Latest news with #LouisXIII
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why New York City's Most Exclusive Bar Refuses To Serve This Cognac
Louis XIII is undeniably superb, an icon of craftsmanship and prestige, but at Brandy Library, it's the one bottle you won't find, by deliberate design. New York's Brandy Library has become the place to be after hours in the city, but you may be surprised to know that you won't be able to get a pour of the world's most prestigious Cognac. I spoke to Brandy Library's founder Flavien Desoblin to find out more about his exclusive bar and discover why he's banned Louis XIII Cognac from the shelves. In Lower Manhattan's Moore Street, Brandy Library has become the go to destination for those after a quieter spot to unwind and connect. It's a carefully designed venue that glows with the ambient lighting from walls lined with around 1,500 bottles of spirit from across the world. This impressive collection has been curated by the library to offer an unrivaled opportunity to explore new and existing favourites, from whisky to cognac. Over 1,500 bottles line the shelves at Brandy Library, offering everything from obscure Scotch and vintage Armagnac to underrated American bourbon gems. The group sizes are limited to six—although larger groups can request to book a private party or experience—and the ambience is very much reminiscent of a library. The hushed and respectful tone revered for a selection of spirits, although you can also get a glass of wine or beer if that's your preference. You might expect brandy to be their most popular spirit, or a scotch thanks to its increasingly premium reputation, but Desoblin explains that bourbon has reestablished itself as the drink to be seen with. 'The resurgence of Bourbon started as a necessity during the 2008/09 financial crisis,' Desoblin said over an email exchange with me. 'Businessmen would come in but couldn't spend corporate money on the previous go-to Macallan 18, so they switched. What started as an act of active patriotism eventually was loved for its defining qualities. The younger generation, going back to what the grandparents were drinking, has fully embraced bourbon.' Jordan Belfort, the former stockbroker and financial criminal whose memories were recreated in the film The Wolf of Wall Street was a regular at Brandy Library, although Desoblin says they didn't know who he was until after the movie. Despite its proximity to New York's Financial District, Brandy Library isn't solely focused on the corporate side. Desoblin explains his library setting is perfect for 'dates who want to see what's really inside each other's mind, in a quiet and calm environment when you easily lose track of time.' I felt it was a must to ask about the elephant in the room—or lack of it—the Louis XIII Cognac. Louis XIII is arguably the pinnacle of luxury cognacs. The price of a bottle starts around $3,000 to $4,000 depending on the edition and it's the crown of Rémy Martin's portfolio. This exceptional brandy combines up to 1,200 different eaux-de-vie that are aged for decades—some reaching a century—and presented in a handcrafted crystal decanter. Despite its renowned quality and striking design, at the Brandy Library they have deliberately chosen not to stock Louis XIII. Despite its fame and luxury status, Louis XIII Cognac is nowhere to be found at Brandy Library. I find the interaction of luxury lifestyle and spirits fascinating, so I had to ask Desoblin what drove their decision. 'There's no argument that Louis XIII quality is superb! But I was tired of witnessing ice cubes thrown into it as it was consumed just for status. There are plenty of similarly exquisite Cognacs for a fraction of the price, so we chose to focus on those.' Sometimes it is nice to have something you are familiar with, but equally if you have access to somewhere like Brandy Library with the selection and expert guidance it can be just as enjoyable to be steered toward something new. I asked Desoblin what he considered overlooked in their vast selection of spirits. His answer is as succinct as his selection is vast: 'Heaven Hill bottled-in-bond 7 years bourbon and Glen Moray single malt scotch.' Flavien Desoblin calls Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Years one of the bar's hidden gems—a no-frills bourbon that proves great taste doesn't need a big price tag. For those that don't know, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Years is a traditional Kentucky bourbon adhering to strict requirements—100 proof, aged at least four years and produced in a single distilling season. The 7-year expression represents the distillery's commitment to their production methods while delivering a robust, full-flavored experience. Glen Moray is a Speyside distillery that is often overlooked in favour of some of its more infamous neighbours. Established in 1897 Glen Moray creates whiskies that typically showcase the lighter, fruitier side of Speyside malts. They are also a fraction of the price of the better known speyside single malts, which can often make people a bit more open minded about trying something new! If Kentucky bourbon or a fruity speyside scotch are the right choice for your palate the expert team at Brandy Library would be more than happy to offer a suggestion. Just make sure you book your table in advance for the full experience.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This 3-Liter Louis XIII Cognac Decanter Is Available in the U.S. for the First Time
Louis XIII is an icon of the Cognac category, a meticulously designed bottle filled with a blend of well-aged eaux-de-vie that is priced at $4,600. But there's something even more rare from the brand for spirits collectors: the Louis XIII Jeroboam decanter, a luxury bottling that will be available for the first time in the U.S. starting tonight via the online spirits marketplace Baxus. According to the brand, the Jeroboam decanter contains a blend of the 'finest and most precious eaux-de-vie, aged over time and re-created every year by our cellar master to get the same emotion and same aromatic profile since 1874.' All of the grapes used to distill the eaux-de-vie were grown in the Grand Champagne cru in the Cognac region, and were matured in French oak for years before being blended together. That sounds similar to what you'll find in a bottle of classic Louis XIII, but the Jeroboam decanter is something special and different. More from Robb Report A Hotelier's $20 Million 165-Acre Estate in New York's Hudson Valley Has a Regulation Polo Field Cadillac Is Making a Compact All-Electric Performance SUV Neve Campbell and JJ Feild List Their Charming Colonial Home in L.A. for $4.3 Million According to Baxus founder and CEO Tzvi Wiesel, the reason this decanter will finally be available in the U.S. is because the TTB tweaked its regulations to allow distilled spirits to be sold in bottles of this size last January. It's a three-liter behemoth, which partially explains the hefty price tag, but it's also about the specific materials and craftsmanship. According to BAXUS, the crystal comes from Vista Alegre, a Portuguese crystal house that has been around for two centuries, and the creation of each bottle requires the work of 11 artisans and over four kilograms of molten crystal (the silhouette on the bottle is modeled after a 16th-century flask that was discovered at the site of the Battle of Jarnac in France). Less than 200 of these individually numbered decanters are made in a year, so this is a true limited edition. Each Jeroboam decanter comes in a European oak case that includes the following accessories–a spear (the pipette for carefully extracting liquid from this decanter that would otherwise be pretty difficult to pour), four crystal tasting glasses created by French designer Christophe Pillet, and a display podium so you can show it off. Only 40 bottles will be available for sale at the Baxus website starting tonight at 8 pm eastern time at $33,000 apiece, and you have just 48 hours to make a purchase. If you'd like to spend a little less you can also find a few other Louis XIII options, ranging from the classic decanter to the Black Pearl release, available to buy at websites like ReserveBar now. Best of Robb Report Why a Heritage Turkey Is the Best Thanksgiving Bird—and How to Get One 9 Stellar West Coast Pinot Noirs to Drink Right Now The 10 Best Wines to Pair With Steak, From Cabernet to Malbec Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
An Ancient Egyptian Prince's Tomb Was Just Discovered South of Giza
The tomb of Prince Waserif Re, son of King Userkaf who founded ancient Egypt's Fifth Dynasty and reigned from 2465 BCE to 2458 BCE, was excavated by archaeologists at the Saqqara necropolis, just southwest of Giza in Egypt, according to Egypt Today. The multi-chamber tomb was sealed with a 15-foot-tall pink granite false door inscribed with Waserif Re's name and titles, including 'heir prince.' A red granite table, measuring 36 inches in diameter, was found in front of the door and lists offerings made to him at the time of burial. More from Robb Report This $28 Million Ultra-Modern Home in Florida's Delray Beach Comes With a Mani-Pedi Salon This 3-Liter Louis XIII Cognac Decanter Is Available in the U.S. for the First Time A Hotelier's $20 Million 165-Acre Estate in New York's Hudson Valley Has a Regulation Polo Field The team unearthed statues of Third Dynasty pharaoh Djoser, who ruled from 2630 BCE to 2611 BCE, along with his wife and 10 daughters, according to a statement from Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Friday. These statues are believed to have been originally located in a chamber adjacent to the Step Pyramid of King Djoser, whose complex is also located within Saqqara, and were later moved to the tomb of Prince Waserif Re during the Late Period (688 BCE–525 BCE). Inside another chamber of the tomb, a nearly four-foot-tall black granite statue with hieroglyphic inscriptions of the name and titles of its owner was uncovered. The inscriptions date back to the 26th Dynasty, also indicating that the tomb may have been reused nearly 2,000 years after Waserif Re's interment. The joint Egyptian mission was conducted by the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Dr. Zahi Hawass Foundation for Antiquities and Heritage. Hawass is Egypt's former Minister of Antiquities as well as a renowned—and sometimes controversial—archaeologist. Together, the mission has a record of unearthing prominent artifacts from the Old Kingdom and later periods. A cartouche of pharaoh Neferirkare, who reigned from approximately 2446 to 2438 BCE, was also discovered at a second entrance on the tomb's eastern facade. To the north of the door lintel, the team identified a collection of 13 seated pink granite statues on a high-backed bench. The heads of some of the statues were positioned higher than the others, which are thought to represent the wives of the tomb owner. There are two headless statues flanking them. Additionally, another four-foot-tall black granite statue was found face down in front of these statues. Best of Robb Report The 10 Priciest Neighborhoods in America (And How They Got to Be That Way) In Pictures: Most Expensive Properties Click here to read the full article.
