After an exciting start to Whisky Season 2016, we’re back with a few more deals to tell you about. We’ve got a few new barrels of American whiskey that just arrived as well as a shocking end of summer deal that we hope will bring some serious value to your late August cocktails. Let’s not waste any time beating around the bush:

Colorado Whiskey K&L Exclusive

After years out of the market, Stranahan’s is back in a big way. In 2010, Stranahan’s began limiting sales severely to accommodate a distillery expansion and build stocks up from their initial popular release. Now, it’s started to reappear and to great acclaim. First the standard whiskey was released and then late last year their four year old Diamond Peak offering was released. We were excited to find out that they’d started a barrel program and when samples came through we drooled over the quality and complexity. Now, that cask is finally here and drinking better than ever.

Stranahan’s K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Single Malt Whiskey – $54.99 The exceptional Stranahan Colorado Whiskey is one of the original craft distillers. Founded in Denver CO in 2004 by Flying Dog Brewery owner George Stranahan and local firefighter Jess Garber after a fateful meeting at a barn fire, the small production single malt has become a favorite of locals and connoisseurs alike. The whisky is distilled from 100% malted barley and aged in new charred American oak. The dry high altitude climate, cold winters and warm summers create the perfect environment for slow aging malt whiskey. When we were offered a single cask of this special whiskey we jumped on the opportunity. The standard release is uses a base of 2 year with smaller portions of 3 and 5 year whiskey to round out the flavor, but this single barrel was aged a full four years before bottling. The result is something very close to their high-end Diamond Peak offering for a fraction of the price. A big nose of malted grain and sweet caramel cookies. Rich exotic dried fruit and oak spice explode out of the glass after a touch of aeration. On the palate this whiskey is medium bodied without any astringent notes whatsoever. Instead a rich round entry which exhibits dark coffee and sweet oak before transitioning to powerful baking spices on the finish. Altogether one of the best craft whisky we’ve ever seen at any price, but it easily out performs many of it’s competitors at much higher price points.

Speaking of Faultline…

When we ran out of our one-time-only edition of Faultline Blended Scotch a few months back it wasn’t long before I heard the sob stories and the tears. Apparently a number of customers were caught off guard. They thought this whole $25 dollar bottle of preciously-peated Faultline Scotch was going to be a permanent addition to our inventory, not a singular entity that would eventually fade away into the sunset. Unfortunately, I had no other option but to be the bearer of bad news-it was indeed gone forever. Until our importer emailed me last week and said he had found an additional few cases that he had apparently forgotten to deliver. This time I’m going to get out in front of the message: LAST CALL FOR FAULTLINE BLENDED SCOTCH! If this is your baby (like it was ours), then it’s time to load up…

Faultline Blended Scotch Whisky – $24.99 For three long years, David Othenin-Girard and I have been trying to create an inexpensive, delicious, value-driven, yet simultaneously interesting expression of blended Scotch whisky that we could feature under our Faultline label. There were many times when we thought we were close, but either the quality of the whisky or the cost of the barrels proved prohibitive. We didn’t want to make a $25 bottle of whisky just for the sake of it. If we were going to do it, then we were going to it right. Finally, after working on and off with the Laings for a year-long blending process, we hammered out a profile we were happy with. Big smoke, Ardbeg-like peat flavors, and a kiss of sweet grain was our goal and we definitely achieved it in this bottle. Unlike most big brand blends, there are no coloring agents or sweeteners in the Faultline Scotch, just a pale straw colored liquid that bursts with character and, due to the heavy malt content, finishes with richness and weight. We wanted to make sure that, upon launch, there would be absolutely nothing on the market that could match the quality of flavor, price, beauty of design, and bang for the buck. After three long years, we think we’ve done it. For $25 you get one helluva bottle of Scotch. Smokier than Johnnie Black, more complex than Chivas, and less expensive than both of them. Plus, it’s an assertive 100 proof. Try it in a cocktail, pour it over ice, add in soda water. It’s the real deal.

A New Single Barrel from Jim Beam

While Beam may have hired Mila Kunis to do its commercials, the distillery won’t need to invest much in marketing if it can continue to offer single barrels like this one to key retail accounts. Our latest selection K&L cask selection from Beam’s gigantic warehouses is a bright, supple, and incredibly balanced Bourbon that brings serious value to the single barrel category. While we know most people prefer the more boutique labels of Booker’s and Basil Hayden, don’t sleep on this guy. It’s pretty freakin’ delicious:

Jim Beam K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #JB5456 Kentucky Bourbon – $34.99 There’s a lovely sweetness that envelopes the sense from the first sip and sways between sweet vanilla and earthy grains all the way across the palate to the finish. It’s not an anomaly by any means; it’s classic Jim Beam. But with the flurry of cinnamon and cloves on the finish and the pleasant presence of sweet charred oak still glowing minutes after you’ve swallowed, this is truly a keeper. A must try for those who have continually overlooked Beam’s namesake label in favor of the “craftier” Booker’s, Baker’s, and Basil Hayden’s.

Laphroaig Lore Arrives!

I’m happy to announce we’ve finally received our initial shipment of Laphroaig Lore-a whiskey we first talked about back in May. It’s been a while since Laphroaig released anything in the $100+ range. It’s been one of the most reliable and price conscientious malts over the past few years, releasing a continuous line of affordable and delicious special edition whiskies like the Cairdeas and limited 15 year old expressions. The Lore is a bit pricier and it uses older whiskies in the mix. It’s a blend of 7 and 21 year old Bourbon casks, 9 year old full-term quarter casks, along with a few sherry and European oak casks for extra flavor. It’s richer, darker, more savory, and far more dense than what’s currently available in the portfolio. And it’s on the shelf now!

Laphroaig “Lore” Islay Single Malt Whisky – $119.99 It stands out from the standard Laphroaig portfolio in a big way. It’s richer, darker, more savory, and far more dense. It tastes like you’re drinking a very old whisky while simultaneously taking a sip of something much younger. Unlike the bright, medicinal peat that explodes off the bat in the 10 year old, the Lore takes you much deeper into the peat bog with more earth, more weight, and more rancio from the sherry influence.

David Driscoll K&L Spirits Buyer

daviddriscoll@klwines.com

650.556.2736

http://spiritsjournal.klwines.com/