If brandy is your candy, the rich, complex and sophisticated flavours of Martell XO Cognac ($200) might remind you of vanilla halvah or a perfect millefeuille. Martell's extra-old luxe brand, Création Grand Extra ($495), is marked by the powerful aromas of dried fruits, roasted nuts and fresh spices. At $100 per one-ounce glass, a gold-topped decanter of L'Or de Martell ($2,500) will look great on the mantel of your new condo in Dubai!
Whisky aficionados can choose from among several new ultra-high-end products from both sides of the Atlantic. Johnnie Walker unveiled a Blue Label King George V ($695) last October. Blended from special reserve stocks, it represents the finest whisky style of the monarch's era. It has a rich, smoky aroma, a taste of toasted cereal with caramel cream, and a subtle aftertaste that seems endless. J.P. Wiser's Red Letter Whisky ($150) was created to commemorate the Canadian company's 150th anniversary. A superpremium blend, it was aged for up to 18 years in standard, charred whisky barrels, then spent the last 150 days in virgin oak. The result? A rich, spicy, strong and raw style of sipping whisky not tasted since the turn of a long-forgotten century. But Wiser's Very Old ($40) whispers the flavours of oak and grain with such grace, I think I prefer it.
Not to be outdone, Cuban rum makers have introduced Havana Club Maximo Extra Añejo ($2,000/500 mL), an aged rum with a taste that rivals the finest spirits anywhere. Blended from the oldest reserves, it's more complex and smoother than any rum I've ever tasted, with hints of caramel apples, molasses, coconut, dried fruit and much more. Readily available flagship brand Havana Club 7 Year Old ($30) is as smooth as a Latin lover. There's none of the fire and rage of younger rums. And if there's a cigar to be lit, this is the ideal partner. (*Prices are for 750 mL bottles, except where listed.)
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