Mrs. McDrinkerson is a masterful gift-giver. For example, this Christmas Ifound a much-coveted Stewart Copeland signature snare drum under the tree, which just may be the best gift ever. Then for my birthday (two days later), she gave me a lovely bottle of hooch, as one might imagine Amy Winehouse bringing to her jailbird husband during a conjugal visit. But, love her though I do, Amy might be a bit too chip shop to be sneaking a bottle of Jean-Marc XO vodka past correctional officers. And yet that is exactly what Mrs. McDrinkerson gave to me. How does she know?I had never had Jean-Marc XO, chiefly because of its $50 price tag. And while I find it objectionable to drink a $50 vodka on principle, Jean-Marc XO may be damn near worth it. It is unlike any vodka I have ever tasted. The XO gives a hint of its uniqueness, in that the vodka is distilled in copper cognac stills and features a blend of wheat from, you guessed it, the Cognac region. That said, the XO makes no sense since it denotes how long a cognac is aged (XO = extra old). This vodka is not aged. Nor is it made from cognac.
Its handcrafted distillation process gives Jean-Marc XO a unique taste. It’s still vodka, but its makers boldly set out to eliminate the burn. Not that the burn is always bad; I happen to like it. The distillers borrowed a technique used in Bordeaux called micro-oxygenation, a process through which oxygen is introduced to the liquid to bubble out undesirable characteristics, which I suppose includes the burn.
The resulting taste is undeniable. I had to check the bottle and web site for some foreign substance that was slipped in there. It has a slightly plumy taste with a hint of cinnamon and cracker. It’s very subtle, yet a head-turner. It would be a crime to mix it. Just chill it and drink it.
It kills me to recommend a $50 bottle of vodka, but there really is nothing like it. Put it on your birthday list.
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