It’s that special time of year everyone! Perhaps the most exciting day of the Scotch whisky drinker’s schedule is the annual release of Ardbeg’s new committee bottling, a tradition at K&L that never gets old. We never know for sure what new concoction Ardbeg’s head of whisky creation Dr. Bill Lumsden will dream up, but that’s part of what makes the anticipation so much fun! The 2017 Ardbeg Committee Release is called “Kelpie” and it’s named after a mythical beast from the Corryvreckan, but it also alludes to the idea of “kelp” or seaweed. Aged in Russian oak barrels made from Adygea, near Georgia along the Black Sea, the whisky exudes a whirlwind of dark fudge, earthy peat, and of course a healthy dollop of seaweed and salt water flavors.

As if one new release from Dr. Bill Lumsden wasn’t exciting enough, we’re pleased to announce that Ardbeg’s sister distillery Glenmorangie has also allocated its new limited release for 2017 on the same day! The new Glenmorangie “Bacalta,” a Madeira-finished delight that captures the richness and the decadence of the supple Malmsey dessert wine. For those of you who enjoy the “Nectar d’Or” expression finished in Sauternes, the “Bacalta” dials that experience up just a bit, finishing with a candied note that’s as hedonistic as it is heavenly.

Glenmorangie “Bacalta” (750ml) $109.99

A RARE RELEASE OF A QUIXOTIC BLEND FROM HIGH WEST

High West’s latest batch of Bourye, a marriage of Bourbon and rye adorned with the elusive jackalope – a cross between a jack rabbit and an antelope, is back for another limited run. The Park City, Utah outpost only releases the Bourye when they have sufficient quantities of the necessary ingredients, which are getting more and more difficult to secure in today’s market. This latest batch is bottled at 46% ABV and consists of rye and Bourbon whiskies aged 10 to 14 years from MGP Distillery in Indiana, formerly known as LDI and Seagrams. Considering that a simple ten year old American rye whiskey seems to be worth its weight in gold, the fact that High West has included casks of a much older heritage is no simple task. The balance between both the richness of the Bourbon and the spiciness of the rye is quite wonderful here. There are no rough edges, the flavors meander from mellow oak to toasted with vanilla, all with a backbone of peppery rye goodness. We never have the Bourye in stock for long and we’re always handling questions about when we’ll get more. David Perkins continues to captivate us with his American whiskey blends, now considered the gold standard of the industry.

High West Bourye Bourbon/Rye Whiskey (750ml) $69.99

WEST CORK FINISHES WITH A FLOURISH

The West Cork distillery started as a pet project by John O’ Connell, Denis McCarthy and Ger McCarthy in 2003 in Union Hall, West Cork. In 2013 after much expansion WCD moved to a larger distillery in Skibbereen, West Cork where it now resides. It now operates as only one of the few independent distilleries in Ireland. A trio of limited 12 year old releases has just trickled into the U.S. and we’ve been told this will be it as far as inventory until late in 2018. Each finished in a different type of cask (port, sherry, and rum), the soft and creamy Irish whisky takes on just a bit of the character from the barrel it was matured in.

West Cork 12yr “Rum Cask Finish” Limited Edition Single Malt Irish Whiskey $59.99 The rum cask release has a creamy and textural palate of sweet grains with just a bit of that sweet molasses that you would associate with a Caribbean rum.

West Cork 12yr “Port Cask Finish” Limited Edition Single Malt Irish Whiskey $59.99 The port cask release offers a subtle tinge of red fruit and sweet dessert flavor on the finish, but the influence is very delicate and refined.

West Cork 12yr “Sherry Cask Finish” Limited Edition Single Malt Irish Whiskey $59.99 The sherry cask finish takes the subtle sweetness of Oloroso and melds it into the easy-drinking character of the whisky, adding just a bit of chewy richness to the soft vanilla.