Tidings Magazine

Time for the taste…

Vodkas

Belvedere

Not that anything served straight from the freezer can be expected to deliver much in the way of aromatics, this grain-based vodka, however, offered up a very clean, mildly citrus-accented nose. On the palate, it’s brisk, moderately viscous and slightly peppery with a long, slightly anise-tinged finish.

Chopin

This was more muted aromatically, with earthy, wet stone/mineral notes. Slightly richer and more viscous in the mouth, it displayed less pepper/spice but a bit more finesse on the finish.

Eggs

Abitibi ($114.25/85 g)

Charcoal grey/green in colour with a slight oily sheen, these medium-sized eggs are slightly soft but in no way mushy. Mildly salty, this caviar has a soft egg-yolk flavour with a medium finish.

Acadian Gold ($90/30 g)

The unanimous favourite of all tasters, these eggs are quite small with a greenish/putty colour. Fairly firm in the mouth, this caviar showed nutty, buttery, very mildly earthy flavours with a hint of saltiness and a long finish.

Winning pair

Basically, Chopin accentuated flavours while Belvedere cleansed the palate. The richer, more viscous and less peppery Chopin brought out the earthy/mineral character of both caviars (perhaps accentuating the Abitibi a bit more). The Belvedere was the palate-cleanser, cutting through the oiliness, richness and viscosity and setting up the palate for another hit.

The ultimate match? A small spoonful of either caviar, followed by a shot of Chopin to accentuate the taste, followed then by a shot of Belvedere to clear the palate for another round. Pure hedonism.

Chopin and Belvedere are available pretty much everywhere. The caviars are distributed exclusively through Marché Transatlantique Ltée (www.marchetransatlantique.com) and/or in fine restaurants and some specialty food stores across Canada.