20080730

Unlocking the secrets of bourbon

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From Chemistry World:

Researchers based in Germany have picked out the molecules responsible for the aroma of Kentucky bourbon, in order to understand -- and perhaps control -- the spirit's flavor.

Such is the diversity of whiskey ... that even after 40 years of research, its flavor chemistry is still not fully understood. Over 350 volatile compounds have already been discovered in whiskey. But, as with other food and drink, only a fraction of these molecules can actually be smelt by the human nose, so contributing to the spirit's aroma; the others have no interaction with human olfactory receptors, says Peter Schieberle of the Technical University in Munich. ...

Schieberle's group have now isolated those aroma components in an American bourbon which are key to its flavor. ... Schieberle says that now his team has identified bourbon's aroma blueprint, they are following all 45 compounds through the whiskey making process.

• Go here for the whole story.

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A malt whiskey for Kentucky

Kentucky is known for its bourbon, but a new product called Lyons Reserve may broaden that description just a touch.

Alltech, which owns the Lexington Brewing Co., is planning on making a malt whiskey named for Pearse Lyons (shown here), the company's founder.

Lyons himself announced the project in a speech at the Kentucky Chamber's Economic Summit and Annual Meeting in Louisville Monday. He said production is expected to begin in about six weeks and yield the first whiskey in time for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park in 2010.

Alltech is a biotechnology company in Nicholasville, KY, that is paying $10 million to be the Games' title sponsor.

Lyons said it also is developing a bourbon drink similar to Irish coffee. It has not yet been named. He said the bourbon ingredient in the drink will be purchased from other Kentucky distillers.

The company has been reported as claiming that when Alltech receives final federal approval, probably this week, for the Lexington distillery, it will result in creation of the only distillery-brewery combination in the country. Alltech produces Kentucky Ale and other beverages at the Lexington brewery. However, as Frank Coleman of the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) points out, Fritz Maytag's Anchor Distilling is in the same San Francisco building that houses his Anchor Brewing.

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Be'er No. 1! Be'er No. 1!

According to a new Gallup poll, beer's lead over wine and spirits has returned to double-digits for the first time since 2002, particularly among adults between the ages of 30 and 49 who tried wine for a few years then shifted back to beer, according to a new Gallup Poll.

The firm's annual "Consumption Habits" poll shows that in combined data from its 2004 and 2005 surveys, drinkers aged 30 to 49 were about as likely to prefer wine as beer. Now, drinkers in this age bracket have shifted back to beer, with an average of 47% in the combined 2007-2008 data saying they most often drink beer.

Drinking preferences among adults ages 21-29 have remained stable in recent years, with the majority showing a wide preference for beer.

Beer continues to represent the largest segment in the alcohol beverage category in volume and dollar sales, accounting for 56% of all alcohol beverage servings.

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20080728

Winery may produce first true American tequila

Those who follow the adult beverage industry know the occasional battle erupts over the use of such terms as "champagne," "Scotch whisky" and "vodka." The next tussle shaping up could well be over the use of the term "tequila."

Presently, only spirits distilled from pure or high-percentage blue agave plants in the Mexican state of Jalisco and several adjacent spots can be called tequila. That's the Mexican government's stance and it is adhered to worldwide.

Now, however, a Hollister, CA, entrepreneur who already has a successful winery, Leal Vineyards, and has been making tequila from imported agave is eyeing an American tequila. He has planted 10 acres of blue agave in the hills near Gilroy, an area known as the "Garlic Capital of the World."

Frank Leal (above) attracted notice last year when he won two gold medals and one silver at the Spirits of Mexico competition in San Diego for his Tequila 5150, which he aged in repurposed wine barrels. He won a medal each for his three styles of the 100% blue agave spirit: aƱejo, aged 13 months; reposado, aged seven months, and unaged blanco.

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20080727

Garden work rakes in the ideas

Hacking my way through the profusion of herbs in my small but productive garden, I reveled in the fragrances of the thyme, rosemary, tarragon, cinnamon basil and other plants I was forced to cut back before they took over the adjacent patio.

What a wonderful time of year, when the upside of a wet, hot summer that plagued us in so many other outdoor pursuits is seen in such garden abundance.

Not only does it fill some inner, primal urge to grow things in rich earth, it provides inspiration for additional creativity in preparing summer food and drink.

Creating herb blends to perfume the smoke of the barbecue grill. Brightening the routine tossed salads in need of some new tastes. Finding just the right chopped leaves to blend into artisanal chevre cheeses from the local farm stands. All these are summertime givens for me, but don't forget what can be done with a deft touch to your cocktails and vodka infusions.

Not that there is any shortage of flavored vodkas on the market. Infusions are arguably the biggest thing in the world of alcoholic beverages these days. The major money is found in handling infusions at the mass-production level in factories or distilleries, not at the local bar no matter how much of a signature gimmick is created. Virtually every commercial brand of vodka, for example, offers versions infused with various fruit flavorings. Likewise with some gins, rums and even whiskies.

It is just that I prefer my own infusions, free of chemicals and trickery. Buying such concoctions may be fine for ease of use but, just as a home cooked meal can be more enjoyable than a takeout spread, doing your own infusing is a lot more fun. It certainly can lead to a more enjoyable cocktail party conversation than simply opening a bottle.

Infusions have been around for nearly as long as alcohol has been part of the human experience. Liqueurs concocted on farms, in monasteries and in laboratories give testament to the boundless imagination of amateur and professional chemists. Mead makers of the Middle Ages infused their honey liquor with herbs and spices. And, the strength of alcohol was long believed to counteract the toxic parts of certain substances favored as medicines throughout the centuries.

Alcohol can be infused with botanicals, marinated with macerated fruits, or stirred together with other potions. It can be dotted with flecks of pure gold, cloves, grains of pepper, sprinklings of cinnamon. The mixtures can be festive, imaginative, wonderful introductions to grown-up spirits. They can be used as dessert toppings, as baking ingredients or -- as many tavern owners and restaurants know -- excellent appetite-boosters and after-meal relaxers.

They can be flavored with nuts, fruits, exotic plant extracts. They can be orange, blue, black, white, red, pink, yellow, green or any other color.

If you're interested in doing some of your own infusing, the best strategy is to begin with the simplest recipes.

Get a trio of small (half-pint or so) sealable jars and run them through the dishwasher to sterilize them. Pour each about two-thirds full of a decent grade of vodka and begin the infusing process.

Use small amounts of liquid to get a better handle on the proportions of infusing material that suit your taste.

Like a particular chili pepper, such as those hot little Asian numbers? Bruise one ever-so-slightly to allow some of the oil to seep out and let it steep in a sealed jar of vodka for about 10 days. Shake it occasionally during that time, but don't unseal the jar.

Want to try a citrus style? Juices of lemons, oranges and limes are the most acidic and share their essence very well. Feel free to mix them if you're a "limon" sort of person.

If you want to try a complicated cocktail in a bottle, raise the number of ingredients to four or five, such as I do when I create my Summer Salad Vodka which I've shared with readers before. If you missed it, here it is again:

Begin with cubes of peeled, seeded fresh cucumber, add a quarter teaspoon of dried dill or a sprig of fresh thyme, a grind of fresh cracked black pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to create a refreshing infusion reminiscent of a summer salad. (For an extra kick, add two drops of Tabasco hot sauce or Tabasco green pepper sauce when you serve the drink.)

If your tastes run toward the sweeter side of the scale, your vodka can be infused with virtually any fruit. Simply bruise the fruit so its sugars and acids will leach out during the incubation period. You can speed the process by pouring the liquor over fresh-cut strawberries, kiwis, mixed fruit salad or melons.

Remember to run your infused liquors through a small-screen sieve before serving. Many a nice drink has been spoiled by the residue left from stems, seeds, leaves and skins.

One last tip: The infusing materials don't always have to be tossed away. Think of how nice some of those pieces of fruit will taste after sitting in a vodka or gin bath for a few weeks.

As additional inspiration, I share some hints from Giuliano Morandin, manager of the bar at the Dorchester hotel in London, a barman for more than 25 years and a top 10 martini maker as chosen by Tanqueray No. Ten gin. In an interview with the Financial Times of London, he said:

"Use fresh mint, use rosemary, use anything! Thyme, for example, is wonderful with most things. Quickly mash, let the oil come through. Or you can put it with crushed ice and that acts like an abrasive -- rub it in, then when you take it out, the ice smells of the herb. Add bourbon, rye, rum, whatever sweetener you have -- a bit of apricot liquor, some maraschino -- just two drops will do. Keep it simple. See what happens. Let it work its magic. Be gentle with it."

If all this doesn't inspire you to experiment and enjoy, there is no hope for civilization as we know it.

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GQ anoints America's 20 'best' cocktails

While I admire its aspiration to be the lead dog in the pack of magazines telling men how to dress, eat, drink and behave, I have difficulty with GQ because it insists we all should be untucked, unshaven, uncombed and generally unimpressive looking in a world in which women are expected to be sleek, stylish and perfectly coiffed.

GQ's idea of what a man should look like is precisely what we all laughed at when we were in our 20s.

That aside, any magazine that goes to the trouble of coming up with an illustrated guide to the 20 "best" cocktails currently being served in America has to be given its props.

Lest you think all such drinks are pricey, one that particularly caught my eye was The Margaveza (seen here) from a Brooklyn, NY, spot called Daddy’s. It's described as "a rock ’n’ roll bar tucked into an obscure block of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that’s staffed and patronized by obscure Brooklyn musicians."

The Margaveza was invented by Eric Copeland, of the band Black Dice when he was a bartender there. Says GQ's Will Welch, "It’s wildly simple: a 12-ounce bottle of Sol poured into a pint glass, topped with four ounces of frozen margarita, and garnished with a lime. All for five bucks. Why didn’t anyone think of this before?"

You can go to GQ's Men's Style.com site for the full particulars on the list, and some good pix to go with them.

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Illinois killjoys strike again

I saw this Q&A exchange on the Chicago Tribune's Web site and felt it deserved sharing. It started with a reader's letter to food and wine columnist Bill Daley in the wake of Illinois' latest crackdown on consumer rights. Here's a snippet of it, although you can read the full exchange here:

Q: As a wine consumer and former distributor employee, I am sadly aware of the new law effective June 1 preventing me from ordering wine from out-of-state retailers. (Do the legislators really think that a 16-year-old kid looking for a Saturday night pop is going to order Silver Oak from a California wine shop? We all know that the bill "protects" just one class: wine distributors.)

What I have been unable to establish is just what the penalties are for violating this law. Assuming that I could persuade an out-of-state retailer to ship to me — as I am thinking of becoming a test case if no one else will — who is fined/arrested/whatever: the retailer, me the consumer, or both of us? And what are the specific penalties?

— MaryAnne Spinner, Chicago

A: Far be it from me to tell you to break the law by driving into Wisconsin, Indiana or Michigan some weekend and loading up your cooler-packed trunk with wine you can't find here. Nor would I dream of suggesting you send a check to a friend or family member in a more lenient nearby state and asking them to order your desired wine from an online but out-of-Illinois retailer.

But just imagine all the catching up you can do with loved ones while sipping your verboten booty.

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20080726

Pennsylvania gets first vodka distillery

It seems only fitting that a building that once housed a glassmaking operation now houses something to put into glasses -- vodka.

Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries LLC, located inside the former Glenshaw Glass building in Shaler, PA, northeast of Pittsburgh, founded the business in 2004 but just now are nearing their first shipments to stores.

Partners Prentiss Orr, 53, and Barry Young, 39, novices in the industry, have named their product Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka. It will be sold in 150 state stores (for non-Pennsylvanians, those are the state-owned stores permitted to sell spirits) and an estimated 75 bars and restaurants, at least in the first phase.

The partners last year received a $200,000 "Small Business First" agricultural grant from the state government to buy equipment for distilling, bottling and packaging its vodka. In 2005, Orr obtained a $165,000 state grant to explore the business possibilities.

Orr, a marketing consultant and principal of the advertising firm Outlook Advertising, is a former vice president of the Greater Pittsburgh Area Chamber of Commerce. Young is the former CEO of three pharmaceutical-related nonprofit divisions at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Michele Meloy Burchfield, a beverage industry sales consultant, is an investor.

Boyd & Blair, which is made from Pennsylvania-grown potatoes, will retail for $27.95 for a 750ml bottle.

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20080722

Introducing the Urban Bourbon Trail

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LOUISVILLE, KY -- The American Whiskey Trail, which was created by the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) several years ago, covers a meandering path connecting places in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.

However, more localized trails now are popping up. The Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau has just launched what it calls the "Urban Bourbon Trail." And it, in turn, was created to complement the Kentucky Bourbon Trail recently designated by the Kentucky Distiller’s Association and Kentucky Department of Tourism.

The American Whiskey Trail covers a range of distilleries, historic hostelries, museums and other tourist sites. The Urban Bourbon Trail directs visitors to eight Louisville establishments that feature Kentucky whiskey, most of them in the city's vibrant 4th Street Live! district. Five are in hotels.

The Urban Bourbon Trail has a free passport program you can pick up at the city visitors center, 4th Street and Jefferson (502/379-6109). You can tour the entire Trail over any period of time you want, get the passport stamped when you visit each location and purchase a drink or food there, then redeem the completed passport at the visitors center for a T-shirt and a chance at a premium giveaway.

The Trail spots:

• Seelbach Hotel: This is a gorgeous, meticulously restored example of the golden age of grand hotels. Check my story "The grande dames of Southern hospitality" for a closer look at the historic spot.

• Jockey Silks Bourbon Bar & Lounge: A logical name for a city that hosts the Kentucky Derby. It's an old-fashioned style place, located in the Galt House Hotel & Suites and offering 165 varieties of bourbon.

• Proof on Main: This establishment is, in a sense, 5-in-1. It's part of the fascinating 21c Museum, a combination hotel, restaurant, lounge and museum housed in five historic buildings. Go here for my story and photos.

• Maker’s Mark Bourbon House & Lounge: You actually can get a lot more than Maker's Mark bourbon in this lively spot in the heart of the Fourth Street Live! entertainment neighborhood. Tends toward a younger crowd taking advantage of the looong bar for conversation.

• Blu: Located in the Downtown Marriott hotel, this contemporary spot offers dozens of bourbons, bourbon flights and bourbon-infused appetizers.

• The Brown: This landmark hotel built in the 1920s is a Louisville landmark with a glitzy lobby bar.

• Park Place on Main: A private line of Woodford Reserve bourbons is among the many offerings -- including very nice bourbon flights -- in the lounge, along with all sorts of bourbon-infused appetizers.

• Bourbons Bistro: The only stop on the Trail that is outside downtown, but that doesn't mean it's not worth traveling two miles to see Historic Frankfort Avenue. The spot offers 130 bourbons and in 2006 was named Whisky Magazine's “American Icon of Whiskey” among bars and restaurants.

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20080720

Time to top off your Sobieski supply

William M. Dowd photo

Belvedere SA, the French maker of bargain-brand Sobieski vodka, has been in financial trouble for the past 12 months. The price of its shares has dropped 70% and this week it received a six-month bankruptcy protection order from a French court.

Despite myriad procedural and financial woes, Olivier Balva, the company's head of investor relations, said in an interview with Bloomberg News that "Our only goal is to have more time to restructure the company.''

"There haven't been any payment defaults and the company has enough cash to run,'' he said. "We did this for reasons of prudence.''

You can get the background on Sobieski vodka here and read my tasting notes on the product here.

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20080716

Bushmills expansion planned

Diageo's Bushmills distillery in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, will get a 10th still as part of the parent company's $2.97 million investment in the facility.

Gordon Donoghue, supply director at Old Bushmills, said refurbishment of all nine existing stills in 2007 still was not sufficient to meet consumer demands.

"Diageo's own coppersmiths manufacture the stills in Scotland and each distillery has its own unique shape of potstill which will have a major impact on the taste of the final whiskey," Donoghue told a press conference.

Diageo is hoping to double its output to 1 million cases within the next five years.

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20080709

Distilleries popping up in Virginia

From the Newport News, VA, Daily Press:

Across the state, five small distilleries drip out vodka, bourbon, whiskey and a brand of liquor derived from a family moonshine recipe called Virginia Lightning. Four of them started stoking the stills in the past three years.

Another distillery is under construction south of Charlottesville, and more applications are pending with the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

It's all in the spirit of a nationwide trend.

(Go here for the full story.)

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A celebri-quote: The Queen Mum

• The late William "Backstairs Billy" Tallon was the favorite page of England's late Queen Mother, and served the royal family for 51 years. He died last November. His collection of royal memorabilia was auctioned off yesterday as part of the disposal of his estate. In it was a handwritten note to him from the Queen Mum with instructions for an alfresco lunch in the sunshine, an item which was bundled with other notes that brought $32,000.

Instruction No. 1: "'I think that I will take 2 small bottles of Dubonnet and gin with me this morning, in case it is needed. It is a beautiful day. Could we have lunch under the tree. One could have 14 at the table and four at a small table."

Instruction No. 2: "Make mine a stiff one." (The Queen Mum was known for her 9-to-1 proportioned cocktails.)

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Cocktail World Cup in the works

It may be winter in New Zealand, but things are beginning to heat up in Queenstown.

That's where preparations are under way for the annual 42 BELOW Cocktail World Cup competition that will bring 42 bartenders from 18 countries to joust with each other for the top honors in the event, scheduled for a week beginning September 10.

Of course, it's all for the greater glory of the 42 BELOW vodka product as well as the individuals, but there's really nothing wrong with that. The event has contenders performing for crowds on an ice bar, mixing their signature cocktails that got them invitations. And, they also will be required to make cocktails while bungy jumping, dangling out of a helicopter and shooting down the Shotover River in a jet boat.

The grand finale event, on September 16, will be open to the public and the proceedings will be broadcast live on the Internet.

For a look at the past frenetic competitions in video form, go here.

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20080708

Glenglassaugh a mix of old spirits, new ideas

New ownership means new directions for the Glenglassaugh Distillery Company Ltd.

The distillery, located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, was recently acquired by The Scaent Group, a Dutch investment house that is targeting a resumption of spirits production by the end of the year.

The company also has purchased stocks of existing rare Glenglassaugh malts, to be released as limited editions to the luxury market. No timeline has been announced for that program.

The distillery was established in 1875 by The Glenglassaugh Distillery Co. Ltd., then in the 1890s was sold to Highland Distillers, a subsidiary of The Edrington Group, which owned it until 2008. However, the facility has been closed since 1986. During its years of production, Glenglassaugh provided whisky for use in blends such as The Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark and Laing’s.

Under the new ownership, former Glenmorangie manager Graham Eunson has been hired as distillery manager and whisky expert Ian Buxton hired as marketing consultant. And, the company has joined the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), the leading industry trade organization.

The Scaent Group is a conglomerate doing business in a dozen countries. Its core business is conducted within the energy industry and includes electricity trading, generation and distribution, in combination with coal prospecting and trading. It also in recent times has become involved in real estate, information technology, utilities, public services and now distilling.

Managing Director Stuart Nickerson said, “At Glenglassaugh we believe that we have a unique opportunity to breathe life back into a hidden gem. The SWA is of vital importance to the whisky industry and we recognise the part they play in ensuring that brands like ours become part of Scotland’s future whisky heritage.”

SWA spokesman David Williamson said, “That Scotch Whisky is to be distilled again at Glenglassaugh is good news for the industry. We are delighted Stuart and his team are going to play their part at industry level and welcome them as the SWA’s 54th member company.”

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Supermarket Scotch tops the big boys

The International Wine and Spirit Competition is a well-regarded event, so any prizes won in it are legitimately something to celebrate.

Why? Here's what its officials say about the IWSC:

"The International Wine and Spirit Competition is the premier competition of its kind in the world. Its aim is to promote the quality and excellence of the world's best wines, spirits and liqueurs.

"All our wines, spirits and liqueurs are blind tasted in groups divided by variety, region and vintage as necessary. Awards are made on a points system and sponsored trophies are presented in selected categories. Technical analysis is carried out on Gold, Gold (Best in Class), Silver (Best in Class) award winning wines, spirits and liqueurs to ensure that all products are technically sound and will be of the same high quality when they reach the consumer as they were when our judging panels originally tasted them."


So, the UK's Tesco supermarket chain is crowing about its own label single malt whisky beating several branded whiskies in the blind tasting to take an international title -- the Anglo Overseas Trophy for best single malt whisky up to 15 years old.

Tesco's Highland Single Malt 12-Year-Old, which sells for £15.58 ($30 US) did better than such up-market names as Glenmorangie, Laphroaig and Glenkinchie. It was produced by Whyte & Mackay, which is owned by Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya.

"This award will come as a real shock to the centuries-old whisky industry which is not noted for its keen appreciation of supermarket varieties," said Simon Dunn, Tesco senior buyer. "To beat world renowned whiskies such as Laphroaig and Glenmorangie is some achievement and will hopefully help encourage all malt lovers to try it."

Sainsbury's, another supermarket chain, also won a gold medal for its own label 10-year-old Islay malt.

Tesco is not widely admired in the Scotch whisky industry. Back in 2000, it announced plans to re-import whisky that had already been exported from Scotland, claiming the industry was "ripping off customers" and saying it would be cheaper tyo buy the exported whisky and import it back to the UK. It said it was doing so in an effort to force distillers to offer better prices for the whiskies offered at Tesco's stores.

At that time, the whisky industry said Tesco's would accomplish more by lobbying the government to lower the duty on spirits.

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20080704

Diamonds are a bargain hunter's best friend

Diamonds, we are told, are a girl's best friend. If you can't afford diamonds for your girl, you still can be a romantic fool for a lot less but keep it in the gem family.

The Diamond Standard, a Polish grain vodka, has been introduced to the U.S. market, with numerous outlets in Massachusetts the first to stock it. Expansion into New York and New Jersey is next on the list.

What sets it apart from the gazillions of other vodkas available? It has a patented diamond filtering process it claims is the industry's first such.

"We utilize over 600 cut diamonds of up to one carat in size to purify our vodka," says the company Web site. " ... Our filtration system took over three years to perfect. Its yield is 750 carats of liquid elegance since each and every drop has been individually kissed by diamonds."

The Diamond Standard's other claim to individuality is its Swarovski Xillion Chaton crystal design embedded in the neck of the elegant, slim bottle design produced by Saver Glass from perfume bottle grade glass.

All of this goes into making the suggested retail price $100 a bottle. Pricey for vodka, but a lot cheaper than a big rock for that special lady's ring finger.

Of course, patent or not, this is not the first vodka to go through a jewel filtration process. Even The Diamond Standard is merely an update of something I reported on two years ago this summer when it was introduced to the European market. To wit:

"Although the company hasn't set a firm suggested retail price, its PR people are calling Diaka, a Polish-made spirit, the world's most expensive vodka because of its unique diamond filtration method.

"Diaka, an acronym for diamond vodka, is filtered using up to 100 diamonds of up to a carat in size to give it clarity and smoothness. It also has crystals in the bottle itself, although they're not diamonds."

In that earlier report, I referenced an even earlier report on "the introduction of Diva, a triple distilled wheat-based vodka filtered through Nordic birch charcoal then filtered again -- through such precious gems as diamonds, emerald and rubies, we are told. A glass tube in the bottle is filled with 48 crystals that can be used as a garnish. They include cubic zircona, smoky topaz, pink tourmaline, amethyst, citrine and peridot. Suggested retail price: $60 a bottle."

And, more recently, I added to my "Dowd's Tasting Notes" site a report on another gem: Baojing 168 Vodka.

This grain-based import from China differs from others of its ultra-premium ilk in that, say its distillers, it is created in a small-batch fashion and undergoes "unique filtration through 168 carats of diamonds."

I'm not sure if that is a whole bunch of little diamonds, or even diamond dust, or one gigantic fat rock. I do know the number 168 is regarded in Chinese custom as "being on the road to infinite prosperity."

That aside, how does it taste? Excellent. Clean, crisp, ever so slightly aromatic of vegetal notes. There's a hint of lemon about the middle notes, and a clean, slow finish. And, wonder of wonders, it retails for about $38 for the 750ml bottle.

So, shell out a few dollars for these bejeweled vodkas, create some cocktails and a romantic setting, and polish your reputation as a sophisticated man of taste. It'll give you time to save up for the real rocks.

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20080702

From forest to flask

The process of picking and processing the woods that add the aging nuances to the best whiskies is a painstaking one.

I had the opportunity to observe it, from the felling of white oak trees in a Missouri forest to seeing the finished barrels coming off the line in a Kentucky cooperage as part of an assignment for Whisky magazine, the UK publication that is the leading such magazine in the world.

You'll have to pick up a copy of the magazine to read the story, but I can share with you this pictorial timeline I shot that shows the process:

INTO THE FOREST PRIMEVAL


(1.) An overcast early spring day in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri near Mark Twain’s boyhood hometown of Hannibal. This view from Victors Point shows a double-bend in the Mississippi River and a still-bleak countryside.


(2.) Dr. Bill Lumsden, head of distilling and whisky creation for Glenmorangie, gestures to Bob Russell, left, head of Brown-Forman sawmill operations, during a meeting with representatives of the Missouri Conservation Dept. They were setting up a tree-felling session on a state-owned Ozarks tract that is one of Brown-Forman’s suppliers of white oak for barrel making.


(3.) Lumberjacks Jerry (left) and Eddie Hicks, brothers who have been logging in the Ozark Mountains for more than two decades, meet with Missouri Conservation Dept. Resource Forester Kristen Goodrich to review red-marked trees scheduled for felling in the Edward Anderson Conservation Area forest near Hannibal, Missouri.


(4.) Stripes of red paint designate which American white oak trees are to be cut down.


(5.) Logger Jerry Hicks goes to work cutting down one of the designated oak trees.


(6.) The Hicks brothers go to work dissecting the fresh-cut oak.


(7.) A rough end of the new-cut tree gets trimmed off to reveal the best portion of the heart.


(8.) This cross-section of the newly-felled oak shows good composition.

ON TO THE SAWMILL


(9.) Leroy Cardwell, left, owner of the Cardwell Lumber Inc. sawmills in Novelty, Missouri, and two other towns, discusses the latest shipment with Bob Russell and Bill Lumsden.


(10.) Graded oak logs are stored outside the Cardwell sawmill to await being sawn and shaped into staves for wine and spirits barrels.


(11.) A worker guides quarter-sawn logs into a shaping device.


(12.) Faint diagonal saw marks across the grain of the staves is the desired cut to prevent splitting under pressure.


(13.) Amish workers, with the straw hats and beards their religion dictates, make up a large part of the Caldwell sawmill work force.




(14a, 14b, 14c) Workers at this station, guided by a laser marker, fit odd-sized wood scraps together to create pressure-fitted tongue-in-groove squares. The rough squares then are cut into circular shapes for the tops and bottoms of the barrels.

AND THEN TO THE COOPERAGE


(15.) Workers known as “barrel raisers” assemble 32 staves into barrels.



(16a, 16b, 16c) As part of the process of a zero-waste manufacturing stream, some scrap wood is made into dowel pegs to hold together barrel headers.


(17.) Barrel headers are coated with beeswax, then run through a charring apparatus.



(18a, 18b) Finished charred headers are stacked up until the remainder of the barrels come off the assembly line.


(19.) Meanwhile, the barrels are “toasted.” Wood begins to ignite at 482°F, creating a controlled char of the inside of each barrel.


(20.) Once barrels are fully processed, they are put on conveyer belts and head for their final destinations.

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20080701

A celebri-quote: William Shatner

• Millions know William Shatner as Captain Kirk of "Star Trek," but millions are getting to know him as Denny Crane, the hard-drinking, bombastic lawyer on "Boston Legal." Each episode ends with Shatner (at left in photo) and co-star James Spader sharing whisky and cigars and trading philosophic observations. In a BBC interview with questions submitted by viewers, Shatner had these remarks.

Q: Womanizing, whisky drinking, and cigar smoking ... How much of William Shatner is Denny Crane?

A: All of William Shatner is there. Plus, there's much more untapped.

Q: Is that really malt whisky in the glasses at the end of every episode of "Boston Legal," and, if so, how many takes do those scenes usually take?

A: The malt whiskey isn't real, but the cigars are.

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Glenmorangie changing direction, literally

William M. Dowd photo

The Glenmorangie Co. has anounced a series of sweeping changes that will re-direct the Scotch whiskymaker's business.

According to the announcement, the company will:

• Upgrade two distilleries as part of a $90 million investment program.

• Sell off its Glen Moray Distillery in Elgin, the capital of the Speyside region, which basically makes blended Scotch, and concentrate on its two single malts, Glenmorangie and Ardbeg. That will remove Glenmorangie from the blended Scotch field.

• Move its company headquarters from Broxburn, West Lothian, to Edinburgh. The present headquarters will be sold, probably to drinks giant Diageo.

As part of the investment program, Glenmorangie said it will build a new bottling facility in the Lothians area to meet the increased demand for single malt in markets such as Asia, Europe and the U.S. Its distillery in Tain, Ross-shire, will be expanded with distilling capacity boosted and new whisky cask warehouses built. And, its Ardbeg Distillery on Islay will get an upgraded facility and visitor center, as well as new cask warehousing.

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