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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/685968
www.cheersonline.com 12 • June 2016 DRINK CULTURE China has been making baijiu for more than 5,000 years. Guotai is putting a westernized, modern spin on this ancient tradition, the company says, by offering a vast portfolio of baijiu that pairs well with Asian-fusion cuisine and can also be used as cocktail mixers. Guotai has two styles: Guotai Legend, priced at $45.99 per 750-ml. bottle and $49.99 per liter, and Guotai Premium Lite which is priced at $11.99 per 375-ml. and $18.99 per 750-ml. Alessio Vermouth Bianco, Vino Chinato are aperitif wines are based on 19th-century recipes. Alessio Vino Chinato is 16% ABV and made with Nebbiolo d'Alba grapes. It's available at a suggested retail price of $39.99 per 750-ml. or $27.99 per 750-ml. Alessio Vermouth Bianco (18% ABV, priced at $24.99 per 750-ml. or $18.99per 750-ml.) is a historic variation of Italian sweet vermouth, regarded as "Vino di Moda" (fashion wine). PRODUCTS Francescano Natura Assisi Cream Liqueurs are available in six cream fl avors: Sicilian Pistachio Cream, Melon Cream, Peach Cream, Lemon Cream, White Chocolate Cream and Chocolate with Rum Cream, as well as its signature Limoncello liqueur. Francescano cream liqueur relies on dairy cream from Trentino– Alto Adige to produce its silky texture, the company says. Francescano Natura Assisi Liqueurs have a suggested retail price of $23.99. They are shelf stable for 18 months (refrigerated or not) and made with neutral spirits. Lock Stock & Barrel Straight 16-Year-Old Rye whiskey is a 3,000-case, limited-release, 107-proof straight rye whiskey. It's double distilled from a mash bill of 100% rye grain in copper pot stills with a "robust cut" selected by master distillers, unfi ltered, then aged in cold weather for 16 years in newly charred American oak barrels. It is fl avorful yet balanced, the company says, with notes of roasted acorns, sour grass, wild cherries, stewed blackberry, dried pear and sassafras. The SRP is $149.99 per 750-ml. bottle. Just in time for summer, Champagne Armand de Brignac's winemaking duo, Jean-Jacques and Alexandre Cattier, will launch their fi fth prestige cuvée in the U.S.: Champagne Armand de Brignac Demi Sec. Comprised of 40% pinot noir, 20% pinot meunier and 40% chardonnay grapes, it was aged six years in the chalk cellars of Champagne, creating fi ne bubbles. Vintages from 2006, 2007 and 2008 went into this wine. The suggested retail price is $360 per 750-ml. bottle. Pisco Portón has added Pisco Portón Acholado to its portfolio. This is a pisco acholado, which means it is a blend of two or more of the eight grape varietals allowed by Peruvian law to make pisco. Pisco Portón Acholado is a blend of three estate-grown grapes (Quebranta, Italia, and Torontel). There are 8 lbs. of grapes in every bottle. The suggested retail price is $34.99 per 750-ml. bottle. WhistlePig's 15-Year-Old rye whiskey is fi nished in Vermont white oak. The tighter wood rings of this type of oak deliver more fl avor and depth into the whiskey, the company believes. The nose is rich, dominated by caramel, vanilla, and oak with hints of allspice and burnt orange, the company says. The taste include butterscotch and baking spice with leather and a hint of tobacco. The Whistlepig 15 year comes from a mash of 100% rye, bottled at 92 proof, and retails for $199.99 per 750-ml. bottle.