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Wine Review: Christmas gift suggestions

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After surviving the overindulgence of Thanksgiving and quick pace of Black Friday, it is time to think about filling the blanks on your Christmas shopping list.

Wine and similar beverages are always a quick buy and greatly appreciated gift provided they are not MD 20/20 or Two Buck Chuck. There are beverages that always will be appreciated and don’t require you to mortgage the yacht. I would like to offer some suggestions to ease your minds and be merciful to your bank account.
 
Auchentoshan Single Malt Lowland Scotch Whisky ($80)
A Scotch lover’s dream, this is a single malt beverage made at a lowland distillery. In contrast to the Highland malt, this whisky does not exhibit the strong peaty flavor or aroma. Instead, it’s a soft exceptionably smooth beverage that displays the essence of summer fruits. As a gift it will introduced the recipient to an entirely new and interesting spectrum of Scotch.
 
Pisco Porton ($40)
Pisco Porton is a truly exceptional crystal clear brandy coming from, of all places, Peru. If that does not garner the recipient’s attention, nothing else will. This brandy is as smooth as it is crystal clear. It’s also in the same class as the popular French brandies that sell for much more.
 
Churchill’s Reserve Porto ($20)
If your recipient is an after-dinner sweet wine enthusiast, there is none better than Churchill’s Reserve Porto. This port wine is ready for drinking right now. It is a full-bodied wine with an expansive aroma and a haunting flavor that closely emulates a vintage port without the necessary aging and sediment that always accompanies this style.
 
Hibiki Japanese Harmony ($65)  
Hibiki Harmony is different, but not strange. This beverage celebrates the art of blending, fine craftsmanship and a sense of luxury from the famed Japanese House of Suntory. Hibiki Harmony is a malt and grain whisky that’s been blended to create the full flavors and aromas sought by all malt whisky enthusiasts, but in a profile that could only be created by the Japanese.
 
Sheep Dip Single Malt Scotch ($40)
The Sheep Dip Malt Scotch whisky is a blend of 15 single malt Scotch whiskies, and it is rather exceptional. It offers a fine and well-made Scotch whisky at an affordable price. While most of the single malt Scotch whiskies sell for much higher prices, this assemblage of them offers quality far in excess of its price tag.
 
King Estate 2015 Viognier ($25)
Here is a wine that the ladies on your list are sure to enjoy. The King Estate 2015 Viognier is a perfumed wine that almost defies description. The aroma reminds me of blooming honeysuckle mingled with apricot, orange peel, honey and violets. The flavor accents apricot, peaches and raisins, which continue to a finish that is long and complex.
 
Sempe V.S.O.P. Armagnac ($48)
This is the ideal gift for the cognac lover on your list. Little known by the general public, Armagnac is often confused with cognac, which it resembles slightly but does not imitate. The subtle aroma of the plums, prunes and violets can be easily detected in its distinctive bouquet. On the palate this brandy is extraordinarily smooth, with absolutely no harshness or rough edges. An Armagnac such as the Sempe V.S.O.P. is an excellent way to end a gala dinner or as a beverage for quiet contemplation.

Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages Facebook.com/ArticlesOnWine. He can be reached at ben@articlesonwine.com.

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