We would like to start our newly established whisky guide with a rather fruity and very smooth whisky. Therefore, it is not a big surprise that we are geographically looking towards Japan. Ladies and Gentleman, let's try the Hibiki Japanese Harmony.

Artworth Whisky Guide

First of all, we would like to explain the reason why we found it necessary to launch this guide. Well, there are two very simple reasons. First one: we really love whisky. We don't just like whisky or drink whisky, we really love this delicious and oak-colored liquid gold. Second one: how can a gentleman wearing a three-piece suit, sitting on a dark brown chesterfield couch right in front of an open fire not drink a whisky?
And before you ask yourself if you should write whisky or whiskey, it doesn't really matter. As the Scottish guys are writing whisky without the "e" we prefer to do the same. We really love Scotch whisky. For that reason you will find us writing whisky.

Now, let's leave the history lesson and the theoretical stuff and try this wonderful and fine dram.

Tasting: Hibiki Japanese Harmony

The Japanese Harmony is inspired by the Japanese division of the year into 24 seasons. He also got his name from the selected blend which led to this well-balanced whisky. It is made with malt whiskies from the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries as well as grain whisky from the Chita distillery. The master blender, Shingo Torii, at Suntory takes 5 different types of casks, including American white oak casks, Sherry casks and Mizunara oak casks, to create the Japanese Harmony.

The first notes in the nose are very smooth but rich. Layers of sweet honey combined with aromas of apricots. The oak and sherry casks are giving this beautiful golden color which you see in the glass.

Luckily, the generous fruit continues on to the palate. Orange zests are joining the apricot flavors and subtle spiciness. There’s a little peppery spice but the soft, succulent fruit takes hold. If you like the smooth and fruity Scotch whiskies with a Sherry-, Rum-, Portwood, or Oloroso-Cask finish this Japanese wonder is exactly the whisky you are looking for.

On the harmonious finish the spiciness takes over from the fruit and changes into a wooden and oaky note. You get kind of a sandalwood aroma with a sweet and fruity note.

The packaging is very classy and we really like the Japanese touch of the bottle and wrapping. The bottle has a sophisticated and simple design. Let's be honest, a whisky is there to be displayed in a special rack next to your bookshelf and cigar humidor. Therefore we include this parameter into our whisky guide and rating.

Conclusion

The Hibiki Japanese Harmony is admirably versatile through its manufacturing process and it is not surprising that it is the most awarded Japanese blend. We love to combine the Hibiki with some white or milk chocolate from Läderach after a nice diner. And as this whisky is not smoky at all you can combine it very well with a cigar from Ahora Cigars.

This Japanese Harmony gets 7 Artworth Whisky Points out of 10!

Looking for a Scottish Whisky instead? Read our thoughts about the Laphroaig Brodir here.

We got the opportunity to drive both the Jaguar F-Pace SVR and the newly launched Land Rover Evoque for a long weekend. It was quickly decided that we wanted to take the two SUVs to the beautiful Lake Como!

A challenging road ahead

Getting from Biel/Bienne to Como is not that easy. Especially if one decides to take a mountainous route. Since we want to test the two cars we take them all the way up to the Simplon Pass. We enjoy driving up the winding road while catching a glimpse of Switzerland's beautiful nature!

The next challenge awaits upon arrival in the city of Como. The roads are narrow and congested. We need to manoeuvre carefully!

Finally, we arrive at the gate of our villa that is beautifully located righ at the board of the lake.

Dolce Vita

Even people who have never been to Italy might be familiar with the easygoing lifestyle of the Italians. They know how to live the "dolce vita", a sweet lifestyle! We have come to Como to experience exactly that! Hence, we start our stay by opening a nice bottle of wine by Terravigna on the terrace of our villa. The marvelous view let's us enjoy a great glass of red even more!

Two things we had to bring along were Swiss chocolate by Läderach and smoky whisky by Ardbeg. We could not go on holidays without having a classy gents night doing whisky and chocolate pairing! Usually, we talk about watches and cars during these gatherings. Vasco just got a beautiful Longines Legend Diver Watch so this was the talk of the night!

Exploring Como

Como is known for its stunning lake, the many ancient villas and the beautiful old town.

We enjoy driving our cars through the narrow allies of the town to get a strong espresso in the morning.

After spending some time shopping and sightseeing, we drive along the beautiful lake on a winding road. This ride is pure pleasure with vehicles like the Jaguar F-Pace SVR or the new Land Rover Evoque. However, keep in mind that the narrow roads require advanced driving skills!

The many magnificient villas along the lake offer great locations for lunch dates or relaxing afternoons at the pool. One such place is the Villa Lario.

Situated on the right board of the lake in the commune of Pognana Lario, the property has several small villas and an incredible infinity pool to offer. Honestly, the pool might be one of the most beautiful in the world!

We enjoy a nice evening having an apéro with a glass of Dom Pérignon, while taking in the stunning view over the Lake Como.

How did the two cars compare in Como?

As car fans we love the Jaguar F-Pace SVR with its 5.0 litre Supercharged V8 engine and top speed of 286km/h. The sound is loud and deep from the F-Type inspired variable valve active exhaust system. You would not expect a SUV to be this sporty. Yet there was still enough space for all we bring allong on this trip, which came in handy! Furthermore, we really loved the thrilling acceleration while driving on the winding roads around the Lago di Como.

Unlike the F-Pace SVR, the Range Rover Evoque was just launched recently. It was awaited by all fans of the smaller modell line of the British SUVs. The result is a stunningly looking smaller version of the Velar, a car we truly love for its design and driving comfort. An important detail we admire about the Evoque is, that it has been designed to be 85 percent recyclable/re-usable and 95 percent recoverable at the end of the vehicle’s life.

In comparison, the Evoque was better to get around town due to its size and driving comfort, while the F-Pace SVR was more fun to drive on the roads around the lake because if its acceleration and sound!

Are you looking for more road trip ideas? Read about our trip through South England here!

As Swiss we love chocolate. More precisely we love high quality chocolate! One of our favorite producers is the family owned company Läderach. Their Swiss made chocolate adheres to the highest quality standards and can be enjoyed in many different ways. Let us show you our preferred ones!

Pairing Läderach Chocolate

Coffee

It is no secret that we love good coffee. The only thing that can make a nice flat white taste better, is a piece of Läderach's fresh chocolate. We love to pair our morning coffee with some of their darker creations.

Wine

We discovered that the dark creations of Läderach with a high share of cacao go well with a rather heavy red wine. We recommend tasting a Spanish Monastrell for example. The taste of plums, cherries and cacao go well with the fine chocolate of Läderach!

Whisky

Many people tend to pair a glass of whisky with a Cuban cigar. We would like to suggest a healthier alternative: Chocolate! The bitter and lingering flavour of dark chocolate is a perfect match for the underlying sweetness and alcohol bite that Whisky comes with.

Production

Läderach sourcs its cacao beans mainly in Central- and South America. They are sun-dried in the open air before going into storage and being transported over the Atlantic Ocean to Switzerland. There, the cocoa beans are thoroughly checked before being processed. The production process starts with washing and is followed by shelling and crushing of the cocoa beans. After that, they are being roasted in order to release the cocoa beans’ fine aromas. During the following grinding process, the enclosed cocoa butter gets released. This liquid coca mass is then stored in large, heated tanks.

After mixing the different ingredients together, the kneaded chocolate mass gets converted into flaky chocolate powder. Afterwards, the powder gets filled into the conche. During this last step, the powder is thoroughly kneaded and mixed together with cocoa butter. Any unwanted bitter and tart notes from the chocolate get removed and the fine Läderach chocolate is finished!

Sustainability

Since many years, sustainability is a core pillar in the business model of Läderach. Their efforts in different fields contribute to first-class cocoa quality. Furthermore, they manage to optimise cocoa cultivation in terms of increasing yield per unit area. Moreover, Läderache engages in environmental protection and offers a high level of job security. In addition, the company supports the generation of additional income for cocoa-producing families in several countries. Finally, they raise awareness to protect children from abusive work practices which are common in certain places. Yearly visit of the cultivation areas help to ensure that the goals are being met.

Läderach has stores all over Switzerland. Read more about their store in the picturesque village of Zermatt here.

The country of Morocco is well known all over the world for its beautiful landscape, stunning architecture and wonderful people. However, it seems to be difficult to travel this rather dry and hot country in style. We accepted the challenge and want to show you how it is done!

Agadir and Essaouira

For our challenge we teamed up with TUI (Suisse) Ltd. This reliable travel agency is well connected in Morocco and has organized us hotels, as well as a local guide to accompany us on our quest to travel Morocco in style. The first night we spend at the Robinson Club Agadir. This TUI operated hotel is perfect for us to settle in. We take out a boat and do a fun cruise in the Agadir Bay, what a start to begin our adventure!

After a first good night of sleep we drive north to Essaouira. This picturesque coastal city offers a marvelous ancient town center that is entirely surrounded by a wall. We love especially the many restaurants with rooftop terraces. It is the perfect place to enjoy some great food and a glass of wine.

Marrakech

After a long but exciting journey we arrive in the bustling city of Marrakech. We check in at the Savoy le Grand Hotel which is located next to the new Menara Mall. On the first evening we decide to head over to the Four Seasons Resort for dinner. The Italian chef spoils us with delicious Mediterranean food.

Marrakech has a lot to offer. One of our favorite things is certainly its architecture. Two places where it can be admired are the Jardin Majorelle and the Bahia Palace. We find inspiration by walking through the colorful and ancient buildings that offer shadow and are like an oasis in the middle of this busy city.

Another inpirational place is the Souk. Even though it cannot be compared to an oasis, it is still a place where different goods, people and smells create an inspirational atmosphere. We take our time to explore this maze of shops. The highlight is a narrow ally with a couple of stores that sell unique lamps. All this shopping makes us hungry. Therefore, we go have lunch at one of the marvelous Riads of Angsana Collection. Do not miss out on either sleeping at or visiting in one of them!

After visiting many sights we want to dive into the Marrakech of the locals. The Pikala Foundation offers exactly this. Visitors can book a tour on which the lesser known places of the city are visited on bicyles. This exciting project is supported by the TUI Care Foudation and we are very happy to have learned about in while being in Marrakech!

Road Trip in Morocco

Morocco is a country with fairly good infrastructure. Therefore the roads are mostly in a good condition and make it to a perfect place for a road trip. From Marrakech we head south-east to the High Atlas mountains. The nearby Ourika Valley offers a unique landscape with red stones and a lot of vegetation.

Another great trip is the one to the region of Lalla Takerkoust. There, the lovely restaurant Le Relais du Lac offerst great local food with magnificient views on the lake. In addition to great food, we find a fun activity there: Quad biking in the desert wearing a suit. This is definitely one of our highlights on the trip!

While being on the road, we stop at the lodges of Terre des Etoiles in the Moroccan desert. Spending the night in the desert is something everyone should experience at least once. We can definitely recommend this place for it! They offer a great glamping experience with good food and excellent tents. We can even take a shower before changing into a new suit!

Our five day adventure ends at the Fairmont Hotel Royal Palm in Marrakech where we enjoy a delicious three course lunch before heading to the airport. The property is very green and offers a big swimming pool in a magnificent setting. Our partner TUI (Suisse) Ltd., in cooperation with airtours, has organized all our stays and activities for us. Thank you very much for five unforgettable days in a magical country!

If you want to read more stories like this one, please check out our blog.

Range Rover cars have always been elegant yet powerful at the same time. At Artworth we admire this unique combination. The latest addition to the Range Rover family luckily embodies these two factors just as good as the already existing models. Let us introduce to you the Range Rover Velar!

Design of the Range Rover Velar

Range Rover came up with a revolutionary philosophy for the Velar. Its proportions are striking and the flush door handles, as well as the integrated rear spoiler, improve its aerodynamics. We especially like the foil stamped grille that shapes the vehicle’s front profile in a perfect manner.

The bold design has caugt the attention of several car design critics and made the Velar win the "World Car Design of the Year" title at the 2018 World Car Awards.

Technology

Technology wise, Range Rover has improved the inforainment. The Touch Pro Duo system beautifully integrates two 10” high-definition touchscreens. A well functioning full-colour Head-up Display and an optional Interactive Driver Display complete the cockpit technology. We love how users can simultaneously view and interact with multiple features at once.

Performance

Range Rover cars have always been good at mastering both highways and tricky country lanes. The Velar is no different. The All Wheel Drive (AWD) with Intelligent Driveline Dynamics (IDD) and Torque Vectoring by Braking deliver an engaging, thrilling drive. Moreover, it is despite its length of 4,80 meters still well manoeuvrable. The V6 turbo-diesel engine with its 300 hp makes sure that the driver has enough power to master every terrain.

Style

At Artworth we like a simple style that underlines confidence and individuality. We find this in fine tailor-made suits but also in the Range Rover Velar. This SUV leads the way in progressive design. It can be described as clean, elegant and distinctive. No matter if you wear a well fitting suit or drive a black or white Velar, eyes will follow.

We took the Velar on a road trip from Switzerland to South England and back. Read more about this adventure here.