http://www.eddriscoll.com/archives/008418.php
On Her Majesty’s Secret Smirnoff
By Ed Driscoll · The Substance of Style
There’s a line spoken by James Bond in Goldfinger that I never could figure out: during his briefing with M and Col. Smithers, the character who hands Bond a gold bar to bait Goldfinger, Bond sniffs a decanter of brandy and rolls his eyes, prompting M to ask what’s wrong with it. Bond replies, “I’d say it was a 30-year-old Fine indifferently blended, sir. With an overdose of Bon Bois.”
Say what? Fortunately, this well-written Website explains all:
For those of us who don’t speak brandy, Cognac can be made with grapes from six different growing areas within the Cognac region, with each area distinguished by its soil. Fine (or Fins) Bois and Bon Bois are two of these areas. Grapes from these two areas are not considered to be as high in quality as those from the Grande Champagne or Petite Champagne areas, hence 007’s remark.
Glad we cleared that up! The site also explores every drink from every Bond book and movie, including the Vesper, a potent 007 variation on the Martini, which I’ve made a couple of times myself.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I shall fix myself a martini. One that’s “large and very strong and very cold and very well-made.”
abb
[Glad we cleared that up!]
Lol, thanks abb. I looked up Bon bois on Google and got some odd results. Then I tried the dictionary and it wasn’t there, so that’s why I asked.
devolve probably knows all this stuff by heart too, thanks for the link.
Enjoy the martini, and uh - stir it up!!
By the way, I remember well reading that Ian Flemming said that James Bond “wasn’t an especially admirable man, prone to excess and self indulgence...”