• Springbank 18 year Campbeltown Single Malt 750ml ($149.99)
  Whisky Advocate: “A good dose of sherry here, but there’s plenty of Springbank character coming through too! Gobs of ripe, red berried fruit (strawberry, rhubarb, red currant, raspberry), especially on the nose, along with raisin. It’s all on a bed of blueberry pancakes, toffee, and fig cake. Coconut and brine emerge occasionally on the palate and linger on the finish. (Vol. 19, #3)” K&L Notes: Extremely limited quantities available! This is one of Campbeltown’s best values, especially when you consider that the 21 year retails for upwards of $600. This is one of Scotland’s most exciting distilleries and is independently owned. It is essentially mandatory to purchase for all of those Single Malt obsessed, if no other reason than to gloat about actually owning one. Plus it tastes great – classic Campbeltown rusticity balanced by 80% sherry casking. Amazingly, the revamped packaging has not increased the cost and we’ll be able to sell this for less than ever before. Get on board or you’ll miss the boat! “Dusty amber/maize/old gold color; flawless purity. The piquant first aromas are peppery and spicy, as well as spirity/prickly; after another six minutes of swirling and exposure to air, the bouquet turns sawdust/pine plank-like and mildly grainy; one of the less expensive Springbank noses of late. Entry is moderat ely salty/seaweed-like, chewy, oily, buttery, and resiny; midpalate features some smoke elements, plus a dried fruit aspect in the throat. Ends on a salty/maritime note that’s very pleasing indeed and just slightly honeyed/oloroso sherry-like. While very good, it’s not as prodigious or classic as the previous version which I named in the Spirit Journal 130 Top Spirits in the World in the last issue.” Spirit Journal September 2010: 4 stars/Highly Recommended

• 1988 Balmenach 26 Year Old Signatory K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($139.99)
  One point we’ve stressed over and over again to our single malt customers is the need to be open-minded when it comes to finding value. So many enthusiasts lament the end of any affordable value at the higher end of the market, when in reality it’s still there — it’s just hiding under an unassuming name. In this case, that name is Balmenach: a Speyside distillery known more for the Deerstalker label than for its own eponymous selections. We all oohed and ahhed in unison while tasting this whisky from cask at the Signatory warehouse. The aromas were full of ripe stonefruit and salty caramel and it smelled as if a rich palate might be soon to follow. Indeed. The flavors were actually quite woody, but never over done, as the oak melded with the fruit and became almost toffee-ish on the finish. There’s something special about that Signatory warehouse in Pitlochry; the way in which unpeated, light, and fruity whiskies have a way of transforming in to a seamless nectar. We’ve seen it with our previous Ladyburn and Glenlochy casks, and we’re witnessing it again with this hogshead of Balmenach. It’s not quite as evolved as those other two, but man is it tasty. This is fun, fruity, rich, mature, and pleasantly supple single malt whisky. It’s a 26 year old single cask of Speyside goodness for a very fair price. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)

• 1995 Glen Elgin 18 Year Old Signatory K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($79.99)
  This was the first cask that we cracked into on our five hour odyssey at Signatory this year. Five hours and countless casks later, the Glen Elgin was still in my head. Knowing the amount of single malt we needed to get through that day (upwards of thirty casks), getting excited about the first one seemed a bit foolish; however at the end of the day, there it was with a star next to it in my notes. This malt is absolutely delicious, with beautiful texture and a hint of cream from being in barrel for eighteen years, but there is much more than that. It’s rich and fruity, beautifully fresh and lively, with exotic notes of bubble gum and lavender that are incredibly intriguing. The finish lingers with candied fruits and white flowers. Soft and supple to be sure, but lifted and bright, I am glad the Glen Elgin made the list! (Kyle Kurani, Spirits Assistant)

• 1981 Glenlivet 32 Year Old Signatory K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Stre ngth Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($299.99)
  This cask stands in stark contrast to the other old Speysider that Signatory provided for us this year. While Balmenach requires a minor leap of faith, as it’s so unfamiliar to most, the Glenlivet cask faces the exact opposite hurdle. The name is so popular, the expectations for ‘Livet are only outweighed by the typically massive prices we see. That’s why we rarely buy Glenlivet even when it’s available, which is not often. At Signatory, however, they seem to have a stellar connection for great sherry aged Glenlivet. While there’s no question that these are blue chip stocks, they still represent a solid value for any lover of old Speyside whisky. This special whisky was matured for 32 years in a gorgeous sherry hogshead. By gorgeous, I mean the actual barrel was physically attractive, ultra high quality oak from a top producer of sherry. The result is a stark reminder of what makes single malt so incredible. This is what happens when you p ut great whisky into great wood and forget about it for 3 decades. It is an exercise in extreme balance. Powerfully pungent without being overpowering, richly textured without being heavy, it has that wild complexity at the confluence between the aromas of sherry and aged Speyside single malt. It may not be from some rare closed distillery, but old ‘livet is a rarity in its own right. Nothing in the price range beats it right now and since this is cask strength from a hogshead, we expect fewer than 140 bottles. (David Girard, Spirits Buyer).

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