TOP PICKS
Scotland – Single Malt Scotch
Bunnahabhain Toiteach Peated Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($85.99)
Caol Ila 20 Year Old Hart Brothers Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($139.99)
Glen Grant Major’s Reserve Single Malt 750ml ($26.99)
Scotland – Spirits Pre-Arrival
1990 Aberlour 21 Year Old K&L Exclusive “Exclusive Malts” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($89.99)
For all the esoteric, exotic, and out-of-the-ordinary casks of single malt we plan on bringing back from Scotland this year, we feel the need to balance them out with some sure-fire, no-nonsense whiskies that offer old-fashioned quality for a fantastic price. The Exclusive Malt warehouse outside of Glasgow offered us so many fantastic expressions at great prices that we couldn’t help but take every one of them. Perhaps the most impressive of the bunch was a 21 year old cask of Aberlour, one of the most popular Speyside distilleries around. With the recent upsurge in sales for their 12 year old and A’Bunadh single malts, we knew the time was right for an older expression that built upon the foundation of flavor our customers love so much: sweet barley, rich vanilla, hints of creme brulee and burnt sugar, with a rich and opulent finish. At 51.1%, the whisky is easily drinkable at the bottled cask strength, but a drop of water really opens up the palate to more complexity. The less-than-10 year old cask strength A’Bunadh sells for $60 on the shelf, but for an extra $30 we’re offering more than a decade of extra barrel aging and far less sherry-dominated character. This is the bottle you buy for someone who likes Scotch whisky of any kind. It’s very, very tasty and just about everyone can get behind its classically-styled flavor. A ripe deal from a fantastic new bottler. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits buyer)
1984 Benriach 27 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single PX Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($179.99)
While tasting through the cask samples at Glendronach, David and I noticed a few older barrels from Benriach as well, its sister distillery run by the same ownership group. We’ve really championed the former whisky, but Benriach has always remained in the background at K&L. We like the whisky, especially the fantastic new 12 year expression, but it had never lit a fire under us. However, when David noticed that one of the casks was dated “1984,” our curiosity instantly peaked. During the early 80’s, when Benriach was still owned by Seagrams, the distillery was known as an experimental laboratory, turning out all kinds of interesting malts, some of them heavily peated. We poured ourselves a sample, noted the rich sherry color, and suddenly the whiff of peat smoke tickled our noses. This was one of those storied whiskies – a PX sherry-aged peated whisky of 27 year old maturity with the same integration of richness and smoke that one finds in old Islay malts or the legendary peated Brora. In fact, David and I were so floored by the quality, we thought it was better than some of the older Lagavulins and Broras we had tasted. “No one is going to believe us if we talk that way,” I said, but the truth couldn’t be denied. This whisky is phenolic, oily, briny, supple, chewy, rich, raisined, and smoky. It hangs with the great aged island malts, but priced far below them. Easily one of the top three whiskies from the trip and destined to become a K&L classic. (David Driscoll, K&L)
1993 Glendronach 18 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($115.99)
On the heels of our Glendronach 16 year old cask–perhaps the most generally beloved of any cask we’ve ever purchased for K&L–we knew we had to look for a quality successor. Even if we couldn’t match the greatness, the concentrated sherry sweetness with that unctuous, chewy, malty goodness, we had to at least try. Our relationship with Glendronach went from non-existent to bosom-buddies in 2011 after our visit. This year, our trip to the remote Highland institution offered us another chance to scour their wonderful selection of aged stocks. First off, we tried some younger 10 to 12 year old casks, but found them less interesting than the already fantastic distillery bottle. Some twenty year old casks were rich and decadent, but they were perhaps too over-the-top. The 18 year old selection, however, smelled of Armagnac and rich caramel with roasted fruits and big sherry aromas. The palate was soft, integrated, and very smooth, even at full proof. The richness was powerful, but unlike the older selections, it was completely in check and balanced by the spice and alcohol in the malt. It offered many of the same characteristics that last year’s cask displayed, but in a more subdued and elegant way. The result is a familiar, yet intriguingly new expression of Glendronach bottled entirely for K&L and it’s the same price as last year’s cask! I find this 18 year to be even more accessible and expect it to be even more successful. (David Driscoll)
United States – Other Spirits
Charbay R5 White Whiskey 750ml – 3 available ($49.99)
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Scotland – Single Malt Scotch
Kilchoman Machir Bay Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($53.99)
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Kilchoman distillery here at K&L. Our recent visit to the distillery on Islay really opened our eyes to the incredible job they’re doing. Kilchoman is a tiny operation, producing on one still and malting whatever they can inside their humble barn. Because of their small scale, their cost of production is higher and prices for their whisky have not been inexpensive. But having tasted the new-make spirit right off the still, I can firmly say that, in my opinion, there is no higher quality peated whisky being produced anywhere else. Kilchoman’s hands-on style and attention to detail make a world of difference. Every release has been better than the last, albeit extremely limited in supply. All that said, this small farm is finally introducing a full-time, affordable, house recipe, rather than another pricey single barrel release. The Machir Bay is not only incredibly delicious, it’s a huge victory for a distillery that had to overcome huge obstacles. At $54, this is what Kilchoman fans have been waiting for: incredibly delicate, finely-tuned flavors of soft smoke, sea salt, creamy vanilla and butterscotch. It’s a more subdued version of their high-toned barrel expressions, but it’s still very much Kilchoman. Think Bruichladdich meets Lagavulin. Think possible best whisky of 2012. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits buyer)
K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com/
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA
