Our spirits team is building their next container out of Scotland; as a result, we have a bevy of exceptional pre-arrival finds. Craigellachie, Glengoyne, Caol Ila, and Glenfiddich are but a few of the brands represented. Buying on pre-arrival is always the smart choice, as not only are you assured the bottles you want, but you also are getting exceptional savings. Our team has carefully vetted these, so no matter which direction you take, you’ll be rewarded with an exceptional dram.

This week’s highlights include:

2006 Behind The Highlander (Craigellachie) 14 Year Old “Hepburn’s Choice” K&L Exclusive Single Refill Sherry Butt Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) $59.99 View

If you’ve ever been to the Highlander Inn you’ll know all to well that’s it’s dangerously close to two of Scotland’s best distilleries. One has become so ubiquitous that it’s name does not even connote Scotch any longer, but simply luxury. The other is the rugged and rustic dark horse (formerly owned by White Horse!) Craigellachie. They’re putting out some of the very best malt anywhere in Scotland to little fanfare. The still house has been reconstructed in the modern era and looks similar to Glendronach’s, a stone and glass box, which isn’t so pretty from the outside, but gives the distiller plenty of air and space to work. It wasn’t until recently that the owners, Bacardi, began marketing this excellent malt on its own although the vast majority of this whisky still ends up in the Dewars blend. Built in 1891 on the cliffs across from Macallan, if you miss the turn off to Dufftown, you’ll miss Craigellachie, but the next road takes you right to the Highlander Inn. There you should stop and taste the local dram of choice. Or save a trip and try this awesome little cask. Age for 14 years in a refill sherry butt, the malt has all the classic hallmarks of this awesome distillery. Dense and chewy, without being totally overtaken by the sherry, the malt offers plenty of deep herbal character, powerful savory spice and complex cacao flavors. This malt was teaspooned with a homeopathic quantities Dailuaine to declassify it, but the flavors and quality remains at the highest level.

2008 Glengoyne 11 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive PX Sherry Finished Single Cask Strength Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) $69.99 View

Glengoyne is all about patience. Everything they do is slow. The picturesque little distillery sits on the border of the highlands and lowlands. In fact, the road that divides the distillery and its warehouses IS the border. They sport some of the longest fermentation times in all of Scotland and some of the slowest stills as well. These longer processes coupled with a massive amount of available copper lead to an unabashedly fruity and super clean spirit. The real magic of Glengoyne is in the fact that it retains enough stuffing to play perfectly with heavy sherry influences. Indeed the distillery bottling nearly all focus on sherry maturation. This particular exclusive bottling from Old Particular has been finished in PX Sherry leading to the very best of both worlds. Not only do you get the ripe stone fruits and vanillas of the spirit and hogshead maturation, you also get to savor the deep, sweet, nutty flavors of Spain’s finest dessert wine and Scotch fan’s favorite finishing cask.

2010 Islay Straight (Caol Ila) 10 Year Old “Sovereign” K&L Exclusive Single Sherry Butt Finish Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) $69.99 View

Anyone who has taken the fairy to the Isle of Islay from Kennacraig to Port Askaig has seen this special distillery from a unique vantage point. As you motor up the Islay Straight to the port the ferry begins a big sweeping turn into harbor and you get a spectacular view off the starboard side of Caol Ila’s warehouses and massive distillery. It’s a special introduction to the spectacular beauty of Islay. If you were to skip the port and carry on up the straight you find Bunnahabhain, and so it was a natural choice for the teaspoon of liquid gold we needed to add to the cask and bring the price of this 10 year down far below the $100 mark. Caol Ila’s natural fruity and smoky profile meshes wonderfully with a sherry butt finish that adds an impressive dark color and nutty flavor to a perennial favorite.

1998 Archiestown Adjacent (Dailuaine) 22 Year Old “Hepburn’s Choice” K&L Exclusive Single Refill Hogshead Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) $109.99 View

Dailuaine was built in 1852 in the tiny hamlet of Charlestown-of-Aberlour. The water for fermentation comes from the Bailliemullich Burn and it boast 3 sets of stills and the wash stills feature an unusual pinched neck design that gives the lower neck a lip adding to the refluxive properties of the still. Despite our best efforts, Dailuaine remains an underappreciated Speyside glory. That’s mainly because the owners do so little to promote this great malt as it’s so crucial to the structure of their many popular blends. It sits in a little valley just across the River Spey from the tiny village of Archiestown, hence the moniker, which will be otherwise lost on even the most travelled Scotch lover. Archiestown, is of course a beautiful little place to visit, but not really on the road to or from any of the major public distilleries and Dailuaine is not open to visitors either. But, if you’ve ever made the journey into Speyside through the town Aberlour, you’ve travelled by this excellent distillery, just off the A95 and within striking distance of several other classics – Glenfarclas, Benrinnes, Knockando, Tamdhu, Cardhu, Glenallachie. It was teaspooned with a molecularly insignificant amount of Glendullan to demote it to a lowly “blended malt,” but this excellent whisky tastes impeccable nonetheless. Dark malt and complex fruit coupled with the perfect kiss of creamy American oak from this refill hogshead.

2003 Craigellachie 16 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) $109.99 View

One of the most distinctive malts in all of Scotland. Craigellachie utilizes worm tubs with a very low copper content that, in combination with very long fermentation times, contributes to a rare and desirable sulfurous trait in whisky (not to be confused with the strong and undesirable sulfurous notes occasionally found in older sherry butts that were treated to prevent spoilage). The end result is a pungent aroma that when young is often described as meaty or like boiled cabbage, but when matured works its way into complex sweet fragrances such as pineapple and other tropical fruits and floral notes. These beautiful flavors offer aromatics in combination with palate weight and make Craigellachie a prized malt for blenders and single malt enthusiasts alike. When in combination with sherried wood, there is nothing else like it. The tropical flavors mingle with the nuttiness of the sherry to make a whisky unmatched in flavor, weight, and aromatics. These rare casks typically command astronomical prices, but as always, thank to our long standing direct relationships in Scotland, we’ve been able to secure a cask or two that offer unparalleled value in the single malt category.

1997 Hector Macbeth (Glenfiddich) 23 Year Old “Hepburn’s Choice” K&L Exclusive Single Sherry Butt Finish Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) $119.99 View

One of the original teaspooned malts here at K&L that longtime customers may already be familiar with is Hector Macbeth. While nearly all of this year’s blended malts had another distillers spirit dropped into it right before bottling, this was teaspooned at the time of production by the original maker with the intention of being sold off to the independent market. This is really how teaspooning came to be a thing in the first place. Blue chip distilleries, like Glenfiddich in this case, don’t want a bunch of people trading on their name. They do however, still want to sell casks into the blending market to raise quick cash. While we don’t know what they put into the cask in this case (although my money is on the sister distillery next door – Balvenie) we do know that it tastes just like you’d expect sherry finished Glenfiddich at cask strength to taste. If you’ve ever had the excellent Glenfiddich 15 Year Sherry Solera bottling and thought, ‘I wish this was full proof,’ this is the malt for you. The extra 8 years of aging doesn’t hurt either.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Delicious drams for your Christmas countdown!

Drinks by the Dram’s spirit-filled Advent Calendars are still available for pre-order! It’s all flying by fast, isn’t it?

Chocolate advent calendars are timeless favourites, but why not elevate your Christmas Countdown this year with daily delicious drams? Whether you’re into whisky, or XX or XX or XX there’s a calendar for even the biggest scrooge out there.

These dramtastic calendars also make the ultimate festive gift for the curious imbiber in your life. Make their Christmas come early by sending a calendar directly to their doorstep – we’ll deliver UK orders over £50 for free!

Stock expected to land 23rd October.

Shop & Pre-order Now ›

New Carn Mor Scotch Whiskies

Laphroaig, Imperial, Bowmore & More!

Introducing the fresh faced Carn Mor Strictly Limited and Celebration of the Cask labels from Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers.

Shop – Carn Mor Whiskies

Study whisky at your leisure

We’re delighted to announce that our online Introduction to Whisky Certificate is now available in Spanish, German & French (with more languages coming soon). Explore the fascinating world of whisky at your leisure, learning everything from the history, business and production to the bottling and blending of Scotch. You’ll come away having earned a certificate and enhanced your appreciation and enjoyment of all things whisky.

If you’re not quite ready to join the course, you can also now sign up for a free taster. Simply enter your details on the course page and we’ll send you the free access link by email. You’ll get a feel for the course material, functionality and level of difficulty.

Thinking about Christmas? Let a loved one appreciate the magic behind their favourite spirit by gifting one of our concise, SQA-certified courses that are enjoyed by whisky connoisseurs and professionals alike. Perfect for anyone with a thirst for whisky knowledge, the Introduction to Whisky Certificate is now at a new lower price for the festive season.

 Read More 

ralfy review 849 – Dalwhinnie 15yo @43%vol:

BLADNOCH MASTER DISTILLER, DR NICK SAVAGE, ANNOUNCES
INNOVATIVE ‘WATERFALL COLLECTION’ IN A DISTILLERY EXCLUSIVE

Bladnoch Distillery has announced the first installment in its five-part annual Waterfall Collection, which explores the importance of cask selection in the maturation process of whisky making.

Since joining Bladnoch Distillery in 2019, Master Distiller Dr Nick Savage has developed an impressive range of new products for Bladnoch’s award-winning range. Now, he is embracing the Waterfall Collection as his most creative project, highlighting the intricate journey of maturity that Bladnoch whisky takes in developing its distinct flavours and character.

“The Waterfall Collection gives us the opportunity to develop a whisky in a very fluid way that highlights the maturation journey a single whisky can take in five years. Each year we will decide the cask types for the next stage of the waterfall maturation, but only when we fully understand how our whisky has evolved and matured in the previous year. This approach enables us to present the journey of this finite and ever reducing liquid, and showcase how the quality of whisky is assured at Bladnoch, in a way like never before,” said Dr Savage of the project.

Each release in the Waterfall Collection demonstrates a different way the same aged Bladnoch Single Malt can be matured in oaked casks, resulting in a completely unique taste. To cover the five years of releases,
sufficient aged Bladnoch Single Malt has been set aside from a combination of sweet ex Bourbon casks and intense Oloroso Sherry casks that are maturing in the archives.

In this first year, Dr Savage will sample the whisky at the beginning of its maturation journey and in each ensuing year, the remaining liquid will be decanted into a new type of cask for a fresh layer of finishing where the character will develop further.

After assessing how the whisky has matured and only deciding what the next cask type will be at the end of each year, Dr Savage’s approach to the Waterfall Collection means the final whisky is yet to be defined.

Dr Savage will unveil only 1,000 bottles for each annual release, with Batch 1 of the Waterfall Collection in limited stock and available exclusively through www.bladnoch.com. The remaining bottles will go on sale at the Bladnoch Distillery Visitor Centre.

To celebrate the release, Bladnoch have announced a special Waterfall Tour at their state-of-the-art Visitor Centre. Tours will include a more in-depth walkthrough of the production site followed by an extended
Waterfall tasting beside the casks maturing for the remaining releases.

Bookings are essential and can be made in advance through www.bladnoch.com/visit-bladnoch/

Tasting Notes

Cask: Ex Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry
ABV: 48.8%
Nose: Raisins and lemons with subtle orange peel
Palate: Dried apricots with lemon cake
Finish: Medium, with sweet freshness and a slight warming

BLADNOCH WATERFALL COLLECTION

About Bladnoch

Bladnoch Distillery is Scotland’s southernmost distillery, and one of a handful that remain independently owned. Since being purchased in 2015 by Australian entrepreneur David Prior, Bladnoch has enjoyed a renaissance. Their rangee of award-winning Bladnoch Single Malt Whiskies and Pure Scot, their contemporary Blended Scotch Whisky, has been launched in over 30 countries. In 2017, Bladnoch Distillery celebrated its 200 year anniversary making it one of the oldest continuously operating distilleries in Scotland. In June 2019, Bladnoch Distillery’s state-of-the-art visitors centre was opened, welcoming guests to the distillery once again after significant renovations. Master Distiller, Dr Nick Savage joined the Bladnoch team in July 2019. Visit www.bladnoch.com or @bladnochwhisky for more information.

EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL RELEASE SOUTH AFRICAN WHISKY FOR UK, EU & NORDICS LAUNCHED

In a first for the UK and Europe, Three Ships Whisky has launched a special release 12-year-old single malt in limited quantities.

Crafted at the James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington, a small town about an hour’s drive from Cape Town’s City Centre, South Africa, the Three Ships Whisky 12-Year-Old is the first release in the Master Distiller’s Private Collection.

The single malt is natural in colour, un-chillfiltered, bottled at a strength of 46.3%, and presented in its most natural form.

Internationally awarded Three Ships Whisky Master Distiller, Andy Watts, distilled malted barley in copper potstills in 2007 and matured the spirit for a minimum of 12 years in a special selection of older and younger American oak casks.

Although the warmer South African climate results in a much higher angel’s share, the accelerated interaction between the spirit, cask and atmosphere, gave rise to a spectacular single malt with depth of flavour, balance and extraordinary smoothness.

Watts, who holds the titles, amongst other, of the 2018 Global Icon Whisky Master Distiller/Master Blender and the 2020 Global Icon World Whisky Ambassador Award, says he is overjoyed to be sharing this South African whisky with consumers abroad.

“Crafting a single malt is definitely the pinnacle for every Master Distiller and it’s an honour to be able to launch this special release for the overseas market. The whisky represents our innovative approach to crafting whisky that excites and expands the World Whisky category.”

It’s been just over four decades since the first Three Ships Whisky was launched and the years since have been filled with many milestones and achievements for the brand, including World’s Best Blended Whisky award at the 2012 World Whisky Awards as well as gold and double gold at all the major international whisky competitions.

“Making whisky is not something that happens overnight. It takes immense planning and a lot of patience!” says Watts. “It’s incredibly rewarding for me to see just how far we have come since those first days of producing whisky in South Africa.”

Watts says that over the years they have established their own unique style of whisky-making, harnessed the warm climate to great advantage, invested in modern technology and refined their selection of barrels for maturation.

“Our successes certainly didn’t come easily or without challenges. But we never compromised on our vision for making whisky in a country that in the traditional sense, was never destined to make whisky.”

The Master Distiller’s Private Collection Three Ships Whisky 12-Year-Old Single Malt is light golden in colour with layers of shortbread, dried fruit, soft leather, cherries, roasted nuts and notes of floral and mocha on the nose. The evident smoky, peaty influence is complemented by pepper, dried peaches, citrus, hints of Christmas Pudding and an earthiness that reminds of a pine forest. The finish is warm, creamy and savoury, the finish is long with delicate liquorice that lingers in the mouth.

The only commercial whisky distillery in Africa, The James Sedgwick Distillery has been at the forefront of innovation with state-of-the-art equipment and ingenious sustainability projects, and was recently awarded as the Sustainable Distillery of the Year 2020 Icons of Whisky Awards held annually by Whisky Magazine in London and recognised with the prestigious Green Company of the Year award hosted by the BIG (Business Intelligence Group) Awards for Business towards the end of 2019.

The Master Distiller’s Private Collection Three Ships Whisky 12-Year-Old Single Malt will be available exclusively to the UK and European market at a retail selling price of £40-50.

For listing enquiries, please direct communication to Ann Gardner on ukorders@distellinternational.com

PRE-SALES LAUNCH FOR FIRST COMMUNITY-OWNED WHISKY 

Almost 3 years after filling its first cask of whisky, GlenWyvis Distillery is excited to open pre-sales for their inaugural Single Malt Scotch Whisky — the first to be distilled in Dingwall in almost 100 years.

GlenWyvis Distillery opened in late 2017 with the first cask of whisky filled in early 2018. It is the world’s first 100% community-owned distillery, crowdfunded by over 3,500 shareholders. Since spirit started flowing, GlenWyvis have filled their on-site warehouse with over 600 casks of whisky.

Their inaugural release, due by Christmas 2021, will be a careful selection of 1^st Fill Bourbon and Sherry casks, bottled at just over 3 years old and at a strength of 50% ABV. The new make spirit is the result of a long, slow fermentation, unusual in the industry, giving GlenWyvis a unique Highland character.

Distillery Manager, Matthew Farmer said: “Having our warehouse right next door, it’s been fascinating to snapshot this new spirit in all its different stages, particularly how it interacts with all our various cask types over time. Picking which ones to show first is no easy task! 3 years is a special milestone for us, as our hard work legally becomes ‘whisky’ for the first time, but it’s really just the beginning.”

The whisky is priced at £100 per 70cl bottle and is available to purchase from the GlenWyvis online shop from 10am on the 22^nd of October. 5% of all online sales will go into the GlenWyvis Community Benefit Fund. Once a certain amount has been reached, funds will be made available on an application basis.

Earlier this year, the distillery launched their 2020 cask offering bringing in a range of cask types and sizes, making it possible to buy your own cask of GlenWyvis Single Malt Whisky.

Notes  

GlenWyvis Distillery is a community benefit society, which means that a share of all our future profits will be invested back into community projects both locally and further afield. More than 3,500 people from 40 countries have invested £3.8 million to join us on the journey. Currently the distillery contributes 5% of all their online sales into the GlenWyvis Community Benefit Fund.

Pre-sales will go live at 10am on the 22^nd of October.

Full details of the whisky pre-order are available at the GlenWyvis Distillery website at – https://glenwyvis.com/product/inaugural-whisky-release