Spirits

Chopin Launches New Premium Rye Vodka

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Jan 24th 2011 at 8:02PM

High-end vodkas may be commonplace today, but they've really only been around since the late 1990s. That's when Grey Goose came to market, when Belvedere first debuted and when Chopin made its premiere.

Now some fourteen years after Chopin potato vodka first appeared, the Polish craft distillery is launching a new product: Chopin Rye. Distinguished by its red label, Chopin Rye Vodka is distilled, as you might have guessed, from rye grains instead of potatoes like its black-labeled sister product.

The new ultra-premium spirit (named after the famous composer) has been on the market in Poland for years, but is only now reaching the United States, where it will launch at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival later this month.

Tags: chopin, chopin rye, chopin rye vodka, chopin vodka, rye, rye vodka, vodka

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask Single-Malt Whisky

by David Kiley (RSS feed) — Jan 24th 2011 at 4:02PM

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask Single-Malt Whisky The Balvenie recently launched a new rum-cask-finished expression, Balvenie 14-Year Old Caribbean Cask.

The release follows an enthusiastic reception of a limited release of a 17-Year Old Rum Cask, and the subsequent popularity of rum cask-finished whiskies in general.

After a 14 year maturation period in traditional oak whisky casks, the Balvenie is then transferred to the rum casks, leading to an exceptional Single Malt that exemplifies the signature smooth, honeyed character of the Balvenie, while adding unique notes of toffee and fruit that come from its innovative cask finish.

Retail price is $59.99.

Tags: balvenie, rum casks, rum-finished whisky, scotch, scotch whisky, The Balvenie, The Balvenie Caribbean, whiskies, whisky

Master Distiller Richard Paterson Takes A Nose To Shackleton's Whisky

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 19th 2011 at 11:02PM

When you want to recreate a whisky from over a hundred years ago you want to have one of the best noses in the business doing the testing. Master Distiller Richard Paterson, the man behind some of the world's most exclusive whiskies including some of the pricey Dalmore blends we've covered in the past, is analyzing some of the whisky found in a crate in the Antarctic hut of renowned explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.

The whisky was first discovered in 2006 but some of it was removed last year and carefully thawed at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island. The bottles of Mackinlay's Scotch whisky had been wrapped in paper and straw to protect them. The whisky is believed to date back to 1896 or 1897.

According to BBC News, three of the bottles were returned to the Scottish Highlands on Whyte and Mackay's billionaire owner, Vijay Mallya private jet for analysis. Whyte and Mackay bought Mackinlay years ago and is considering creating a new whisky to honor the Shackleton find. Paterson has said that the whisky has a beautiful rich golden color and that his "initial reaction is very, very interesting but I must wait and see."

Tags: ernest shackleton, master distiller, richard paterson, scotch, whiskies, whisky

Arroyo Vodka, A New Taste In Arizona

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 18th 2011 at 11:02PM

A pair of enterprising sisters in Arizona have created a new vodka brand in Arizona. Arroyo Vodka is part of Forward Brands LLC a brand founded by Lauren Klemp and her sister Morgan. The Arizona Republic reports that the two sisters watched the growth of microbreweries and decided there was room for a new vodka brand. They found that buying the still and other equipment was easier than dealing with the paperwork. There are future plans for other flavors and a tasting room in Glendale.

Arizona only has a handful of microdistilleries including Arizona High Spirits Distillery which produces a unique prickly pear vodka. They may not have a lot of competition in Arizona but microdistilled vodka brands have popped up all around the country. Vodka remains a popular spirit for fledgling brands because of its popularity, versatility and the ability to customize flavors that might appeal to the public.

The first brand from Forward Brands, Arroyo, is named for the street the sisters grew up on. It launched with only 886 bottles selling at under $20. The vodka is corn based and distilled only once.

Tags: arroyo vodka, distillery, microdistillery, spirits, vodka

Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve - Smaller than Small Batch

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) — Jan 18th 2011 at 2:01PM

Love bourbon? Why not try tasting it like the master blenders do: one barrel at a time. Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve is a new product from all-American favorite Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon, coming to a shop near you in February.

Master Distiller Fred Noe (seventh generation distiller and great grandson of Jim Beam) ensures that the best barrels in the Claremont, Kentucky distillery don't get lost in a blend; instead, superior barrels are hand-selected to be bottled at nine years for this Single Barrel Reserve, with the criterion that each barrel contain "a unique expression of Knob Creek's rich, mature flavor." The result is a super-premium, natural spirit with strong vanilla notes and a deep, smoky finish. It's easy to sip and holds its own in a cocktail -- and packs an unexpected punch at 120 proof.

While there are no plans to release a tasting gift box like the below this year, make sure you get yourself two glasses for sampling this spirit you can buy again and again to improve your bourbon acumen. Try it neat first, but in the second glass, add a little water to the dark amber spirit to tease out its particular distinctive flavors. Vanilla is the most obvious at first, but taste carefully for caramel, nuttiness and other subtleties developed over its nine years in American oak.

Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve is surprisingly affordable at a suggested retail price of just $40 per bottle.

Gallery: Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Tasting Set

Tags: bourbon, Knob Creek, product reviews, spirits

The $35,000 "New Dandy" iPad, Poker, Cigar & Whisky Trunk

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Jan 18th 2011 at 11:01AM

The latest, most exclusive entrant in the ever-widening field of luxurious iPad accessories has the world's most expensive iPad case running a distant second. The New Dandy Trunk from Paris-based T.T. Trunks for $35,000 features an iPad holder as its centerpiece, but positions the high-tech toy as more of a gentleman's accessory alongside requisites for drinking, smoking and gambling. The trunk is made-to-order using the world's most exquisite woods, leather and canvas from Europe's finest craftsmen. Every aspect of its construction is done completely by hand.

In addition to the iPad stand, the trunk features a power pack for other mobile devices, seamlessly integrating modern technology with the design of classic luggage from the golden age of travel. The central part of the trunk holds a whisky decanter and glasses for enjoying your favorite spirit. One drawer is fitted with a humidor for storing fine cigars. Another houses a full set of poker chips, two decks of playing cards and a foldable poker table that fits into the trunk's door. The other drawers can be customized to the client's specifications to hold neckties, timepieces, a shoeshine kit and other luxe accessories.

[via JustLuxe]

Gallery: New Dandy iPad Trunk

Tags: iPad, luggage, Paris, T.T. Trunks, Trunk

The Classicist: The Stylish World of Spirits & Luxury Hotel Guru Martin Miller

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Jan 17th 2011 at 9:00AM

As befits a Brit who has his very own brand of gin, Martin Miller is more than just an entrepreneur; he's a bon viveur and connoisseur of everything from antiques and historic houses to leggy women, fine spirits and elaborately coiffed canines. The self-described "gypsy who never settled" began building an empire as a schoolboy in England which led to an estimated $40 million fortune and the birth of Martin Miller's Gin. Having sold his antiques guide business for a tidy sum, in 1999 Miller hit on the idea of creating a super premium gin better than anything else available at the time; developing the perfect gin regardless of "practical, fiscal or even geographic limitations" became something of a fixation, hence the spirit's slogan: "born of love, obsession and some degree of madness."

Miller's is a top drawer London dry gin made from ten carefully balanced botanicals that's transported 1,500 miles to Iceland following traditional copper pot still distillation to be mixed with the purest spring water on the globe. The result is a potent spirit with a strong citrus nose and taste, notes of juniper and a clean, soft finish. A Westbourne Strength variation ups the ABV from 40% to 45.2%, bringing the juniper to the forefront along with spicier notes and the same soft finish. Both bottles are stunning. That degree of good taste and craftsmanship extends to Miller's small empire of boutique luxury hotels in renovated historic structures, the first of which he opened to house his burgeoning collection of antiques.

Miller's four UK properties echo the eccentricity and artistic sensibility of their creator; showcasing his "maximalistic" approach to decor, they're positively overflowing with antiques and finds from his lifelong adventures. Here's a rundown [cont'd]:

Gallery: The World of Martin Miller

Tags: antiques, England, entrepreneur, gin, hotel, Iceland, London, luxury hotels, Martin Miller, Martin Millers Gin, spirits, UK

Continue reading “The Classicist: The Stylish World of Spirits & Luxury Hotel Guru Martin Miller”

AGWA de Bolivia Coca Leaf Liqueur

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) — Jan 14th 2011 at 9:31AM

Looking for something interesting to serve or drink at a cocktail party? Look no further than AGWA de Bolivia, which is considered to be the world's first and only spirit derived from coca leaf. The translucent green liqueur is delicious and needs little else but some fresh lime juice and a couple of ice cubes, if you prefer it chilled (see the gallery below for cocktail recipes featuring AGWA de Bolivia).

AGWA contains guarana, an extract from the seeds of Paullina Cupana (which contains caffeine); ginseng (a stimulant); and approximately 40 grams of coca leaf in every bottle. The effect of drinking AGWA is different than that of other types of alcohol due to the coca leaf. The coca leaf alkaloids work by speeding up the rate of absorption of oxygen into the body's capillary system. It is a natural 'rush' that improves stamina and is similar to the "oxygen buzz" one gets when chewing coca leaves or drinking coca leaf tea at high altitudes in the Andes (as anyone who has visited Machu Picchu or Cusco, Peru can attest). Biting a lime after drinking AGWA activates the alkaloids in the coca.

Gallery: AGWA de Boliva Coca Leaf Liqueur Cocktails

Tags: Agwa, Agwa de Bolivia, Coca leaf, coca leaf liquor, cocktail, cocktail recipes, cocktails

Continue reading “AGWA de Bolivia Coca Leaf Liqueur”

KAH Day of the Dead Tequila

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) — Jan 13th 2011 at 3:02PM

It's not Halloween but then skulls never really go out of style, do they? Especially not crazy artistic ones like these. Spice up your liquor collection and have yourself some great sipping spirits with KAH Day of the Dead tequilas. The Reposado, shown here in the red, is described as 'ultra smooth' and 'ultra high-proof,' with hints of vanilla and caramel after being aged for 10 months in French limousine casks. The Blanco features sweet notes of cooked agave with a spicy white pepper finish, while the Anejo is all about coffee, chocolate, and tobacco flavors. They all sound delish but what really tops the cake is that all three versions are kosher, certified organic, and come in these beautifully handmade & hand-painted decorative bottles. $49.99-$59.99

Tags: day of the dead, skull, tequila

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Ginuwine Is the Face of Adult Chocolate Milk

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 3rd 2011 at 11:01PM

Singer Ginuwine has put on a modified milkman's uniform for his gig as new spokesman of Adult Chocolate Milk, a 40 proof version of the childhood favorite. The new product is being sold at Costco and is the latest twist on sweet treats for adults that include the infamous Four Loko energy soda and Whipped Lightning whipped cream.

The NY Daily News reports that adult Chocolate Milk was created by California mom Tracy Reinhardt and combines chocolate milk with 40-proof vodka. The idea lead to the creation of the Adult Beverage Co. which also plans to make other alcohol-filled versions of childhood favorites including Adult Orange Cream, Adult Fruit Punch and Adult Limeade.

The product has the slogan "Re-Taste Your Youth at 40 Proof" and comes in a milk-bottle inspired glass bottle with a swing top. It is not refrigerated and sells for $23.99.

Advertisements featuring Ginuwine will be on billboards on the Vegas Strip soon and there are plans for a television commercial.

Gallery: Celebrity Liquor

Tags: Adult Chocolate Milk, celebrity liquor, Ginuwine

Ltd. Edition 1946 Macallan Albert Watson Edition to Sell for $16,000

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Jan 2nd 2011 at 3:01PM

Missed out on the the 64-year-old Macallan in Lalique Cire Perdue recently auctioned off at Sotheby's for a record breaking $460,000 (the world's most expensive bottle of whisky)? You can still get your hands on some equally precious elixir via an ultra-exclusive limited edition bottling from the famed Speyside distillery as part of its upcoming Albert Watson collaboration. Priced at $16,000 apiece, the offering stems from the Macallan's Masters of Photography series. Only 36 bottles of the rare single malt Scotch distilled in 1946 will be available early next year along with a one-of-a-kind platinum print from Watson's project.

If that's still out of your reach, you might still be able to lay claim to the regular but also quite special Albert Watson Masters of Photography bottling, above – a new, limited-edition 20 year old single malt priced at $1,000 apiece, of which only 1,000 bottles are being produced. Watson's images depict a young couple as they travel the path the wood used in the distillery's whisky casks takes as it moves from the Spanish forest to its "spiritual home on Speyside".

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Albert Watson, Macallan, photography, Scotch, Scotland, single malt, The Macallan, whisky

Seven Heavens: Jonathon Ramsey's Year of Empyrean Experiences

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) — Dec 30th 2010 at 10:01AM

"Every day above ground is a good day" is the saying, and it depends entirely on how much latitude you give the definition of "good." There are other days, however – certain days, special days – that cannot be denied their inclusion in the ranks of The Best of the Good Ones. While we have no problem admitting that even the least among our days on the job are still pretty good, there are others that clearly and simply take their places at the front of a very competitive line. In no particular order, then, here are seven places and pleasures that have meant the most to us in 2010.

Tags: chopin, gumpert apollo, jochen70, lake okareka lodge, mammoth mountain, rizk ra, rolls-royce, wales

Continue reading “Seven Heavens: Jonathon Ramsey's Year of Empyrean Experiences”

Glenfiddich Crystal Stag part of Million-Pound Marketing Campaign

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Dec 28th 2010 at 8:02PM

One of the top selling single malts in the world, Glenfiddich is in the midst of a million-pound re-branding campaign that centers around the crystal stag sculpture you see here.

Crafted by Chris Blade and Katya Filmus at the National Glass Centre at the University of Sunderland in England, each sculpture is made by the cire perdue method from 50 kilograms of 24% lead crystal glass that replicates the deer's head which forms the Glenfiddich emblem. It sits atop a gondola display with the distillery's core range of single malt expressions arranged in a spiral point-of-sale.

Following similar displays erected at London Heathrow and Frankfurt airports, the third in the series was recently unveiled in Dubai, with a total of 21 examples set for proliferation at travel retail locations around the world. Follow the link to view the sculpture in the making.

Tags: crystal, dubai, duty free, glenfiddich, national glass centre, stag, sunderland, travel retail, university of sunderland, whiskey, whisky

Cohiba Cognac from Martell

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Dec 28th 2010 at 3:02PM

Few things go as well together as cigars and cognac. When lighting up your favorite stogie, you could open just any bottle of cognac, or you could uncork the latest from Martell.

Specially crafted for and in collaboration with the famed Cuban tobacco company, the Martell Cohiba cognac has been aged from 40 to 50 years before being bottled at 43% alcohol by volume. The special eaux-de-vie has a rich amber hue, and is made to compliment a fine Cohiba cigar.

Tags: cognac, cohiba, cohiba cognac, martell

The Dalmore Launches Eos 59-Year-Old Single Malt

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Dec 27th 2010 at 3:01PM

Of all the distilleries in Scotland and indeed the World, The Dalmore has emerged as the veritable king of obscenely old whiskies. Over the past couple of years, we've brought you news of the record-selling 64-year-old Trinitas, the 45-year-old Aurora, The Dalmore 50 and the 58-year-old Siruis malt. These are only a few of the extreme vintages launched by the Highland distillery, and they're now joined by one more.

Called Eos after the Titan goddess of the dawn, this 59-year-old scotch is bottled form the same pair of sherry casks that filled the Selene last year, only now they've been aged for an extra year. Only 20 special decanters of this exclusive malt will be offered in select markets at an as-yet unconfirmed price sure to dip into five figures.

Tags: damore, Eos, scotch, single malt, The Dalmore, The Dalmore Eos

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