Jean-Marc XO Vodka
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Jean-Marc XO Vodka is a luxury boutique vodka distilled in the Cognac region of France by Jean-Marc Daucourt.
It uses four French wheat grains (Ysengrain, Orvantis, Azteque, and Chargeur) selected for their specific flavors. Each wheat grain is separated from its chaff before distillation in order to eliminate any bitterness and to reveal the wheat’s individual flavor. Spring water, filtered through Grande Champagne limestone, is added. Jean-Marc XO Vodka is distilled nine times in very small batches using traditional copper alambic stills. Then Jean-Marc XO is micro-oxygenated (a Bordeaux technique) and filtered through Limousin oak charcoal to finish. Very unusually, the entire process takes several weeks from start to finish. Each bottle is indivdually numbered to reflect its hand made artisanship.
It was awarded 96 points as the Vodka of the Year by the US Beverage Tasting Institute in 2004 [1], and is the only vodka ever honored by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (2005).
Jean-Marc XO Vodka was subsequently listed in a book of "101 Things to Buy Before you Die" (published late 2006), alongside other cultural icons such as Cartier watches and Aston Martin DB5's: a shorter list of 50 Things, including Jean-Marc XO Vodka, was compiled for a top-selling UK newspaper.
[edit] External links
- Jean-Marc XO Vodka
- News coverage of the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences Award
- Beverage Testing Institute Review
- Newsweek Magazine's Vodka Taste Test
- The Daily Mail List of 50 Things to Buy before you Die Registration may be needed (or search for "50 Things").
