleasdale Tawny Port.
Now, anyone who does read these musings – and may I take this opportunity to thank both of you – will be aware that we looked at the Ramon Allones Estupendos, RR, Asia Pacific from 2007 very recently. I had a couple rolling around in a singles box (there is something way too decadent about this sentence) and grabbed another one the other evening. I had taped Quantum of Solace, and have Craig’s other three outings as 007 on DVD, so kicked off with Casino Royale, still possibly the best Bond flick of all, and then Quantum – definitely not in anyone’s list of Best Bonds. A very Bond evening.
To digress (there’s a shock), I have seen Quantum several times and have a few thoughts. The first time, I hated it. Thought it no better than the weakest of Roger Moore’s efforts (and I liked those a lot more on release – they have aged poorly). But if you watch it immediately after Casino Royale, it works better. That said, what destroyed this film was, I believe, the direction. Marc Foster made an appalling mess of it. He should never be allowed near Bond again. He has done some fine other films – Finding Neverland, Monster’s Ball – but this was his nadir.
The problem is the action scenes (fairly crucial for a 007 movie). They are chaotic and clunky. Most of the time they are jarring, jumbled close-ups at high speed from one shot to the next. Impossible often to even know who is whom and who (should it be who and whom? who and who? whom and whom? whomsoever?) is winning. If you watch this movie, taking little notice of the action shots, it is much more palatable.
Allow me also some thoughts on ‘No Time to Die’ before it arrives (an early casualty of the virus – the release date going back to November). The one truly awkward, jarring aspect of Spectre (sorry, there are two – the other being that Blofeld runs an operation where a hulking oaf, who has almost no dialogue at all, can just walk into the big meeting of crooks and kill someone and take his spot. Give me a break), is that Bond supposedly falls for that Lea Whatever and goes off with her. Seriously? After 24 hours, 20 of which were spent in mutual antagonism and 3 ½ more in alternative torture – the very idea is torture for the audience. It simply does not pass the pub test. And apparently she is back – they may even be married??? No, No, No. For me, the only chance this flick has to send Craig out on a deserved high is if she is an early victim. Hopefully before the opening credits even roll.
Back here on earth, the cigar fell well short. Last time, lots of caramel and for me, 94. This time, a glorious wrapper, slightly dark, a hint of oiliness. Looked gorgeous. The draw was quite firm. The cigar opened well. Dry herbs, nuts, some caramel. Not overly powerful and certainly not that much flavour. Quite refined. The second half was much better and the longer it went, the better it got. By the end, it was what one would hope it to be. Caramel and nuts. Why not earlier? So overall, a little unsatisfactory. For me, 89.
Drinks? Two very different styles. I am not a regular vodka drinker, but perhaps because I have not encountered a vodka this good. A cracking spirit – the Beluga ‘Gold Line’ Vodka (around $180). It went pleasantly with the cigar. Not a stellar match but certainly not one that detracted from either.
Some info on Beluga Vodka. It hails from Siberia, from the Marlinsk Distillery which was founded in 1900. The water used is from Siberian artesian wells. Beluga’s first vodka was bottled in 2002. They have a number of ‘levels’ – Noble, Celebration (a limited edition vodka, made to celebrate the centenary of the distillery), Transatlantic Racing (not the first name that pops to mind when one is looking for a name for your vodka, I'd have thought), Allure (to celebrate the Russian Polo team, though not sure how) and the top of the line, the ‘Gold Line’. When I say, top of the line, you can, for around ten grand Aussie, buy a bottle of their ‘Epicure by Lalique’, but you’ve probably got more chance of finding a kilo of genuine Beluga caviar on special at your local supermarket than a bottle of this. I would also say, the Gold Line is such an exquisite vodka, at around $180 a bottle, there is no point in chasing the Epicure. Only 1,000 of those hand-crafted crystal decanters were made.
The Gold Line is filtered five times, rather than the usual three. Presented in a leather box and with a wax seal, it comes with a little hammer/brush thing, supposedly to clean up the cracked wax when opened, but I am certain that it will come in handy for other things. At the moment, though, short of joining an archaeological dig or the next episode of CSI, I'm not sure what.
The spirit used here is from malted wheat, rather than mixing grains. We are told that this means that there are a higher number of enzymes and that this reduces, even eliminates, the need for the usual additives. After the five filters, rice extract and golden root extract (rhodiola rosea for those of you wondering) is added to enrich the vodka. Apparently, this is an old European tradition. Each distillery would have its own, presumably secret, recipe. In addition, after the filtrations, there are apparently tiny quantities of honey, oat extract and the extract of milk thistle added, before the vodka is cut with that Siberian artesian water. 40%.
I'm not a regular vodka drinker – I managed to dodge the vodka craze of some years ago – but that may well be because I have not encountered one like this. It is extraordinarily smooth, mellow, balanced and lingering. The texture is gorgeous, velvet cushions. Amazingly creamy. There are notes of spices, pears, apples, a hint of a freshly baked apple and cinnamon pie. There is the merest hint of a peppery vanillin note. Pristine and ethereal. This is a first-class vodka, as good as I have ever encountered.
And it was fine with the cigar. A better cigar and it may have worked even more impressively.
What did work superbly was the Bleasdale Tawny Port. This was given to those of us who attended anniversary celebrations about ten years ago. No label. It has been in a box in the cellar and it seemed time to crack it. Loved it and the waves of caramel which came forth were perfect for this cigar, and would have been an even better match if the cigar had been as good as the last one.
KBG
