New K&L Exclusives from Scotland’s Finest Distillers – Scotch Whisky News
New K&L Exclusives from Scotland’s Finest Distillers
It’s official. Scotch season has finally arrived! To celebrate, we’ve assembled a trio of sure-fire winners that are guaranteed to scratch your whisky itch. Under the “Sovereign” label are a pair of stunning drams from Tullibardine and Caol Ila and from “Old Malt Cask” is a powerhouse 21-Year-Old from Ben Nevis.
The Tullibardine is a picture-perfect 10-Year-Old and a delightful follow up to “The Murray,” which we offered earlier this year. In a classic Tulli style, it serves up bright citrus, toasted nut, and sea salt flavors. Its mouth-coating delivery is so enticing it draws you back to the glass time and again. At $50, this Highland malt is a smashing value. Simply put, we couldn’t be more pleased with this brilliant selection.
Next up, is the Caol Ila 7 Year Old. Like poetry in a bottle, this Sherry-finished single malt is a perfect encapsulation of everything we love about this Caol Ila. Powerful, yet with an understated elegance, it graces the palate with wafts of smoke, sea breeze, iodine, bacon fat, and toffee. A breathtaking Islay, this is bound to become a fast favorite among Caol Ila fans.
Last, but by no means least, is mammoth 1997 Ben Nevis 21 Year Old. Built on a massive scale, it deftly blends the raw power of Ben Nevis with range and complexity of first-fill sherry butt. Honey, salted toffee, graham cracker and so much more are all at play. That it’s priced just under $100 is nothing short of remarkable. But, that’s where having close relationships with the distilleries pays off.
As is always the case with these exclusive single casks, there isn’t much to go around. So, when they are gone they are gone for good. With winter finally upon us, now is the time to stock up on these inspired single malts.
For more on the 2018 whisky season, check out our recent blog post.
| Vintage | Item Name | Retail | Link |
| 2008 | Tullibardine 10 Year Old “Sovereign” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) | $49.99 | View |
| 2010 | Caol Ila 7 Year Old “Sovereign” K&L Exclusive Single Sherry Finished Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) | $49.99 | View |
| 1997 | Ben Nevis 21 Year Old “Old Malt Cask” K&L Exclusive Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) | $99.99 | View |
Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 31, 2018
I get asked all the time what my favorite whiskey is. It’s an impossible question to answer without a lot of context caveats, but what does hold true for any candidate in the “best whiskey” category is they offer value. This gem from Tullibardine offers extreme value. For 50 bucks, this hits so many high points. It’s fresh and full of bright fruit. It offers a huge spectrum of flavors from a salty earthy tone straight through cut grass, caramel, cereal grain, and white florals. All the while it has the full and oily texture you’d expect from any Highland Scotch. While we still have a little warm weather, this is at the front of my liquor cabinet; a perfect afternoon whiskey!
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 31, 2018
The odd and loveable little distillery in the Southern Highland is so compact and quaint it’s almost laughable. The distillery is right off the road in the tiny town of Blackford and the visitor center is at the far end of a little mini-mall next to a Baxters. They’ve done a great job to take this tiny space and create a veritable Single Malt experience, but crossing over the little burn to the distillery you notice how incredibly tight the space actually is. The distillery’s French owners sell most of the malt in France and this is the first Tulli we’ve ever bought. This whisky fits perfectly in a difficult to hit under $50 price point and offers some serious highland character. I highly recommend a drop of water as the first nosing has a malty gravelly quality, while the palate is full of bright fresh citrus fruit. With a drop of water the earthy grain falls completely away and you’re left with a perfect little aperitif style malt that brings just the right amount of subtle floral quality, pure cereal notes and zippy citrus peel. The texture is creamy with a little hint of Szechuan pepper to keep it from feeling cloying. If you’re a fan of a malt driven style and don’t mind a bit of an aperitif in the afternoon, this will be the perfect whisky for you.
Neal Fischer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 30, 2018
I’ve always had an appreciation for the bottlings that trickle out of Tullibardine, and in my opinion there are never enough. This cask chosen by Signatory lives up to my expectations with a nose of vanilla bean, heavy cream, cedar wood, red licorice, great floral notes of rose and lilac, and a nutty almond quality. The palate has more spice presence with clove and cinnamon, and an addition of water brings out these spices even more revealing cayenne and also adds a nice viscosity.
Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 29, 2018
This is a single malt for someone who is looking for an easy to drink and enjoy whiskey. The nose is sweet and waxy with a very subtle savory nuances. In the mouth it is mouth coating , round and rich, with a juicy malt liveliness.It offers all of this but it is not too heavy or out of balance.
We love to when our friends at Hunter Laing bring us young peaters to try. We’ve done several of these casks of Caol Ila in the past, but I don’t think we’ve ever come across one as absolutely perfect as this little monster. Now some people will notice the description is quiet unusual, a Sherry Finished Butt. We usually expect these young peaters to get filled in to old hoggies and often stay there until we come across them 5-6 years later. Maybe they would have thrown is into an ex-sherry cask for a year or so to ace’d. Now we’ve moved into a whole new territory. The Laing’s are taking used sherry butts, filling them with sherry for a year or so and then filling fresh young Caol Ila malt in there. The result is much more significant sherry influence than you’d ever see with a quick 6-12 month finish. I’m not sure why there isn’t more stuff like this coming from the distillery or even independents yet, but there’s no question that the Laing’s have cracked the code here. There’s so much going on in such a small elegant reasonable package. What’s even more incredible is that the sherry doesn’t muck up the gorgeous purity of the Caol Ila smoke, instead it just sits perfectly around the ages adding depth and nuance. This whisky loves water and swims like fish. Definitely don’t miss this special little whisky because while it looks available right now, once people start tasting it, I’m certain they’re going to load up. If you love peaters and can afford it, stock pile this one.
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 31, 2018
Oh Caol ila. We love you so much. There’s just something about this malt that gets me everytime. It doesn’t have the fanfare or mystery of the distillers on the southern coast (Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Laphroaig), but it does have some of the best peated malt in the world. Often when the super geeks lament the loss of legends like Port Ellen, we must reminded ourselves that we have a living legend near the little Port Askaig. Few seem to truly appreciate it majesty mostly because the owners don’t care to make a big deal of it. But, this wonderful cask is something we rarely ever see – sherried Caol Ila! We’ve had Caol Ila finished in sherry before but here we’ve got an old used butt refreshed in Scotland with new sherry. After some time seasoning it was filled with this Caol Ila for a true maturation not just a finish. The result is not something hinting toward a sherried peater, but instead the full hog real deal. It almost feels like cheating. Apparently cheating tastes great sometimes because this stuff is on another level. Deep roasty bbq smoke, dense nutty toffee, leather, tar and salted fruit. The big bold peat (ozone, iodine, bacon smoke and leather) continues on the palate, but is tempered with a sweet dried fruit and smoldering cedar. With water it lightens a bit but keeps its hefty character and rich texture. Adding a bit of salinity and some burnt citrus peel which makes it feel almost refreshing. For some this will easily be the best value whisky of the year. Others might appreciate the depth and complexity. For the peat haters we have other things for you.
Neal Fischer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 30, 2018
This Caol Ila wants you to sip it slowly for long winter contemplation… Reflect on your year as you roll this sweet and smoky whisky around your tongue with its notes of cherry wood, light mesquite, charcoal, old leather, medley of dried and candied fruits, and a super long finish that ties everything together.
Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 28, 2018
Young single malts from Islay can be really nice and delicious. This selection from Sovereign helps present proof for this statement. It has pleasant, pretty smoke and malt aromas. In the mouth it is round with a creamy mouthfeel.With a splash of water it opens up with smoke and subtle salt and savory flavors coming forward. A great value at this price.
Ben Nevis sits just at the base of its namesake, Scotland’s highest mountain. A coastal distillery in the Western Highlands, Ben Nevis draws its water from the Allt a’Mhuilinn which originates from two pools, Coire Leis and Coire na’Ciste, which are both sited a good way up the mountain. The distillery was founded in 1825, by the gloriously named ‘Long John’ MacDonald, for whom the renowned Long John blended Scotch was named. After Long John’s death in 1856, ownership was passed down to Donald McDonald, his son. In 1989, the distillery was sold to the Japanese distiller Nikka and that’s where most of the malt is used (both in blends and malt for the Japanese market). We’ve always loved this special idiosyncratic distillery on the gorgeous western coast of Scotland. The thick weighty malt that’s produced here is often too much too handle in the 3rd and 4th fill barrels we often see from the IBs. But when great Ben Nevis is filled into a first fill bourbon or sherry butt, there’s absolutely nothing like it. This cask is rich with funky malty aromatics, but not over the top. A medium amber hue and tons of texture, the most shocking thing about it though is the incredible price. We’re very lucky to have an advantageous exchange rate and some really serious negotiating power. The oily richness of Ben Nevis loves plenty of air and a dab of good spring water will really help open this monster up.
Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 31, 2018
You can nearly smell the weight of this dram. The aroma is dense, waxy, pungent. It reminds me of an amped up version of Cointreau or Grand Marnier – tons of bitter orange peel, all of the viscosity, but none of the sugar. The sherry is perfectly integrated providing a salty edge and a slight rancio note. A little bit of water opens up the floral and fruity components of the whiskey and provides a softer, gentler drinking experience. This is a work horse whiskey perfect for any occasion or Scotch lover.
Neal Fischer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 30, 2018
This 21 year old offering from Ben Nevis has developed a lot of deep flavors after its prolonged aging and Sherry Butt maturation. It’s delicious with components of deep caramel, honey-graham cookies, salted toffees, old leather, dried peaches, chocolate-covered berries, wildflower honey, beeswax, and just a bit of an oxidized Sherry note. Scrumptious!
Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 29, 2018
Ben Nevis produces very interesting and tasty single malts. This 21 year old single malt is absolutely fantastic. The nose is very expressive with wax, honey and distinctive savory notes. In the mouth this continues with a nice mixture of the above flavors. This single malt is delicious, interesting, complex and a very good value.
