Puerto Rican Rum brand Don Q Rum debuts Gran Reserva XO

Puerto Rico’s Don Q recently launched its Gran Reserva XO as part of its curated portfolio of super-premium aged rums. TasteTV’s editors and tasters found the Gran Reserva XO to be perfect for sipping by itself, or for adding to hot ciders on a cool evening to warm your heart and body.

Don Q Gran Reserva XO is a rebranding of the award-winning Don Q Gran Añejo, a signature blend of the distillery’s portfolio, that has been popular for more than 25 years. It offers the same great blend of aged rums but is presented in a new bottle design that evokes the refinement and elegance that has characterized the rums crafted by the Serrallés family for more than 155 years.

“We updated the Don Q bottle design and packaging to better communicate our brand values and create a look and feel that reflected the quality and craftsmanship of the super-premium aged rum inside each bottle,” says Philippe Brechot, President and CEO of Destilería Serrallés. “This rum blend has been a stellar expression for more than 25 years. We wanted to keep the same great blend of aged rums but present it under the new name of Gran Reserva XO as it better articulates the exclusive nature of the reserve rums that are blended to produce it.”

Gran Reserva XO

Gran Reserva XO is a blend of rums aged between nine and 12 years in American white oak barrels, with the addition of Solera rums aged up to 55 years, creating a unique balance and signature flavor. This smooth, aged rum has no added sugars and its tannins as well as the subtle oak nuances and hints of spice, help distinguish Gran Reserva XO’s award-winning flavor profile. This expression is best served on the rocks, neat or in classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned or Manhattan.

  • Color: Bright intense amber
  • Aroma: Gran Reserva XO greets the nose with notes of tropical fruit and spice. Good balance with hints of baked apple, citrus fruits, and roasted nuts and a warm and long finish.
  • Tasting notes: Deep complex nose of molasses, cigar tobacco and dark caramel, with pronounced notes of vanilla, cinnamon and honey.
  • Alcohol: 80 Proof, 40% ALC/VOL
  • Price: Don Q’s Gran Reserva XO (MSRP: $49.99)

About Destilería Serrallés:

Destilería Serrallés is one of America’s oldest family-owned businesses with a rum making tradition that spans six generations and 155 years. Based in Ponce, Puerto Rico, the distillery produces its flagship product, the award-winning Don Q rum brand, the #1 selling rum on the island. The Distillery has been awarded the “Green Award” from The Drinks Business, which recognizes leaders in environmental practices within the beverage industry, and more recently was recognized as “World Class Distillery” by World Spirits Awards. For additional information, visit us at https://donq.com/ and follow us on social media: Facebook.com/DonQ and @donqrum.

About Serrallés USA:

Serrallés USA, based in Stamford CT, is the USA distribution company of Destilería Serrallés. Serrallés USA’s portfolio includes: Don Q Cristal, Don Q Gold, Don Q Gran Reserva XO, Don Q Reserva 7, Don Q Signature Release Single Barrel 2005, 2007 & 2009, Don Q Double Aged Vermouth Cask Finish, Don Q Double Aged Sherry Cask Finish, Don Q Oak Barrel Aged Spiced, Don Q Limón, Don Q Coco, Don Q Pasión, Don Q Piña, Don Q 151, Reserva de la Familia Serrallés, Palo Viejo & Caliche Rum; as well as a sales and marketing alliance with Barrow’s Intense Ginger Liqueur.

Sandra’s New Line of Premium Chicken Entrees makes Home Dinners Quick and Tasty

It has been a while since anyone here remembers having Chicken Cordon Bleu, but Sandra’s new line of premium chicken entrees helped bring back fond memories. Plus, they are very well suited to these days of staying more at home and not always wanting to cook a full meal from scratch.

The brand recently introduced its premium chicken entree line featuring antibiotic-free chicken and superfoods in five flavor varieties: Cauliflower & Chia, Quinoa & Veggie, Kale & Pepperjack, Cordon Bleu, and Broccoli & Swiss.

We found the Sandra’s chicken entrees to be extremely easy to prepare. Simply heat the oven to the temperature on the box, and put the frozen items directly on a foil or parchment covered oven tray. As is our way, for most pre-frozen foods we tend to turn up the recommended temperatures by 10 degrees and let things cook 5 minutes longer than suggested, and it worked out extremely well. (Not to worry, the chicken is not pre-cooked, so it won’t dry out)

Each box comes with two packets, in which are contained 1 chicken breast entree each. Many people could eat both breasts, but you can definitely just have one with side dishes. It’s only 230 calories per serving, another plus.

Sandra’s is also working to becoming a more sustainable brand. They recently launched #UpcycleWithSandras, a unique sustainability campaign designed to encourage consumers to repurpose and reuse product packaging to reduce waste. To help with ideas, the inside of Sandra’s packaging features different printed designs of fun, reusable items like bookmarks, thought bubbles, recipe cards, coupons and patterns that can be colored to create something new.

“We value sustainability and being good stewards of the environment,” says Marketing Manager Alicia Mort. “We’ve taken something that would normally be thrown out and given consumers options to reuse it for another purpose.”

 

About Sandra’s:

Sandra’s is a line of all natural chicken entrée products made at Serenade Foods in Milford, Indiana. Since 1976, the family-owned company has manufactured chicken products for retail and foodservice markets. For more information about Sandra’s premium stuffed chicken breast entrees and the Upcycle sustainability campaign, visit www.sandraschicken.com.

Underwood Nouveau’s version of Beaujolais Nouveau now in Bottles & Cans

If you are a fan of not just tasting the Nouveau Beaujolais, but also of going to all of the celebrations around it, then you might have a quieter time this year. But that does not mean you can’t try something new and fun.

Union Wine Co. has recently released their vision of Nouveau Beaujolais in bottles and cans. It is called “Underwood Nouveau.”

The label design tells you a lot of what you need to know about the concept. It is influenced by the French school of Art Nouveau, which honors the elegant natural lines and curves found in plants and animals. Underwood Nouveau uses the peacock’s specifically, which one can say also adds a bit of luxury to the packaging and experience.

One thing to remember about Nouveau Beaujolais is the word “Nouveau.” This means “new,” and in the case of Nouveau Beaujolais it also means ‘brand new.’ As in ‘young.’ This wine is young and not usually aged for very long. Underwood has gone one step further and created their version to be super fresh. As they explain, “our Nouveau takes just over a month — from pick to sip.” The resulting wine is light, fruity and vibrant with 13% ABV.

Union Wine also explains about their choice of grapes. “Our Underwood Nouveau is a riff on a Beaujolais Nouveau, which is traditionally made from Gamay grapes (also called, Gamay noir à Jus blanc grape) in the Beaujolais region of France. Always looking for an Oregon angle, we decided to use our Pinot Noir grapes in the Underwood Nouveau for a fresh take on our traditional Pinot noir. The Gamay grape is actually a cousin of the Pinot Noir grape and flourishes in very similar climates.”

Interested in trying it for a Nouveau celebration? Find out more here for cans or here for bottles.

#PINKIESDOWN

3 Black Owned Accessory Brands that Diversify Your Style

People don’t often think about the positive impact they can have by just expanding the variety of places where the shop. According to Forbes.com, although over 50% of women-owned businesses are women of color, they only brought in 422 billion dollars in revenue vs white women-owned businesses who brought in 1.4 trillion dollars in revenue.

This means that there are lot of great designers out there that you not only should find, but will be thrilled that you did. Here are three great ones to add to your list of places to get great style.

 

Brysie Lane

Brysie Lane, the black owned interchangeable handbag brand, is designed to eliminate the dreaded purse swap. Brysie Lane was founded by former Microsoft Program Manager, Seina Wedlick, to provide women with an everyday bag that can evolve with every outfit change. With the mantra “One Bag, Many Looks” the brand allows women to express their personal style through genuine leather bags and interchangeable accessories, for under $300. Brysie Lane is a reflection of Seina’s personal and professional journey. Named after her children, Bryce and Sierra, Brysie Lane was created with the desire to streamline processes and make an everyday item practical for all occasions. Brysie Lane is available for preorder on https://www.brysielane.com/.

Salone Monet

Salone Monet emphasizes the fact that “nude is not a color” – the brand makes six “nude” shades that fit a wide range of skin tones. In addition to the stunning color options, each pair of shoes is made from high-quality materials, including leather and satin, by expert cobblers in Italy. Styles come in 6 shades of different nudes and price ranges from $200 – $250. New silhouettes like the Anita, a sleek pump and Jojo, a basic flat, are now available on the website for pre-order. Salone Monet, Founder/Creative Salone Monet is the founder and creative behind the color inclusive nude shoe brand Salone Monet. Her color inclusive line has adorned the feet of Beyoncé Knowles, Gabrielle Union, and Keke Palmer. https://salonemonet.com/

Ten Wilde

Ten Wilde is an all gold jewelry line designed in Los Angeles. Always aiming for versatility through trendy yet timeless pieces, every jewel is created with the multi-faceted gem in mind. Meaning the ever-evolving, infinite, multi-faceted woman. Established in 2016 by Tenisha Wilde, Ten Wilde is a direct reflection of her personal style, which embodies her love for many styles found across the world. With a range of gold plated, gold filled, and solid gold, each Ten Wilde jewel is offered at an affordable price ranging, under $100, in the form of versatile hoops, layering chains, pendant necklaces, signature waist chains and more. A gem for every gem. https://tenwilde.com/

Need to Travel with Wine? Try the Wine Suitcase

If you have more than a few bottles of wine from a day trip or a long trip away, you definitely want to get them home safe and sound. Fortunately, there is luggage for that.

The VinGardeValise is a line of tough suitcases that are gentle on glass, thanks to their dense foam inserts created to cradle wine bottles.

The VinGardeValise® Piccolo doubles as an anytime, anywhere airline carry-on piece of luggage or as a checked wine travel case to travel safely with up to 5-bottles of wine – with room for your clothes and belongings on the other side

Available at https://vingardevalise.com

The Conair Fabric Defuzzer is a Small but Mighty addition to your Fashion Accessories

Do you ever get fuzz balls and pills on your favorite sweaters, sweatshirts, scarves, coats, socks, or even furniture? Yes, it’s a big problem, because it makes you not want to wear them anymore, or at the least to not feel as great as you did when they were brand new.

Well guess what? You can make them as good as new by using a small electronic device that removes those pills in minutes.

The Conair Fabric Defuzzer Is lightweight, runs on just two batteries, and only costs around $12. Despite this low price, it can make hundreds of dollars of clothing look like you just bought them. It’s a great investment.

The Defuzzer has two settings, one for close contact with the fabric, and one with slightly less contact. To make it work you basically run it in a gentle circle across the affected area, and Voila, the pills are removed.

Unlike past versions of these pill remover devices, this one has a nice long battery life. Which means you can go through a lot of clothes before it starts slowing down and needs to have them replaced. This is really great, because once you start removing pills you’re going to find it to be an oddly addicting of activity. You’re going to not only want to do your clothes, but everyone else’s as well. And once you finish with the clothes, you’ll start with the armrest on your couch. (When you get to the rug, you know it’s time to stop)

Also makes a small but popular holiday or birthday gift.

Find the Conair Fabric Defuzzer on Amazon here.

(Maybe your stay at home fashion sweats could look as good as J. Lo’s if you remove the pills and fuzz.)

J Lo getting coffee in her fashion sweats