British spirits industry writer Jim Murray, who literally wrote the Bible on whisky (Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible) describes the successful Sauternes-finishing of Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or in the following enthusiastic terms: “Great to see French casks that actually complement a whisky-so rare! An exercise in outrageously good sweet-dry balancing.” Nectar d’Or is …
Louis XIII’s L’Odyssée d’un Roi Cognac is the product of an inspired collaboration amongst the revered Louis XIII Cognac house and three luxury French maisons—Hermès, Puiforcat, and Saint-Louis. Only three bottles will be released for auction, each one-of-a-kind masterpiece representing over 1000 hours of work by specialized artisans. Hermès created the …
Elysian: of, relating to, or characteristic of heaven or paradise. The word stems from the Elysian fields of Greek mythology, a utopian paradise reserved for heroes after death. Synonyms include heavenly, paradisiacal, and divine. The Elysian Collection, then, seems an appropriate agnomen for British designer Jo Sampson’s sublime collection of …
The four woods in question in Woodford Reserve’s Frosty Four Wood Kentucky Straight Bourbon are the American oak barrels in which the bourbon was aged as well as the port wood, sherry wood, and maple wood barrels in which the whiskey was slowly, meticulously finished. “Frosty” refers to the polar …
“The melt, glowing in the furnace, is what draws me to new discoveries.” —Göran Wärff, Swedish crystal designer One of Wärff’s newest inspirations is a collaboration with Folke Andersson, a fellow Swede with over 35 years experience in the world of fine Cognac and spirits working with Maison Tiffon, one …
If there’s one thing you can say about innovative British designer Jo Sampson, it’s that her taste is absolutely impeccable. Coming from your writer who is lucky if she can match her socks or not end up with a ragtag collection of uncoordinated wine glasses due to breakage—let’s just say …
2001 was something of a pivotal year in the Knob Creek family. It was the year Booker Noe, the sixth generation Knob Creek Master Distiller laid down some of the final bottles of his career in the last few years of his life, passing the reigns to continue the family’s …
The San Francisco-based Distillery No. 209, has resided at Pier 50 for over ten years. The original distillery, (209th in the country) founded in 1882, was located in Napa Valley, but local regulations forced a move to a location friendlier to the spirits business. This craft gin is distilled from …
The afternoon sunlight filtering through your crystal barware tosses colorful reflections of violet, lime, warm garnet, and azure standing out in bold against white linen. Clean, contemporary lines are the dominant esthetic here, along with a bright rainbow of unabashed color. In short, this is not your grandmother’s Waterford. Waterford’s …
If the undated, opaque, solid black bottle of Glenlivet’s new Cipher Single Malt Scotch appears to be cloaked in mystery, that’s actually by design. Those who appreciate a challenge to their tastebuds’ prowess along with a fine whisky will embrace the interactive Scotch experience created by Glenlivet Master Distiller Alan Winchester. …
Love wine? Love nature? Weird, us too! Okay, so sharing a fondness for these two subjects is about as common as sharing a fondness for puppies and ice cream. But now you can contribute to the preservation of the latter with your consumption of the former when you purchase wines …
Orange County, California-based The Bruery’s new “Share This” series of unique and innovative craft beers is not only producing creative and high-quality brews we love, it’s also raising funds for a variety of humanitarian causes dictated by each brewing project. In the case of the brewery’s Share This Coffee Stout, …