La Crema is best known for excellent everyday wines—rich Chardonnays, aromatic Sauvignon Blancs, and juicy Pinot Noirs. But look beyond those entry-level offerings, and La Crema has a broad range of wines that show off specific areas of Sonoma Valley, Napa’s more coastal sister region. There’s covetable bottles like the Sara Lee Chardonnay, which is a nod to OG agriculture pioneer Saralee Kunde (and 60% of the land is left unplanted to preserve wildlife). La Crema is also aiming to be completely climate positive by 2050 (without purchasing offsets). 

This wine showcases Kelli Anne Vineyard, one of La Crema’s prizes on the banks of the Russian River. It gets bright sunny days and foggy mornings which produces crisp, bright Chardonnay. It’s sunny but icy, with delicate notes of white flowers and pear balanced out by a backbone of brioche. $55

Kate Dingwall is a WSET-trained sommelier and spirits writer. Her work has appeared in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

Pitted against well-established G-Wagon customizers like Brabus and Mansory, Poland’s Carlex Design has its work cut out. “The mission of Carlex is to create and offer the world’s finest lifestyle and collector modifications for the iconic Mercedes G-Class,” the company says on its website. Credit where it’s due, Carlex’s latest custom ride is a frontrunner for the most astoundingly pretty aftermarket G-Wagon to make the rounds this year.

This is the Carlex G63 Fiamma G-Vintage—”fiamma” roughly translates as “fiery,” which accounts for the orange body work that’s been polished to a mirror finish. As Top Gear points out, the most “Vintage” styling cue is definitely the set of 20-inch color-matched rims, which appear to have been heavily inspired by the wheels of the Mercedes 600 “Grosser” luxobarge, produced from 1964 to 1981.

The body has also been raised by 10 cm and widened by 4 cm on each side, and the interior is clad largely in white Nappa leather with orange accents, inversing the exterior’s scheme. Not many other details were given on the Fiamma specifically, other than it was vaguely designed to “shine both on the ski slopes in the morning and under the opera house lights in the evening.” 

“In fashion, similar colors are often used in collections aimed at expressing courage and individuality. Inspiration from fire in interior design results in bold details, such as accents in the color of embers, which add not only style but also energy to the vehicle,” the brand adds. “This combination of classic, elegance, and modernity perfectly aligns with current trends in both fashion and automotive design.”

If no mechanical adjustments were made from the stock vehicle, then it’s got a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that cranks 577 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque through a nine-speed automatic transmission, though the enlarged body and heightened ride may affect performance and handling characteristics. One thing’s for sure: The G63 Fiamma G-Vintage is a rolling automotive fashion statement.

The collection, however, remains multi-faceted and should prove useful to enthusiasts across the globe, the watchmaker said. “Whether a professional diver, a daring adventurer, or a connoisseur of finely crafted high-tech timepieces, these are watches defined by the shared passion for pushing the boundaries of what is possible,” Panerai emphasized.

Desert camouflage is the primary inspiration for the new offering, a quartet of watches that fall right in line with the watchmaker’s “mission to design durable and high-performance timepieces for extreme conditions.” The company’s partnership with the Navy SEALs runs deep, whether in the United States or Italy, including a luxury watch testing and training experience as well as its 2023 collection of Navy SEALs-inspired timepieces.

The collection includes the Submersible QuarantaQuattro Navy SEALs PAM01518 with a P.900 calibre movement, the Submersible QuarantaQuattro GMT Navy SEALs Carbotech PAM01513 (boasting a lightweight carbon composite case), the Submersible Navy SEALs Titanio PAM01669 (“tailored for the fearless adventurer”) and the Submersible Navy SEALs Titanio PAM01669 (outfitted with a beefy 47mm case).

Rigorous testing for pressure, water resistance and performance helped prove the mettle of each watch, putting these luxurious yet hard-wearing timepieces through their paces in extreme conditions, just as Navy SEALs themselves might face.

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“Panerai has long held a steadfast commitment to crafting timepieces that embody the ideals of challenge, bravery, team spirit, and adrenaline,” the company said, and it appears this quarter of new additions (available via Panerai starting at $10,200) embodies that same spirit.

S.T. Dupont—renowned for its glamorous craftsmanship and luxury smoking accessories like this lighter that doubles as a skeleton watch—is partnering with high-fashion house Casablanca Paris for a stylish new collaboration. It’s just the latest fashionable release from the French lighter designers, which previously teamed up with a closet full of style giants, including Karl Lagerfeld, The Row, Saint Laurent and Franck Muller.

The newly unveiled partnership, dubbed “The Art of Sport,” celebrates the elegance and heritage of both brands. Casablanca, founded in 2018 by Charaf Tajer, is known for its luxe leisurewear that draws inspiration from classic sports and infuses them with a modern vibe highlighted by bold colors and patterns.

The new collection features three distinct lines: Mosaic, Tennis, and Leather Goods. The Mosaic line (pictured above) showcases intricate metalwork and lacquer techniques with a new line of luxe lighters, humidors, ashtrays and fountain pens. The Tennis collection reimagines S.T. Dupont’s accessories with illustrations inspired by tennis courts and ancient Greek architecture, while the Leather Goods drop offers a range of cigar pouches and document holders crafted from premium leather in Casablanca’s signature colors.

The eye-catching collab serves up a stylish union befitting S.T. Dupont’s elevated heritage and Casablanca’s modern design sensibility for discerning smokers and collectors alike. The S.T. Dupont x Casablanca Paris collection is available now worldwide.

Speyside distillery The Glenlivet is not in the business of making ridiculously old whisky, but based on today’s news, it the Scottish distillery may have just been waiting on a perfect cask. It seems they’ve found it.

The Glenlivet Eternal Collection, First Edition, 55 Year Old, is a single-cask single malt from one of the most well-known names in scotch whisky. The “Eternal Collection” is set to become an annual release, according to the distillery, and while there’s no word on the ages of future releases, this announcement suggests that the team at The Glenlivet has finally figured out how to make an old expression really incredible.

The Glenlivet is admittedly late to the extreme age game, and not just in relation to their now 200-year history. Distilleries like Benromach, Benriach, Highland Park, Highland Park again, Glenrothes, and plenty of others you’re probably already aware of have crossed the 50-year threshold in recent years.  

More interestingly, however, The Glenlivet isn’t even the first to release a The Glenlivet whisky above age 50. Several years ago, independent bottlers Gordon & MacPhail released an 80-year-old expression of The Glenlivet whisky that was distilled in 1940, and other releases from independent bottlers have likewise crossed the distillery’s own threshold of 30 years for their Cellar Collection. 

So why is The Glenlivet finally doing this now? Part of the answer might simply be “because they have the right whiskies reaching maturity,” but it’s important to look at The Glenlivet’s unique spirit profile a more complete answer. 

The Glenlivet has always been a lighter and brighter whisky than other Speyside and Highland distilleries. Like Glenmorangie or Aberfeldy, The Glenlivet is leans toward floral and fruit-forward flavors—the opposite of the smoke-forward malts of Islay or oily sherry-dominant whiskies like Macallan and Glendronach. 

The problem is that those light and floral flavors are often the first to disappear as a whisky ages. That’s fine when your intention is to drop a syrupy sherry bomb or an oaky tannin bomb. When, however, a distillery is trying to preserve those light and bright flavors, the cutoff is rarely this far forward in time, making casks like this one truly rare. According to the distillery, that iconic The Glenlivet character shines through on this 55-year-old expression. 

It starts with a nose of “autumn” fruits: a “gentle sweetness of poached pears, heady citrus notes of ripe, sun-drenched Seville oranges, deeper note of sticky dates,” and the “deep warmth of toasted hazelnut” are counterbalanced by the “indulgent richness of dark chocolate” and the “enveloping, spiced warmth of cinnamon and nutmeg.” On the palate, The Glenlivet described warming flavors—“blackcurrant jam, vanilla fudge and dark chocolate; balanced with zesty orange and crystalized ginger before closing with a touch of warming clove spice.” The finish is subtly warming, dry, and spicy, without losing this fruity character’s complexity.

At an ABV of 42.2 percent, this whisky is certainly not the high-proof cask strength you’d expect from an American single cask, but that lower proof point also allows for more of the fruity nuances of flavor to shine through. 

The Glenlivet, for its part, is managing expectations by limiting this and future Eternal Collection releases to single casks, which makes sense both for the price point and the rarity expected of super-ultra-mega-premium single malt releases. Only 100 bottles of this whisky are being produced for the global market. The $55,000 price tag is similar to other recent releases in this age range, though this one should be set apart as something special. The Glenlivet took 200 years to deliver something of this magnitude—let’s hope they get to the second one much sooner.

G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stuff for perspectives on drinks, and stuff.

It’s a fitting extension of the singer’s long-running affinity for Marshall, especially as the iconic California band celebrates 30 years of debut album Dookie and 20 years of the hard-charging, statement-making American Idiot.

Armstrong himself favors the Marshall JCM900 and the Plexi 1959SLP amplifiers, and Marshall notes that a modified version of the Plexi 1959SLP is now tagged as the “Dookie Mod” for its role in the making of the band’s best-selling album to date.

With the new Marshall Monitor III A.N.C. Wireless Headphones, listeners get specs Armstrong himself would love, including 70 hours of wireless ANC playtime and stunning Soundstage spatial audio technology developed by the acclaimed audio brand.

Marshall is also building off its next-gen Major lineup of headphones, using its customizable “M” button for seamless navigation through Spotify or EQ settings. Auracast technology, which Marshall calls “futureproof” is also designed to allow audio sharing amongst other Marshall devices (again, likely useful for an on-the-go rocker like Armstrong).

Marshall says the headphones, adorned with the instantly recognizable Marshall logo and available online now for $350, were “designed for true music lovers.” The company also noted its focus with the new set revolved around making it “feel like your favorite musician is in the room with you.” For good measure, a hard case lined in red velvet (designed to mimic a guitar case, of course) offers a luxe way to transport these stylish headphones, although a foldable design also aids in portability.

Every detail was carefully considered as Marshall developed its latest set of groundbreaking headphones, said Kenny Wong, Marshall design director. “Monitor III delivers a sound that is wide, well-balanced, detailed and enjoyable. Soundstage spatial audio takes the music out of your head and onto a virtual stage around you, making you feel immersed and revealing subtle layers in your favorite records.” For now, if catching an ear-splitting, exceptional Green Day anniversary performance isn’t in the cards, a new set of Billie Joe Armstrong-approved headphones is just the ticket.

They’re all beauties in various ways—Angelina Jolie, Lupita Nyong’o, Sienna Miller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Winehouse, Anne Hathaway, Milla Jovovich and Taylor Swift. Together, they span decades of pop culture, often bridging different eras; but what else do they have in common? All have caught the eye—and lens—of famed Danish photographer Marc Hom, who specializes in “capturing our favorite celebrities in a vulnerable light, highlighting their personality and attitude.”

There’s plenty of the latter on display in a new exhibition and accompanying book of Hom’s most iconic images from the past 30 years. The impressive show was staged at the Fenimore Art Museum in upstate New York, overlooking Otsego Lake and near to a house Hom owns. It “offers visitors a new way to experience photography in an ever-changing environment,” as many of Hom’s larger-than-life portraits—11 feet tall—are weatherproofed and mounted on the museum’s sweeping lawn in Cooperstown.

The perfect venue for Hom, who has always followed his own path, and who conceived the unorthodox display method. The book, Re-Framed, from German luxury and art publisher teNeues, is both companion piece to the exhibition and retrospective, including all the portraits displayed at the Fenimore along with the story of the show’s development, providing “documentary-style” insights into Hom’s process.

In his introduction to the book, The New Yorker staff writer and Vogue contributing editor Nathan Heller recounts Hom’s transition from control freak in his early days as fashion and celebrity photographer for Harper’s Bazaar to adopting a more fluid approach. “One of the defining qualities of an artist’s mind is to be always in motion, building on known methods and reframing what came just before,” Heller notes. “For Hom, a breakthrough arrived when he began to loosen his claims on control and embrace what he calls the ‘magic of the unexpected.’ ”

Heller recounts that, “Instead of poring over notebooks in advance, he made a project of being alert to what took form before his camera. His work became less about creating a world than discovering it. ‘Open-mindedness is something that you learn,’ he has said. ‘Maybe you have an idea at the start, but then something completely different happens—and it’s better.’ ”

He writes that Hom’s most intimate portraits “catch the sudden glamour hidden in the moments between moments: Lupita Nyong’o slumped against the arm of a sofa, Wiz Khalifa with his feet in a pedicure bath and a joint blazing between his lips…. Brought into the quiet museum, these color photographs seem thrilling reports from a far-flung and intensely human world.”

Hom has never eschewed commercial work, learning from the example of his photographer father that the life of a starving artist often leaves much to be desired. But his ad campaigns for the likes of Gucci, Patek Philippe, Hugo Boss and Max Mara burnish rather than diminish his more artistic endeavors, while allowing him the freedom to pursue personal projects. His work for various magazines, including W, Vanity Fair, Vogue, The Face and “Esquire, attests to that. For his part, Hom has said he aspires to a timeless aesthetic that echoes early influences like Irving Penn and Peter Lindbergh, the latter of whom he encountered while working for Harper’s Bazaar.

“It’s about being able to still look at my own photographs 10 or 15 years from now and not say, ‘Oh, this is such a ’90s picture, or this is from the mid 2000s,’ ” he has said. “The only thing that should give the period away is the people [in the photographs] getting older.” Heller points out, “The long past captured in a moment’s fleeting frame, the photographer’s ability to trace transformation through a second look: These are the themes of Hom’s exhibition, but also of the career that he has built across a world of accelerating change.”

“Photography is a popular medium, now more than ever; we travel the Earth with cameras in our pockets,” Heller sums up. “But it is also an art form, and the path toward that higher function comes—now more than ever—through the work of reconsideration, of holding images half-lost and forgotten to the standard of small monuments, reexamining what they tell us, not only of the past but of the present and the course ahead.”

In another 30 years, we predict Hom’s images will be part of many museums’ permanent collections, with the next generation of photographers revering and studying his work.

The Tag Heuer Monaco already boasts proper pedigree, performance and style winding its way through racing’s most iconic moments, as the Monaco was a trusted favorite of Steve McQueen (among others). The actor and famed driver “quickly became a style icon in his own right,” the watchmaker said, sporting a Monaco all the while. With its distinctive square case, Calibre 11 movement and water-resistant design, the timepiece was built for practically anything both beyond the wheel and off the track.

Fast-forward to 2024. The latest edition of the Monaco, in addition to its customary precision performance, pays tribute to old-school racing liveries, when drivers used country-specific colors rather than sponsors to differentiate their vehicles. British racing green makes a bold splash on the sleek 39mm chronograph in this instance.

And since the Monaco’s 1969 arrival, the watchmaker notes that “the brand has continuously been drawing a line through decades of history connecting the Maison to the world of motorsport.” Fittingly, Dutch champion Formula 1 racer Max Verstappen showcases the new Monaco Chronograph in Racing Green, a move that secures Tag Heuer’s legacy now and in the future (at least, if Verstappen’s streak of lightning-fast racing performance holds true).

The use of racing green in British autosports runs deep, as the winning shade made its first appearance in a 1902 Gordon Bennett Cup victory by driver Selwyn Edge. As the watchmaker notes, the color continues to appear today in impressive cars both on and off the course.

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Indeed, “every element of the TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Racing Green is inspired by historical British racing cars and their white and yellow touches,” Tag Heuer said. Even the dial design nods to 1920s and ’30s-era engine-tuned dashboard designs.

Tag Heuer took care in engineering this watch for streamlined performance, using a lightweight Grade 2 titanium case and a green perforated racing strap, which the company notes nods to “classic British gentlemen aesthetics.” Tag Heuer also calls the timepiece the “perfect watch for the perfect gentleman driver,” with just 1,000 individually numbered timepieces on the market. For about $10,800, another handsome piece of Tag Heuer racing history can grace your watch collection.

Since 1926 the stately and laureled InterContinental Mark Hopkins hotel has captivated its San Francisco-visiting guests from the moment they walk through the French Chateau-inspired marble arches into the opulent entrance. They’re even more entranced when they elevate up its 19 stories to the glass-walled Top of the Mark, the iconic Art Deco cocktail lounge and restaurant famous for its spectacular views.

The highest bar in all of San Francisco, and one of the most historic, it offers priceless panoramas of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz, and its character-rich Nob Hill neighborhood with the mysterious Pacific-Union Club next door on its manicured grounds.

A triple-A Designated San Francisco Landmark, the 5-star property is the oldest in the impressive InterContinental portfolio, which it joined in 1973. The hotel is named after railroad magnate Mark Hopkins, who built an elaborate mansion for his wife on the site, at that time the highest perch in Nob Hill, in 1878. The mansion was destroyed by fire after the 1906 earthquake.

The former mansion set the grounds for the pedigree that would see the French-and-Spanish-influenced hotel designed by the estimable Weeks and Day architectural firm, open in 1926. Opulence, refined taste, and escapism where channeled into an imposing 380-room structure with 33 suites for guests who cherished history, comfort, and a feeling, well, of being above it all.

The Top of the Mark always attracted its share of affluent swells. But it also hosted countless uniformed servicemen and their gals before the men set off for the Pacific in WWII. A tradition of officers buying bottles for their battle-bound soldiers evolved into a tradition of “squadron shots,” and continued after wartime with a cabinet of bottles purchased by those wishing to do the same; the tradition continues to this day.

In its hallowed past, the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, Betty Grable, and Elvis Presley all made the Mark Hopkins their escape hatch from the press and paparazzi. Plus the likes of Charles de Gaulle, Britain’s Prince Philip, Herbert Hoover, and FDR. Many were entertained by Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey who performed at the hotel in the Big Band era.

Now you can keep up with the A-listers in a modernized but still classically elegant hotel. Buckwheat blinis with Beluga caviar and a Champagne tasting are a great way to experience the Top of the Mark; the favored hour being, of course, sunset. Open for all meals, the more casual Nob Hill Club, off the lobby and serving traditional American and San Francisco-inspired cuisine, is where to have classic Eggs Benedict, Dungeness crab rolls, or a fresh-caught salmon entrée.

Equally edifying is the treasure trove of artwork throughout the hotel. The nine historic seven-foot-tall murals in the stunning Room of the Dons depict various scenes from California’s history. They were unveiled at the hotel’s opening in 1926 and were created by Maynard Dixon and Frank Van Sloun. Most recapture “discoveries,” such as Sir Francis Drake’s landing in 1579.

The Continental-evocative rooms and suites feature all the modern amenities. And the higher-floor aeries are of course all about the views, views of all the landmarks and the Bay from nearly every room. The top suites, including the California Suite, Penthouse Suite, Presidential Suite, Nob Hill Suite, and, best of all, the Mark Hopkins suite, are a lot like checking into your own private Nob Hill mansion, some complete with wood paneling and fireplaces.

As Mark Hopkins with its elevated anchor, Nob Hill is one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in the city. Nearly every adjacent residence has its own intricate details. And besides all the restaurants, bars, and upscale retail, it is strategically located to take in all of the City on the Bay, with the Financial District and Chinatown just East and Fisherman’s Wharf to the north. Take one of the fabled cable cars on its 90-degree angle street, and visitors will pass emblems of historical and cultural divides, such as Grace Cathedral and roads that Steve McQueen made famous in car chases.

With the Pacific minutes away, as well as Napa and Sonoma wine country just to the north, it is clear why San Francisco is considered easily one of the finest culinary ports in the States. Gastronauts plan trips there annually to sample its seafood and other delights. And do not leave the city, or hotel, without asking concierges where to find the best cioppino, the port’s signature seafood stew first cooked up in the 1800s, or the intel on who has the best oysters in town.

Horror movie sequels rarely live up to expectations, but when it comes to scary cigars, Tatuaje just dropped another special-edition stogie collection that’s perfect for spooky season.

The Tatuaje Monsters package is an annual limited series of cigars. Each release since 2008 has been themed after a horror icon, from Frankenstein’s Monster to Dracula, Chucky to Jason Vorhees. Founder Pete Johnson created a total of 14 blends for the monstrous collection, but if you missed out on those releases, you’re in luck because he’s brought them all back for a gift set called the “Monster Smash.” For this 2024 collector’s set, each previous release has been recreated in a uniform size—a 5 1/4 x 52 box-pressed robusto.

That includes all 14 monsters, described somewhat cryptically in the special edition box as follows:

• Frank 
• Drac 
• Face 
• Wolf 
• Mummy 
• JV13 
• Jekyll 
• Hyde 
• Krueger 
• Michael 
• Chuck
• Tiff 
• Bride
• Creature

Tatuaje may not be a luxury name alongside Davidoff and the well-known Cuban brands, but for 21 years, founder Pete Johnson has employed some of the best factories and cigar rollers in Nicaragua and the U.S., and for nearly all of that time his cigars have found their way onto revered lists like the Cigar Aficionado Top 25. 

But the Tatuaje Monster series has an equally long (and for its creator, exhausting) history. Johnson debuted the first Monster—The Frank — in 2008. In homage to Frankenstein’s monster, the cigar was big and squarish. At the time, Johnson sold the limited collection to just 13 brick-and-mortar stores because that was the number he could supply with the tiny run of smokes. The Frank was released in a production of just 666 13-count boxes. 

Those boxes, shaped like coffins, were numbered and decorated differently each year with (fake) blood spatters, ski masks, and other gorgeous artworks in the campy spirit of classic horror films. Johnson released The Drac (a sharply pointed torpedo), The Wolfman (a shaggy-footed torpedo), and a number of other monster-inspired smokes. 

Johnson kept the 13-store format for his future releases, but almost everything else changed—especially demand. “It caught on a little sooner than I expected it to,” Johnson told CigarPress a few years ago.  The 666-box production run was amended with non-collector boxes for fans who just wanted one or two cigars—those afraid of missing out on the occasion but not about to commit to (or even find) a $200 box. 

There have been a few sequels and remakes of these cigars over the years. Johnson released the Littler Monsters about a decade ago, then the Skinny Monsters in 2017, and a 13-cigar Monster Mash in 2021. Halfwheel has a fantastic comprehensive guide if you want to see a release timeline.

This year’s package includes all 14 cigars in a book-like hinged double slide box. For $175, it’s a great way to light up some nostalgia—cinema and cigar alike .But the best news is that Tatuaje produced a total of 13,000 boxes for 2024. While it’s still a relatively small run, at least the prospect of tracking a set down for yourself isn’t as scary as it has been in the past. 

G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stuff for perspectives on drinks, and stuff.