This sherry's not really for kids

[Photo/China Daily]

In Spanish tradition, proud parents with more than pocket change celebrate the christening of a child with a "los ninos" (children's) cask, a barrel of fine sherry. One of rarest gems of this kind is Barbadillo Versos 1891, a luxury Amontillado sherry from a leading Spanish winemaker's personal collection.

The cask was a gift created for the baptism of former Barbadillo director, poet and sherry expert Manuel Barbadillo when he was born in 1891.

With only 100 bottles in existence, this deep-mahogany colored nectar is now offered by the British wine and spirits merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd in Hong Kong for HK$89,450 ($11,527).

"The exclusive sherry fills the palate with intense nutty, woody and rich dried-fruit flavors, indicating its age," BB&R exults in a press release.

The collector's item has been bottled in fine crystal glass that has been individually carved and etched with gold, while the bottle neck and the cork is hand painted with platinum, all presented in a fine Spanish leather box.