OMG! What to buy someone last minute? Well, drink is always the solution and we don’t mean go to the pub and forget about it. Here are some liquid assets to save the big day.
Berry Bros. & Rudd has Christmas all wrapped up
Berry Bros. & Rudd has its most extensive range of gifts and wines for the season yet with gifts ranging from just £35 to £1,000.
A highlight of this year’s range is the new Wine Discovery Hamper containing Berry Bros. & Rudd’s new book, Exploring & Tasting Wine: A wine course with digressions, as well as eight of the wines discussed on the course.
The selection has a range of the merchant’s own-labels, from their 2013 Chablis to their 2010 Barolo and all bottles representing reliable examples of their type. Alongside the quintet of Berry Bros. & Rudd’s own wines, the merchant’s expert buying team (including eight Masters of Wine) has selected Alain Chatoux’s Beaujolais, Telmo RodrÃÂguez’s Al Muvedre, and Novaia’s rich Amarone della Valpolicella Classico.
Alongside is a selection of gifts to please the foodies or oenophiles alike, from a selection of traditional hampers to a magnum or jeroboam of something special.
With wines from just £7.95 and gifts from £35, the Berry Bros. & Rudd Christmas offering means No.3 St James’s Street need be your only point of call for Christmas shopping this year.
Balblair Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Vintage 1999
The perfect dram to warm up from winter walks, Balblair Vintage 1999 (£65) displays aromas of honey and green apples, notes of spice, citrus fruits and vanilla and is also the perfect accompaniment to a delicious chunk of Christmas cake.
With each Vintage presented in a luxury front opening box, Balblair Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is the perfect gift this Christmas with its signature citrus and vanilla notes of Balblair and its long, smooth finish.
Balblair whiskies are the only Single Malt Scotch to be exclusively released in Vintages rather than ages and only released when they have reached the peak of perfection.
Stockist: shop.balblair.com
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel is a unique gift this Christmas
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel is offering shoppers the perfect gift for that special someone with a personalised bottle of whiskey engraved with a name, a unique message, or simply’Happy Holidays’.
With a richer, robust flavour to its famous brother Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel has notes of toasted oak, vanilla and caramel. Each barrel offers individual nuances of colour and taste and is perfectly served straight, on the rocks, or with a dash of bitters and a twist of orange.
With no two barrels of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel the same, it presents the perfect chance to offer someone a whiskey that’s unique this Christmas.
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel can be engraved both on the side and on the front of the bottle at no extra cost and bought at The Whisky Shop and The Jack Store, priced at £55.
Old Forester – so good it’s signed
In the 1800s, bourbon/whiskey was sold in bulk to rectifiers, wholesalers, brokers and retailers. Package stores/druggists bottled their own labels from bulk supplies. Unscrupulous rectifiers, jobbers and retailers would often tamper with the quality and integrity of the whisky in a barrel.
In 1870, George Garvin Brown, a young pharmaceuticals salesman in Louisville, Kentucky, saw the need for a consistently high-quality whisky that met medicinal standards and with his half brother started J.T.S. Brown and Bro. They sold Old Forester Bourbon Whisky exclusively in sealed glass bottles to assure its quality with George’s handwritten guarantee on every bottle.
Since its introduction in 1870, it has been on the market continuously, even during Prohibition. It is the only bourbon continuously distilled and marketed by the founding family before, during and after Prohibition.
Buy at www.whiskyshop.com
Pays d’Oc IGP – Collection 2015
Domaine de Brau – Pure – Cabernet Franc – Red – 2013
£9.99, Vintage Roots
Cabernet Franc is a versatile grape that can accompany both red meats and white – even oily fish, if lightly chilled – so you may want to consider adding Domaine de Brau’s Pure 2013 or Domaine Gayda’s Figure Libre 2013 to your shopping list. Both cuvées are made from this intensely scented grape, and should delight friends and family alike with their heady aromas and elegant structure.
Domaine de l’Engarran – La Lionne – Sauvignon Blanc – White – 2014
£9.99, The Imperial Wine Company
Domaine de l’Engarran’s La Lionne 2014, an impressive 100% Sauvignon Blanc, is the ideal apéritif wine; its zesty acidity and vivid flavours whet the appetite in readiness for the meal to come. The light, citrus-scented Domaine de Tholomies’s 2014 Chardonnay-Viognier blend is, perhaps, best suited to being paired with smoked salmon or fresh oysters. Serve either wine at your New Year’s celebrations: their lightness of touch and brightness of flavour would be welcome at any gathering, whether large or small.
Sip Shorn for a sophisticated Kiwi edge
For a wine with a difference there’s Shorn – the new, quirky taste of New Zealand.
Hailing from the world-renowned and popular Marlborough region of New Zealand, Shorn offers the ideal way to experiment with wine and is available in two varieties – a crisp Sauvignon Blanc and a fruity Pinot Noir.
The bottle brings Shorn to life with a quirky illustration and is now available in Morrisons, in a Limited Black Edition with a black version of the iconic sheep.
The white tops classic green gooseberry and passion fruit aromas with a crisp, refreshing finish, the red’s fresh raspberry and red cherry flavours are enhanced by a touch of sweet spice and a well-rounded finish.
Not so fussed about cellars and chateaux Shorn is a go-to choice for a good bottle of New Zealand wine.
Shorn Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are available at £8.99/10.99 in various retailers and the new Shorn Limited Black Edition Sauvignon Blanc is available to purchase in Morrisons at £7.00. For more information, follow Shornwines
Go wild and gift The Botanist this Christmas
The Botanist is the first and only Islay dry gin and is handcrafted and distilled on the Scottish island of Islay, The Botanist is a truly unique gin and a representation of the region’s progressive heritage. Nine classic gin botanicals are augmented by 22 local herbs and flowers, all foraged responsibly and by hand from the hills, shores and bogs of the Hebridean Island by botanical scientists.
Taking the intricate craft of distillation to new heights, The Botanist has a rich, mellow taste and a citrus freshness to stimulate the taste buds. From apple mint, coriander and orange and lemon peel, to honey, coconut and wild mint, the spirit is a delectable expression of the heart and soul of its home, Islay.
With flavour exploration at its heart, The Botanist has no signature garnish to encourage the exploration of seasonal serves at home. So, treat your family and friends to a seductive botanical gin experience and discover a new tipple.
Now available in 200ml versions of the iconic bottle, which features the names of all the botanicals etched into the glass, The Botanist is the perfect stocking filler for the festive season.