Scotland – Malts

2000 Caol Ila 8 Year Old, Murray McDavid Ridge Zinfandel Finish Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($49.99)

A golden amber color, with a slight rose tint. This independent bottling of Caol Ila is powerful with rich toffee and spicy notes on the palate. Besides the color, the red wine influence from the Ridge Zinfandel casks also shines through in the nose, where dried red fruits intermix with subtle chocolate flavors. The flavor profile is very complex for such a young Islay malt, but the price tag is very low for something so interesting. This is one of the most exciting whiskies we’ve found in a while.

Highland Park 8 year old, Gordon & Macphail, Isle of Orkney Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($34.99)

There’s only one thing you need to say about this bargain-priced dram from the Isle of Orkney’s finest producer Highland Park – you really get your money’s worth of whisky. The straw colored spirit is soft, elegantly sweet and gentle on the entry. It gives way to notes of dried fruits and hints of caramel on the finish. It has all the grace of the twelve year, despite its younger age, and is one of the most easy going whiskies we’ve tasted all year. Every staff member who has tried it has reserved at least one bottle for themselves, so you’re going to have to compete with them. Undoubtedly a great bottle for yourself and so generally pleasing that it would make a great gift for any whisky lover.

1999 Laphroaig 10 Year Old, Murray McDavid Chateaux Margaux Finish Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 12 available ($72.99)

One of the most revered Islay malts married with perhaps the most beloved wine in all of France: a young Laphroaig whisky meets the decadent Chateau Margaux. The color is a delicate amber and rose tint, but that’s where the delicacy ends. Big smoky flavors dance with iodine, seawater, saline notes, and seaweed with rich meaty flavors on the finish and hints of dried red fruits – this is as Islay as it gets without succumbing to the heavy influence of peat. A second taste allows you to prepare yourself for the flavor onslaught and see past it into the rich Cabernet flavors of the Margaux wine. Not for the weak of heart and not for the uninitiated – this is a serious dram!

Visit K&L at http://www.klwines.com/