NEWS IN winography

We came across this kit in San Francisco’s most exclusive gentlemen’s club called Wingtip. To wine lovers or would like to start on wine appreciation, Le Nez du Vin by Jean Lenoir is a great medium to start! This Le Nez du Vin kit for both white and red wine is merely a wine tasting game of aromas that contains little glass bottles of different aromas of fruit, flower and spices that can be found in wine. If you are wondering, how elaborated the tastes notes of the wines are, this is surely an answer. Each aroma has corresponding explanations on where you can usually feel and smell such, in different types of wines as well as the dishes you can suitably pair with. Available here Read the rest of this entry »

Tequila generally makes me think of three things: Mexico, sun and partying!!! Yet, I’m pretty sure many of you guys appreciate the taste of Tequila not only in shooters but also in fresh cocktails. Then, why not looking for an unique bottle of Mexican Patrón Tequila? Let us tell you more about the magnificent Patrón Silver ($50). ”Using only the finest 100 percent Weber blue agave, the Patrón Silver is handmade in small batches to be smooth, soft and easily mixable! This light, crystal clear tequila with fresh agave aromas and hints of citrus is a favorite of tequila connoisseurs worldwide, and mixes flawlessly into most any cocktail”. Link Read the rest of this entry »

Macallan and the ‘godfather’ of British pop art Sir Peter Blake have just created the right package for any malt enthusiast. As the octogenarian celebrated his 80th birthday on 25th June, he has decided to let the world in on the celebration of his exciting life with a unique limited edition art piece nestled inside a stunning oak box. The box has been divided in to eight sections, each representing a decade “inspired or chosen by Sir Peter Blake”. Each section contains an exclusive miniature of The Macallan distilled in that decade (1930 through to 2000’s), sporting labels designed by Sir Peter along with a small book of illustrations and on his life. The set will be limited to 250 units and priced at £4,500 ($7,000)! We love those sick projects!  Read the rest of this entry »

Generally speaking, I love the bitter taste of gin in my cocktails. And, speaking of gin, Hendrick’s Gin (30€) is THE gin you want to drink: taste it on the rocks or make it tonic, you’ll love it in any case! What we love the most? With no doubt, the dark brown apothecary style bottle! This handcrafted historical gin from Scotland has been infused with cucumber and rose petals. Very aromatic with a smooth sweet flavor and very long length. My advice: try it over ice with thin slices of cucumber! Or test the Hendrick’s gin martini amuse-bouche!  Oh, by the way, the Wall Street Journal named it the best gin in the world in 2003… Link Read the rest of this entry »

Karuizawa is Japan’s smallest whisky distillery, producing just 150,000 litres of spirit a year. It is situated to the west of the town of Karuizawa, which is a popular mountain resort for Tokyo highflyers. Karuizawa whisky is quite rare, due to the low production capacity and the distillery prides itself on its use of traditional whisky making methods.

Note for the connoisseurs, let’s be more precise: Karuizawa distillery actually imports Golden Promise barley from Scotland, which was historically the most common barley used there and matures their whisky mostly in sherry casks imported from Spain. Besides, the water used in production has flowed through or over the volcanic lava rock and soil that surround the distillery, giving it a unique quality! Unfortunately it appears that they stop the production in 2000 so the bottle are becoming very rare… Buy here for the 1981 Vintage model or just try the Karuizawa 12 years old. Read the rest of this entry »

A few weeks ago, I had these amazing B52 burning shooters at Le Pom Pom bar. It tasted really great (btw, I highly recommend this venue, hidden in the 10th district of Paris)! So, I had to figure out where that taste came from. In fact, the wormwood or “absinthe” gave all his originality to those shooters! Now that this alcohol is allowed in France, you can barely see a bottle of wormwood in any bar in the capital.

A brand called Pandor (see the pic above) manages to play his cards right within this new business… Two kind of bottles are available: the 40° version (white Pandor bottle) and the 60° one (black Pandor bottle) for the most daring of you guys! This Pandor wormwood is actually produced in the North of France and has now become an essential for barmen to create new types of cocktails! You can get yourself a bottle at La Grande Épicerie de Paris.