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Tag: Christmas gifts

Christmas Luxury Gift Guide

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, News and tagged , , , , , , ,

December is well underway so its time to turn our attention to present shopping. But, what do you buy for the person who has everything? Well, we’ve put together a list of our favourite, luxury drinks that will go down a storm this Christmas. Not only do they taste fantastic, some of the packaging is exquisite and will grace any sideboard with aplomb.

The three, classic French brandies of cognac, armagnac and calvados really come into their own at this time of year as their typical flavours of roasted nuts, spices and dried fruits complement the Christmas fayre brilliantly.

We have selected 5 of our favourites to feature here but go and explore our website, there are so many Christmas Luxury Gifts from which to choose.

Christmas Luxury Gift Guide

Hermitage 50 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac

Winner of The IWSC Cognac Trophy 2021, this masterpiece is still in cask. The Judges described it as “Like opening an old leather-bound book or antique oak armoire. Figgy pudding and rich dark chocolate; wonderful rich spices and the bitterness of orange zest come through on the palate. Spicy but gentle and supremely dry.” RRP £531.60

Christmas Luxury Gift Guide

Toutain Reserve Odile 60 Year Old Calvados

This exclusive bottling pays tribute to Odile Toutain who, 60 years ago, took over Domaine de la Couterie. Distilled in 1959, it was carefully aged for 60 years in the family cellars before a limited edition of only 234 bottles was released. Presented in a beautiful carafe, sealed in a wooden housing, this is a truly rare gift. RRP £1164.60

Christmas Luxury Gift Guide

Darbeau 1943 Bas Armagnac

Steeped in history, this 1943 Bas Armagnac was distilled during the height of World War II when many wonderful brandies were requisitioned by the occupying forces. Few survived but this wonderful example of a top cru armagnac s one of the few that remain. Distilled 70 years ago, it epitomises history in a bottle. RRP £1908.00

Christmas Luxury Gift Guide

Hermitage 1923 Grande Champagne Cognac

Imagine life a century ago, that is when this stunning cognac was made. Tasting cognac from that era is a extra special treat, especially when, according to Olly Smith, Wine & Spirits Expert, it “has a gorgeous flavour, somewhere between a sultana and a sun-dried apricot with the spirit framing the layers with impeccable integration.” RRP £2086.40

Christmas Luxury Gift Guide

Hermitage Cognac Marie Louise Crystal Decanter

The icing on our Luxury Christmas Gift Guide cake! A masterpiece of smoothness, aged for 70 years in oak barrels, it is described by Victoria Moore of the Saturday Telegraph as “Likely to be one of the finest cognacs you have tasted.” This litre of amazing cognac is all wrapped up in a completely hand-blown and hand-cut, full-lead luxury English crystal decanter. What more could you ask for? RRP £2220.00

Christmas Gifts for Under £200

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For those who would like to spend just a little bit more, here are our suggestions for 5 Christmas Gifts that can be purchased for under £200.  Enjoy the read!

Under £200Hermitage Provenance 25 Grande Champagne Cognac £126.72  Cognacs from the Grande Champagne age very slowly producing flavours such as roasted nuts, rich fruits and citrus. This cognac’s wonderfully complex flavours are a result of having been kept in oak barrels, in damp cellars, for over 25 years.

Dupont 20 Year Old Pays d’Age Calvados £147.24  This wonderful calvados is made from 80% bittersweet apples and 20% acidic apples and has been aged for over 20 years in a wooden vat and toasted oak barrels.  Well balanced with long and intense flavours of fruit and toasted hazelnuts.

Hermitage 30 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac  £163.86  Thirty years of oak ageing ensures this cognac has far more intense flavour and complexity than the big commercial blends.  It has a rich nutty, spice and coffee flavour with mature pineapple background.

Chateau du Breuil 20 Year Old Pays d’Age Calvados  £164.94  A taste of sweet baked apples with an overindulgent richness. There are 5 apple varieties with only 20% being picked from the tree, the remainder are fallen apples with higher sugar content.

Castarede 1972 Bas Armagnac  £164.94  All of Castarède’s armagnacs come from the top cru, Bas Armagnac, which produces light, fruity, delicate and highly reputed eaux de vie, from which the armagnacs are distilled.  Elegant and refined with flavours of dried fruits, bread pudding, toffee and sweet spices.

Christmas Gifts For Under £100

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In our second gift guide, designed to make choosing those precious Christmas gifts just a little bit easier, we have selected 5 of our favourites, all of which are priced at under £100:

Under £100Montanaro Grappa Barolo Cannubi    £72.30  A unique grappa distilled from the grape marcs of Nebbiolo da Barolo from the famous Cannubi cru. One of Montanaro’s finest it has an unmistakable intensity on the nose and cleanliness and elegance in the mouth; soft, velvety, sweet and delicate flavours with notes of dried fruit and jam. Aged in Slavonian oak barrels for 4-5 years, it has a golden yellow colour typical of wood-aged distillates.

Hermitage 2010 Grande Champagne Cognac   £76.14   Another wonderful vintage from the Chez Richon stills, this cognac is still in cask and maturing all the time. Traditional flavours of mocha and toffee are accompanied by butterscotch and sweet spices to delight your palate. As our award-winning 2005 vintage has run out, we are pleased to have found this 2010 as a worthy replacement.

Toutain Hors d’Age 15 Year Old Calvados   £77.22    There are 35 apple varieties allowable for the production of calvados and Toutain grow all their own in their orchards near Beuzeville, Normandy. This Hors d’Age calvados has been aged in oak for 15 years to produce a complex and fine calvados suitable for drinking during or after a meal.

Mosgaard Organic Single Malt Palo Cortado Cask Whisky   £84.12  Finished in casks built from American white oak, which had been medium toasted, and put into stock with Palo Cortado sherry for 1.5 years.  (Palo Cortado is a sherry with the nose of Amontillado and the body from Oloroso).  It has been bottled at a strength of 53% which balances the spicy malt and green citrus notes.

Delord 1992 Bas Armagnac   £88.26   An armagnac with character from Delord. It was distilled in 1992 and aged in wooden barrels until its recent bottling. It is contact with the wood that has helped give its beautiful colour of old gold with copper highlights.  

Christmas Gifts For Under £50

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We have a wealth of Christmas present ideas to suit all budgets but to make choosing a little easier, we have selected 5 of our favourites, all of which are priced at under £50:

Under £50Montanaro Vermouth Extra Dry Di Torino    £33.48    Straw-yellow coloured, with light amber shadows, due to the addition of 5% of fine Marsala to the main white wine. A bitter orange taste on the palate, followed by the Gentian and lemon peel. Perfect for a Martini Cocktail, or neat, on the rocks. The low sugar content of 25 grams/litre explains why it is really ‘Extra Dry’.

Mosgaard Organic Tangerine Gin    £39    Sweet and floral organic tangerine gin made from fresh tangerines. A perfect gin for cocktails adding a little acidity and apple-like sharpness or with tonic over plenty of ice. The citrus package gives it a more aromatic expression and is balanced with lime.

Domaine de Cassagnoles 5 Year Old Tenareze Armagnac   £41.28    From the second cru of Armagnac the small house of Cassagnoles has been making armagnacs for many years. This 5 year old has the traditional plummy style but with more of a greengage flavour and a clean finish.

Chateau de Bordeneuve La Grande Josiane, Orange Armagnac Liqueur   £42.84    Developed from an old family recipe, La Grande Josiane is the result of a subtle alliance between the fullness and strength of Bas Armagnac and the softness and perfume of bitter oranges, meticulously selected for their maturity. Can be served as an aperitif over ice, mixed with sparkling wine, as a digestif or in cooking on crèpes flambées and fruit salads.

Château de Beaulon 2000 Pineau des Charentes – White   £49.68    Another vintage Pineau des Charentes by Chateau de Beaulon. We understand that it was aged in casks previously used for ageing the famous white Sauterne, Chateau d’Yquem and the result is a wonderfully delicious, rich Pineau; a masterpiece of great authority of this rare drink.

Christmas Stock and Delivery Times

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ChristmasThis year we have expanded our online offering to include more spirits and liqueurs than ever before.  So, in addition to our award-winning cognacs, armagnacs and calvados, we now have organic whiskies and gins, liqueurs and grappas, eaux de vie and vermouths.  Do take a look at our website, we really do have Christmas gifts for everyone!

For Christmas deliveries to addresses in the UK please ensure your orders are with us by

12 noon on Wednesday 22nd December 2021

Generally, UK orders placed before 12 noon will be delivered the following working day but please be aware that although we are able to process orders within 1 working day, Parcelforce are not always able to meet their normal delivery times at present.   Our deliveries to America are also taking longer than usual due to a shortage of flights so all orders to the rest of the world should be placed as soon as possible please.