Delamain Cognac's New Holiday Gift Sets

The House of Delamain, one of France's oldest and last family-owned cognac producers, is coming out with something special for the holidays. The luxurious offerings from the House of Delamain, which has been in existence since 1759, are exclusively grande champagne. The new Delamain Extra de Grande Champagne Gift Set (above), for $199, features a decanter of Extra, a blend of intense and complex 35-40 year old Grande Champagne Cognacs, along with two deluxe tulip shaped Cognac glasses. Delamain is also offering a new Trio Pack of three 200 ml bottles of Grande Champagne cognacs including the Extra, priced at $99, for those wishing to sample a wider range of the House's eaux-de-vie. The additional Trio Pack offerings are their Pale & Dry XO and Vesper; Pale & Dry is a blend of 20-25 year old spirits with a bright amber color, while Vesper runs from 30-35 years and is fuller, rich and mature.

Last Drop Cognac Launches: $2,700 Per Bottle

The people who brought us The Last Drop whisky in 2008 are releasing The Last Drop Cognac , a rare brandy from two French oak casks that the purveyors say were found in an abandoned distillery hidden in the woods of France Coganc region.

"This cognac is magical," says Tom Jago, partner, The Last Drop Distillers Ltd. "It was a long, time consuming journey to locate the casks, but we feel privileged to be able to share these precious bottles with those who appreciate fine cognac."

"The opportunity to own a bottle of The Last Drop Cognac is extremely limited, since there are only 478 bottles available worldwide and it's among the best cognac offerings available. It fills a niche in the market for our customers," says Bill Anderson, President Infinium Spirits, importer for The Last Drop Distillers, Ltd.

The brandy was distilled in a wood-fired, copper still and aged in casks for 60 years. When Jago made his discovery, most of the liquid had evaporated, but what remained, he says, was exceptionally aromatic and complex. "I was amazed when I assessed this cognac," says Jago. "What I tasted was at once old yet fresh. By that, I mean a perfect offer – the cognac had indeed aged, but the fresh spirit of the cognac is still very apparent. I could not be more exhilarated with the thought of sharing this with my friends and partners," adds Jago.

Just like any spirit that has been maturing for 60 years, this delicate cognac is handled with care; it is hand-bottled and sealed with wax then placed in a velvet-lined leather box which includes a Certificate of Bottling stating the date it was bottled and the bottle number. A 50 ml miniature is included in the package, so consumers who purchase the bottle as a gift can still sample the cognac, or the bottle can be added to a collection, while the collector can still take pleasure a tasting.

The Last Drop Cognac is available through Infinium Spirits in the U.S. The suggested retail price is $2,700