Instead of port, look for
Madeira:
Instead of Scotch, try an aged rum:
During the cooler months, I love to enjoy a
well-aged brown spirit (read scotch, bourbon,
rum, cognac) as a digestif after dinner.
Scotch is a malt or grain whisky, traditionally
made from barley, from Scotland. Its flavours
can range from sweet to earthy to spicy to
smoky and salty. Single-malt scotch is a nofail gift for any spirits aficionado on your list,
but aged rum can delight just as much. Rum
is distilled from molasses or sugar cane juice,
and, unfortunately, much of what we see on
store shelves today is of the mass-produced
variety that is best mixed with coke. However,
there are a few rums out there, some aged
10 or more years, that are as delicious as
they are complex. These rums are meant for
sipping and are sure to impress any whisky
lover on your list.
El Dorado Special Reserve 15 Year Old Rum
Guyana
$59.95
This rum was one of the very first aged spirits I remember
having – and it was an “ah ha” moment that changed how I
looked at rum and opened the door to a whole new world of
spirits. Deep amber in colour, this rum is rich with flavours of
toffee, vanilla, spice and toasty oak. Extremely smooth and
balanced, it is best enjoyed neat. If you love sticky toffee
pudding (I know I do!), this rum would be a home run match
paired with this classic dessert.
Port has always been a holiday
favourite. Whether it is red port
or tawny port, the style of wine
is synonymous with the festive
season. Port is (of course!)
made in Portugal in the Porto
region, and is a fortified wine
(usually 16-20% abv). Hailing
from the same country of origin
is the often-overlooked sibling
to port, Madeira. The islands of Madeira
from which the wine gets its name are l
ocated over 900km southeast of Lisbon in
the North Atlantic Ocean. Madeira, like
port, is a fortified wine, and during
production the wine is gently heated and
exposed to the air to give an oxidative
character to the finished wine (similar to
sherry or tawny port). The styles can range
from dry to sweet, and because of the way
in which the wines are made, they age
remarkably well and also have a considerable shelf-life after opening.
Justino’s 10 Years Old Malvasia Madeira
Madeira, Portugal
$42.95
Justino’s was established in 1870 and is among one of the
oldest producers on Madeira. This style of fortified wine is
similar in character to a tawny port. Made from the grape
Malvasia, it is medium sweet with notes of burnt sugar, nuts
and vanilla. This would be perfect paired with a traditional
Christmas pudding.
On a said note, this is Allison’s last column for
EIEO. I hope you have enjoyed her work as
much as we loved publishing it. Let’s wish her
much luck in all future projects and, cheers!
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