Sigh.  Donald Trump is pretty much everywhere you go and now he’s gotten into bed with tea, so he’s inescapable now.

Trump Organization and Talbott Teas have just launched a new line of premium teas bearing the Trump logo, Trump Tea.

There are four whole leaf tea blends created by Talbott Teas’ master blender Shane Talbott and named for some of Trump’s favorite places.

The Park Avenue blend combines orange and raspberry teas with white tea leaves to create a naturally sweet tea with a silky texture that is rich in antioxidants. The Union Square blend is whole-leaf estate Assam black tea with hints of bourbon vanilla bean and cocoa. The Mar-A-Lago blend is Sencha green tea and the Westchester blend is rosehips, hibiscus, elderberry and antioxidant-rich organic blueberries.

Whisky might not be as glamorous as wine or champagne but that’s not stopping makers from coming out with really swanky ones.

Chivas Brothers (makers of the popular Scotish whisky Chivas Regal) created the Royal Salute Whisky back in 1953 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Royal Salute’s the only range to be aged 21 years and older.

Since then, the Royal Salute Whisky’s had four master blenders who safeguard the process to maintain the same quality. A special range – the 62 Gun Salute – is the only one to be aged 40 years and above. It’s considered as Chivas’ nod to the four master blenders.

It will go on sale towards the end of 2010 priced at $2,200.

Wow, just looking at this DeLonghi ESAM3500 Magnifica Automatic Espresso Machine brings tears of lust and appreciation to my eyes.  This luxury espresso maker is not only one of the highest recommended coffee machines in its price range but also one of our personal favorites.

With a very handy one touch latte and cappuccino button, making specialty drinks is easier than a luxurious snap.

With the digital programmable menu settings, you can adjust the start time, auto shut-off and clock. You can even adjust the temperature of the coffee and water hardness. Choose from the five settings of coffee strength: extra-mild, mild, regular, strong and extra-strong

The price of this espresso maker usually runs higher than $1300, but it looks like there’s an eBay auction just for you with a Buy It Now price of $999.

Check out a demo of the ESAM 3500 Digital Espresso Machine here:  http://cache.vendaria.com/vpop/VpopV6.html?ct=13&ctname=&fw=600&fh=450&logo=126&fv=10&ap=vnd_delonghi_esam3500_espresso_machine&fl=vfiJjjkdMQUbfcbVUabkMjUQiVfFfgddciVk_other_EN003504500600.swf&purl=MAIN_delonghi_esam3500_espresso_machine&iid=obnpfzJLKIvqLumuuquLfwIKILqmIm&bg=FFFFFF&nm=BZOpener&curl=&err=0&title=Vendaria%20Media&tp=

Who else but Rolls-Royce would offer the luxury world this most lavish Picnic Cabinet Set?  Made from the highest quality woods and leathers, this Rolls-Royce Luxury Picnic Cabinet Set is yet another way to stay luxurious this summer.

Whether on the beach or in the mountains, this lavish picnic set includes a cutting board, host of knives, plates, glasses and all the luxury you could ask for.  Available exclusively through Rolls-Royce.

Every now and again we like to ramble through eBay listings for some luxury steals and that’s just what this Delonghi Magnifica Automatic Espresso Machine is, a steal of a luxury deal.

At a starting bid of just $399.99, this Italian espresso machine usually will cost you around $700 and up, which is why we love eBay so very very much.

This espresso machine will not only grind your coffee beans for you, but also make some of the best espresso you’ve ever had outside Italy.  With a steamer/frother attached to the machine, you will want for nothing in this luxurious coffee appliance.

Well this is one for the books, Absolut Vodka has given in to all the rage and worked with Swedish designer Philipp Plein to collaborate on a Limited Edition Swarovski-Encrusted Absolut Vodka bottle.

Made using precious stones and Swarovski crystals to highlight a skull-shaped addition to the vodka bottle, this new creation is certainly one of a kind, as the $135 price tag suggests.

La Maison Ruinart, the oldest established champagne house in the world, celebrated the 50th anniversary of its 1959 Dom Ruinart

Maarten Baas Melting Collection Ice Bucket

Blanc de Blancs in 2009 and decided to honor the occasion by commissioning a work of champagne-related art from Dutch artist Maarten Baas.

The Melting Collection Ice Bucket is what resulted, a beautiful shining silver bucket and its lid dissolving helplessly into a puddle on the table.

Only 50 will be produced, delivered in a felt-lined leather and wood presentation box complete with a ‘made-for-display’ water-filled Dom Ruinart bottle.

Price: $8,800

It’s that time of the year boys and girls!

Neiman Marcus unveils their 2009 Christmas Book.

Neiman-Marcus has unveiled the 2009 Christmas Book.  Oh happy days and damn any recession because we have visions of cupcake-shaped electric cars for the kiddos, the world’s fastest electric motorcycle, and dinner with some of today’s bestselling authors.  These are just a few of the fantasy gifts for sale in Neiman Marcus’ 2009 Christmas book.

Dallas-based Neiman Marcus made a conscious effort to offer more affordable options while not disappointing loyal luxury shoppers as it unveiled its Christmas Book at the Dallas Contemporary.

Among this year’s offerings are a customized Cupcake Car for kids that costs $25,000 and reaches top speeds of 7 miles per hour. For adults, there’s a 2010 Jaguar XJL super-charged sedan, priced at $105,000. Neiman Marcus customers will be the first to be able to purchase the vehicle, which comes with a 5-piece set of luggage that matches its leather interior.

This year’s his-and hers gift – an annual tradition – is an ICON A5 sports aircraft, with pilot training for two. It costs a mere $250,000.

At $200,000, the Algonquin Round Table Experience includes dinner for two at New York’s Algonquin Hotel with Malcolm Gladwell, John Lithgow, Nora Ephron with eight famous authors, including and Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

About 40 percent of this year’s catalog items are priced under $250.

The luxury retailer’s his-and-hers gifts and other over-the-top holiday gift ideas represent a tradition that dates back to the 1950s. Stanley and Edward Marcus started picking attention-grabbing gifts to get the store on national TV, and it still works.

Last year, the Dallas-based retailer offered all 530 square yards of one of the end zones at Texas Stadium and a party to go with it for $500,000. His-and-hers gifts were life-size Lego likenesses of the buyers for $60,000 apiece.

A limited-edition 2009 BMW Individual 7 Series sedan offered a year ago didn’t sell out. Thirty-one were offered to represent the number of years that BMW has been selling in the U.S. A car has been part of the catalog for many years and has been known to sell out in a matter of minutes.

Luxury has been hard hit by the recession and has experienced some of the biggest sales declines. Neiman Marcus is adding more merchandise in its middle price points this year, while it continues to sell its highest priced luxury brands.

For the second year, Neiman Marcus is publishing a separate holiday book featuring “giftable” items, many under $100.

The Macallan 57 Lalique, “The Finest Cut“, is an extremely rare single malt scotch that is housed within an exquisite

Macallan 57 Lalique Scotch.

limited edition decanter.

Containing the rare 57 year old single malt whiskey from the famous Speyside Distillery (founded in 1824), the decanter is available by special order only beginning in October.

Macallan’s has made recent news because of the recent record breaking sale of one of their 50th anniversary bottles for £11,750.

The legendary French crystal house, Lalique, has produced the limited edition decanters which are individually numbered.   Of the 400 being produced, only 72 will be available in the U.S.

~~ Raine Devries

TWG Tea Company is based in  Singapore and recently opened their ION Orchard Tea Shop where you can sample up

TWG Tea Company offers more than 800 blends of tea.

to 400 teams from amongst their more than 800 teas.   (Rest assured they offer accessories and petit fors as well to the discerning palate).

The pinnacle of the tea collection is undoubtedly the Yellow Gold Tea a.k.a. T601 which is the world’s most expensive tea.   It achieves this status because not only is it incredibly challengeing to acquire, it’s also painted with actual gold.

However, the journey of this particular blend is only harvest on one mountain in the world and on one particular day of the year and only with golden scissors that prune from the top of the tree which is where the tea bud is located.

These illustrious buds are then sun dried and placed within sealed containers to slightly heat the tea leaves which allows them to release the plyphenols which is what gives the team it’s yellowish hue and provides a soft taste.

TWG offers the world's most expensive tea.

The tea is then painted with 24-carat gold flakes which is considered very good for you in both luck and health (what with gold being a mineral after all) and provides the tea with a beautiful shimmer.

This particular blend of tea sells for $150 Singapore for 50 grams (US$106).  That amount will brew you approximately 25 cups of tea.

~~ Raine Devries