The spirits industry goes all out during the holidays, pushing both new products as well as the same old product in brand new bottles. Anyone who loves “brown goods” like Scotch, rum, Cognac and rye would love to find these under the tree this year.
MERLET XO COGNAC ($120). Since 1850 This family-run operation in the heart of the Cognac region has produced this blend from eaux-de-vie from different “crus” at least ten years old. The wine is partially distilled on lees, a difficult and risky process that gives more body to the Cognac and more aging. The base wine is about 10% , and the eau-de-vie is about 70%. It has a round, warm character, with a touch of woodiness and velvety texture over the palate. cuts.
CLYDE MAY 9-Year-Old Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey ($64). Aged in former bourbon barrels, this Canadian spirit comes out at cask strength, 56.5%, from a mash bill of 91% rye and 9% barley. Another innovation is to steep American oak, cherry wood and French oak chips into the whiskey for four more months to give even more nuance to a rich, distinctly caramel flavor with notes of toasted nuts.
Though the game show doesn’t have the level of danger included in the original “Squid Game” —a fictional Korean series in which participants are often seriously maimed or killed—two former contestants of “The Challenge” have threatened to sue Netflix over hypothermia and nerve damage they reportedly suffered while playing “Red Light, Green Light.”
