Whether you’re looking or a special bottle for a birthday gift or just want to celebrate with family and friends, there are moments in life that call for fine spirits. From tequila to cognac here is our favorite five luxe liquor choices.
1. Camus Cognac
The Camus family has been crafting award winning CAMUS cognacs in the Cognac region of France for five generations now. The 150 plus year old company is now the world’s biggest independent cognac producer and is known for being the only producer to offer 100% Borderies cognacs in a VSOP and XO. We love the Camus Borderies VSOP, which is smooth sipping with a magical fruity finish. It features elegant floral notes, hints of creamy milk chocolate, orange zest and spice along with a mineral style.
2. Laphroaig Scotch
For Scotch lovers, look no further than Laphroaig, which creates an award-winning single malt. Each of their whiskies is made in accordance with their 200-year-old production tradition and matured in various types of wooden casks that create distinct flavors. The Laphroaig Select makes a great gift for aspiring Scotch drinkers, as it offers an approachable introduction to the beverage in a blend that is complex, deep and easy to sip. For a more special occasion Laphroaig Lore makes a perfect gift. It has a rich flavor with distinctive notes of peat, smoke and seaside minerals.
3. Clase Azul Reposado
Clase Azul Spirits makes a number of styles of tequila and mescal, and any of their bottles make awesome gifts. Each is hand-painted work of art crafted in the small Mexican village of Santa Maria Canchesda, so no two are exactly alike, and after consuming the liquid inside, many people keep the bottles for decorative purposes or turn them into vases, lamps or candleholders. When it comes to tequila, we love the Clase Azul Reposado, which is made from 100% organic Tequilana Weber blue agave and cooked in old-fashioned brick ovens for 72 hours after harvest. Once cooked, the agave’s pinas are crushed for its juice, a special brand of yeast is added and then the liquid is left to ferment. Following fermentation, the tequila is distilled twice to ensure its high-end quality and then aged for 8 months in oak barrels. The outcome is an awesome, smooth sipping tequila that is both silky and rich on the tongue.
4. Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
Grand Marnier is a well known label, famed for its fusion of cognac and bitter Caribbean oranges. For a gift, we love the company’s signature expression, Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge, which was created in a small town outside of Paris in 1880. That’s when Alexander Marnier finally stumbled upon the perfect balance of flavor after working on his recipe for a decade. Today the recipe, and distinct taste, remains the same.
5. Rabbit Hole Distilling
A new distillery out of Louisville, Kentucky, Rabbit Hole, focuses on high end 100% Kentucky made bourbon and rye whiskeys. The creation of a psychoanalyst turned whiskey aficiando, Kaveh Zamanian, each batch is produced with a carefully selected mix of grains. Rabbit Hole also makes sure to ferment the mash at the ideal temperature to preserve the armomas and flavors they’re aiming to bottle. The company currently produces a rye whiskey, two bourbons, including one finished in sherry cases and a London Dry gin.
