• 1988 Balmenach 25 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($149.99)
  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 25 year old single cask of Speyside goodness for a very fair price. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)

• 1997 Dailuaine 16 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($79.99)
  Dailuaine is a lovely little whisky. I don’t love it any less now that I’ve been chased off the distillery grounds. In fact the whole complex is very unusual. When we were there this year it seemed as though an endless amount of construction was at a standstill. This is also where Diageo has their “D00ark0m Grains” processing facility, which turns the spent barley into pellets for animal feed. The dark industrial dreeriness of this distillery, hidden in a hollow not far from the hill of Rinnes, totally flies in the face of the wonderfully fresh and vibrant malt that they produce. We were actually considering bottling this at 46% because we really liked how it took water, but when we saw how reasonable the cask strength price was we decided to give you the option at home. This has a very classically Dailuaine nose of fresh malt, white pepper, and green apples. It’s very off the oak and on the malt. On the palate, the pomace nature continues, with a rich oily maltiness that gives it length. Slight hints of brown sugar, almond, and vanilla pop up with water. That big malty side is tamed perfectly with the addition of water and brings out more subtle aromas on the palate. Now we have some exotic barks, subtle herbal notes, and some baked apple qualities. All in all this is a really fun whisky at an absolutely unbeatable price. (David Othenin-Girard, Spirits Buyer)

• Cedar Ridge K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Iowa Bourbon 750ml ($59.99)
  Amid all the controversy in the craft whiskey market these days (e.g. sourced whiskey, label laws, ridiculous prices, and all too often poor quality) a choice few distillers have sat quietly back and focused on producing excellent quality product and trying to sell it for a relatively reasonable price. Cedar Ridge is heading for that select group. Founded in 2005 by Jeff & Laurie Quint, they distill all their products in an 80 gallon European pot still. Their bourbon was released in 2010, the FIRST Iowa Bourbon (wow) to be released since prohibition and they’ve been aging stocks for over 7 years now. The mashbill is 75% corn, 10% rye and 15% malted barley and Cedar Ridge fills 53 gallon new charred Missouri Oak barrels. This is, for me, is one of the few bourbons wholly produced by one of the new wave of craft distillers to rival the quality of the industry leaders in Kentucky. It is one of the first craft distilleries to offer us bourbon over 4 years old in single full size barrels at full strength. The nose is all sticky caramel and spice. Hints of cinnamon covered apples, dried underbrush, and sweet oak. Textural nuance at the full 57.9%, showing a medium to full body that turns up the spices and sweet grain notes on the tongue whiles balancing with a mild drying oak and a great rich cocoa finish. There is no question that the little distillery in Swisher, Iowa is one to watch.

• Cut Spike Nebraska Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($59.99)
  At first we couldn’t believe our mouths. We knew that Cut Spike single malt had just taken Double Gold honors at the 2014 San Francisco Spirits competition (the highest possible honor), so obviously other people thought it was good, too. But after tasting so many mediocre American attempts at single malt whisky, we had become accustomed to the idea that the Scottish style of distillation would never be recreated here at home. There would be spin-offs, and experimental gasps at greatness, but that supple, malty profile would simply be something we needed to import from abroad. Then the folks at Cut Spike sent us a sample of their two year old Nebraskan single malt whisky made from 100% malted barley on a pot still crafted in Rothes, Scotland. Fermented at the brewery next door to Cut Spike in La Vista, the malt was matured for two years in new American oak with varying levels of char. The result is an incredible hybrid: soft, barley and vanilla-laden whisk y that tastes somewhat like your standard Scottish single malt, but has its own unique character simultaneously. It’s the kind of whisky that you taste once and enjoy, but then the next day suddenly crave intensely. It impresses you instantly, yet doesn’t really reveal its full character until weeks later. The new oak blurs seamlessly into the malty mouthfeel, adding a richness on the finish normally not tasted in standard Scottish selections. Cut Spike is a major accomplishment for American distillation, pure and simple.

K&L Wine Merchants
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