Hello whisky fans! I want to take this opportunity to welcome you to Whisky Season 2016, that special time of year when we begin revealing our exclusive selections from Scotland to eager single malt fans in search of exciting new spirits. I have to say that while we’ve always done our utmost to find you the most interesting and delicious Scotch whiskies from abroad, we’ve never worked this hard to fix what we’ve felt is an inhibitor to growth within the genre: PRICING. As someone who has spent the last few years trying to find a Bay Area condo that fit my needs and desires, I am hypersensitive to what’s happened in the whisky market over the last few years. In terms of finding value and quality for one’s money, there’s quite a similar correlation. We’ve watched Macallan 25 spike from $450 to $1700 a bottle in less than a decade. We’ve seen quality drop in an effort to stretch supply. We’ve witnessed our favorite marks vanish due to lack of available inventory, the age statement numbers replaced with names. As a whisky drinker it’s likely that none of these developments are new to you. I’m sure you fully understand what’s happened since the brown spirits renaissance hit full swing.
Now that I’m moving into my upper-thirties, I’m finally of an age when I can start saying things like, “Remember when coke cost a nickel?” Well, actually it’s more like, “Remember when MTV actually played music videos?” In any case, I’ve been suffering from nostalgia for the past year, longing for the days when everything made sense to me. Traveling to Scotland this year with my colleague Jeff Jones, we talked ad nauseam about the olden times at K&L, back when you could get eighteen year old whiskies for less than a hundred bucks and we actually had special selections on the shelf year-round. In our search for new single barrels and our meetings with suppliers, I channeled all of those sappy, sentimental emotions into our dealings. While of course I wanted to find great whisky, what I really wanted to do was find a way to bring down the prices. While tasting an old school, no-frills sample of 18 year old Auchentoshan at Douglas Laing, I looked at Jeff and said: “Wow, this is good.” He agreed. “The problem,” I continued, “is that it will probably sell for over a hundred bucks.” But what if we could sell it for around seventy? That would really be something. But how could we do that?
Needless to say, we went to work, got creative, and made a little magic happen. While we’re about to kick of Whisky Season 2016, it’s really more like Whisky Season 2007 in that we’re hoping to channel the excitement and the memory of the previous decade, back when whisky stocks we’re ample and affordable. This first round is meant to grab your attention. It’s meant to straighten up your backs a bit; to make you say, “Huh? Really?” We’ll have subsequent rounds as the season rolls on and-believe me-the deals are going to be hot and heavy all the way to the end. But enough futzing around; let’s let the whisky speak for itself. Let’s remember what great whisky used to cost back when we were all just starting out in this passionate hobby.
Whisky Season – Round One
1997 Auchentoshan 18 Year Old K&L Exclusive “Old Particular” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky – $69.99 Don’t be fooled by the low price! The fact that we can offer 18 year old, single barrel, cask strength Auchentoshan is a result of our hard work and not the result of sub-par whisky. Not only is this Lowland delight a strikingly delicious single malt whisky, it’s one of the most complex Auchentoshan specimen we’ve had the pleasure of tasting. The palate starts off with a kiss of sweet vanilla, followed by somewhat surprising notes of Earl Grey tea, savory spice, and a combination of citrus and stone fruit. At cask strength, those flavors are slightly muted by the 52.1% ABV, but a few drops of water help to placate that power. We typically sell the standard Auchentoshan 18 year old for $110 per bottle at the watered-down 43% ABV, so to see a release of this nature for $40 less per bottle is indeed shocking. Those looking for lighter, easy-to-drink summer malt can enjoy the sheer drinkability of the Auchentoshan without sacrificing depth, complexity, or intrigue. We’re not sure if we’re more excited to be selling the whisky or drinking it.
1996 Arran 19 Year Old K&L Exclusive “Old Particular” Single Sherry Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky – $69.99 Last year we purchased a 15 year old single sherry butt from Arran that sold for $129.99. Now we’re offering a second cask with an additional four years of age for almost half the price! These are heady times for K&L customers, indeed! This recent arrival from our Old Particular line is lighter on the sherry influence as the cask itself had been used previously to mature whisky, but that only allows the inherent maltiness of the Arran to come through. What the sherry does is simply highlight the toasted grains and the subtle hint of maritime influence, almost like a light frosting on a cake. The weight of the whisky is supple on the palate and the richness comes through on the finish with waves of baking spice, bits of cocoa, and a mealy biscuit note. Arran has been one of our most popular producers over the last five years with more and more customers finding a happy medium in the island distillery’s mild-mannered profile. At no time, however, have we offered an Arran this good for a price this low. Take advantage of our direct-import offer while it lasts! As this is a single barrel, the quantities are finite and we rarely have enough for everyone.
1987 Glenturret 28 Year Old K&L Exclusive “Old Particular” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky – $89.99 It’s rare to see a 25 year old whisky for less than $150 these days, and even when we do see the occasional bottle our first instinct is often to ask: what’s wrong with it? Understanding that natural reaction we had to ask ourselves: how will people respond when we offer them a 28 year old, single barrel, cask strength, Highland single malt for $89.99? We’re hoping you’ll be excited because we’re absolutely thrilled! Glenturret isn’t a household name among whisky drinkers, but for those in the know it’s part of the Edrington portfolio: the group that owns Macallan, Highland Park, and Glenrothes. Glenturret is also considered the oldest distillery in Scotland, having been founded in 1775, and today it’s the home of Famous Grouse: the world-renowned blended whisky in which it plays a large role. This 28 year old expression has reduced naturally down to a perfectly-drinkable 46.4% ABV and has the richness, oiliness, and concentration that only mature whisky can offer. It’s full of brandied fruit, resin, supple caramel, and creamy malted goodness. Despite its old age, the whisky is surprisingly lithe and light on its feet. By no means is this a heavy, full-bodied number, but rather a classic Highland whisky with plenty of barrel-aged complexity. For the price, it’s a no brainer. Stay tuned for round two!
We’ve got three new K&L exclusive casks of George Dickel 9 year old 51.5% Tennessee whiskey to talk about! Single cask selections from George Dickel have become some of the most coveted bottles among K&L’s American whiskey customers, mainly because the sweetness and the richness of the Tennessee whiskey seems to come through like a laser beam at the higher proof; taking what is normally a mellow, creamy, and drinkable sour mash whiskey and dialing the intensity up to full speed. We’re also not able to secure K&L single cask selections with the frequency that we’re able to choose barrels from other distilleries, making the Dickel releases that much rarer in the eyes of our customers. People tend to load up when we get them, securing reserves for later on down the road. Here’s the latest (also to note: Diageo does not put cask number indicators on the label, only on the case boxes that the bottles come in. Therefore we’ve added the bottle ID code in the description of each whiskey, which is lasered on to the glass just underneath the barcode on the back):
George Dickel K&L Exclusive 9 Year Old Single Barrel #04L28N54410 – $46.99 Barrel #04L28N54410 begins with hints of dark cocoa and rich wood flavor, but quickly brings in the baking spices and the charred oak goodness. The finish is a Bourbon-esque explosion of pencil shavings, baking spice, and sweet vanilla. A triumph of pure Tennessee whiskey heaven!
George Dickel K&L Exclusive 9 Year Old Single Barrel #05A04B1212 – $46.99 Barrel #05A04B1212 has the most sweet corn flavor on the entry, starting with that classic Dickel mellowness that quickly dials into bold spices, pepper, creme brulee, and charred oak. It continues to crescendo long on the finish with more sweet oak flavors coming through minutes after the last sip.
George Dickel K&L Exclusive 9 Year Old Single Barrel #04L30N55310 – $46.99 Barrel #04L30N55310 is all oak right off the bat and that oak turns into richer, stewier notes of candy corn and charred oak before finishing with a mix of savory and sweet spices. This is like a more friend Four Roses single cask for about $20 less per bottle. A hot deal! That’s it for now! You’re all up to speed. Stay tuned for more updates from Whisky Season 2016 just as soon as we’re ready for round two!
David Driscoll K&L Spirits Buyer
daviddriscoll@klwines.com
650.556.2736 http://spiritsjournal.klwines.com/
