Top Picks at K&L California – Whisky News
August 1st, 2014
- Macallan 30 Year Old Single Malt 750ml – 6 available ($1,899.99)
The mighty 30 year is never available long.
- 1997 Bunnahabhain Heavily Peated 16 Year Old K&L Exclusive Chieftain’s Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($129.99)
When you hear about whisky “shortages,” we’re not necessarily referring to the idea that there’s less actual whisky in the world, just less of it available for purchase. When fear and anxiety about future stocks take hold, companies will begin holding back inventory, dreading the idea of a whisky-less future should their available casks be gobbled up too quickly. This was our experience in 2013 while travelling through Scotland. In 2014, however, some of our partners began throwing us a few bones to test the waters; one of these bottlers was Chieftain’s. After a fruitless crop in ’13, we managed to secure one whole barrel the following year and was it ever a winner. This 1997 Bunnahabhain was part of a heavily peated run by the Islay distillery, resulting in one phenolic blast of a whisky. The sweet-fruited spirit of Bunnahabhain is the first thing you taste when the whisky hits your lips, but then it is utterly obliterated by motor oil, smoke, scorched earth, and more massive smoke. It’s like getting punched in the mouth with a burning chunk of peat moss while trying to savor a piece of hard candy. At 56.1%, the heat of the alcohol only adds to this intensity. The finish lightens the load just a big, as the machinery slows down and mutates into a lovely Ardbeg-like brightness. We only got one single cask of whisky from Chieftain’s this year, but we got the absolute best one they had. It’s not for the weak-hearted, however.
- Four Roses K&L Exclusive OBSF (10 Years Old, 9 Months) Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon 750ml ($59.99)
It’s no secret that we love Four Roses distillery and it’s also not a secret that our K&L Exclusive casks from the Bourbon maker are some of the best whiskies we get each year. However, drinking great Kentucky Bourbon isn’t always enough these days as consumers are always looking for something more to sink their teeth into. That’s why we decided on a little theme for our most recent batch of Four Roses selections. The distillery makes two different mashbills: “E” which uses 75% corn, 20% rye and “B” which uses 60% corn and 35% rye. They also use five different types of yeast, creating the permutation potential for ten different recipes. We decided to pick two yeast strains and see how they interacted with the two different mashbills, side-by-side. In the OBSF cask, the higher percentage of rye comes through on the finish, as the peppery notes and minty flavors from the grain dominate the backend. The nose is all fruit, however, and a bit of water helps to tame that 59% cask strength proof. It’s a different animal than the OESF, which we also brought in this time around as a comparison. The extra boost of rye really gives it that in-your-face spice that many Bourbon fans truly enjoy. It’s a great whiskey for rocks sipping or even a bold Manhattan. (David Driscoll, Spirits Buyer)
- Willett Distillery 2 Year Old Rye Whiskey 750ml ($43.99)
It’s been a long time in the making, but the first batch of 100% Willett-distilled rye is finally here and it’s glorious. For years, Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, run by the Kulsveen family, has been bottling fantastic whiskey under their numerous labels; Willett being just one of the expressions (along with Noah’s Mill, Rowan’s Creek, Johnny Drum, etc.). Willett Distillery was actually founded in the 1930s by former Bernheim superintendent Thompson Willett, but subsequent generations of the family would become disinterested in Bourbon until the distillery finally closed. Evan Kulsveen, who married Willett’s daughter, purchased the abandoned site in 1984 with plans to reopen his father-in-law’s once-great operation. Almost thirty years later, his son Drew and son-in-law Hunter have the site refurbished and back on track. This batch of two year old rye marks the first time the whiskey in a Willett rye bottle has been the product of the W illett distillery and not a purchased barrel from LDI distillery in Indiana. It’s shockingly good considering the young age. Imagine the pure rye flavors of Anchor’s Old Potrero with the cinnamon and baking spices of the Templeton. Bottled at 54.7% ABV, the power and intensity of the whiskey is also on display, but it’s balanced beautifully by the richness. It’s a giant leap forward for the Willett distillery and it’s an exciting day for those of us who have been waiting for this moment for some time.
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
