A Can’t-Miss Best Buy in Sherry-Aged Single-Malt Scotch
2013 Glen Ord 8 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength First-Fill Sherry Butt Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival) ($49.99)
“Despite the relative youth of this whisky, it’s absolutely packed full of character and offers one of the best values we’ll be seeing for some time in my humble opinion.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

The Hart Brothers deliver the goods once again, this time in the form of a stunning value from the rarely seen Glen Ord. Part of the Diageo stable that forms a critical component of Dewar’s, this remarkable distillery in the northern Highlands (with neighbors like Clynelish, Balblair, and Glenmorangie) is almost never seen on the independent market under its own name, so we were absolutely thrilled at the opportunity to get our hands on this cask. When we saw the price, it became a no-brainer. The first-fill sherry butt worked tremendous magic on the youthful spirit, resulting in a wildly expressive and nuanced dram at just eight years of age. David Othenin-Girard’s review below details just how kaleidoscopically complex this 8 Year Old is, both with and without water added. Bottled at a cask strength of 57.5% ABV without chillfiltration, it retains every last bit of its Highland character and even takes it up a notch or two, if that even seems possible. The rarity of this opportunity cannot be overstated, especially at the razor-sharp price of just $49.99. So spirits enthusiasts are highly advised to go big, as this wonderful cask has all the makings of a true smash hit.

2013 Glen Ord 8 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength First-Fill Sherry Butt Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival) ($49.99)
*Pre-arrival item is expected to be available for shipment or pickup in June 2022.

K&L Notes: Glen Ord distillery was built in 1838 in the plains to the north of Inverness and was part of the Dewar’s family for most of the last century. In the ’60s, their floor maltings were replaced with the popular Saladin Box, and subsequently a drum malting was added. It became an important hub for malt in Northern Scotland and was eventually acquired by a predecessor of Diageo in 1985. Bottled under “The Singleton” brand for the Asian market, the distillery is not typically available in the US. This wild cask of heavily-sherried Glen Ord is an absolute wonder for us. We very rarely get offered Glen Ord, and when we do it tends to be in third- or fourth-fill blender’s casks. While this doesn’t necessarily mean the whisky is bad, it certainly doesn’t provide the level of complexity that one might hope for, even with decent age. This fabulous Sherry butt shows us, once again, that age isn’t everything. Eight years in a first-fill Sherry butt is enough to cut right through the raw spirit character of this bold northern Highlander. Full bodied, rich, and full of spice, there will be few better deals in full-term Sherry coming this year. Bottled without coloring or chillfiltration at a cask strength of 57.5% ABV.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: December 02, 2021

Glen Ord isn’t one we see too often and even less so in dark, first-fill sherry like this one. Despite the relative youth of this whisky, it’s absolutely packed full of character and offers one of the best values we’ll be seeing for some time in my humble opinion. Ord is one of those Diageo properties that gets totally forgotten, since they don’t bother to sell it as a single malt in this market. It’s also part of the little crew of exemplary distilleries in the “Northern Highlands.” That is to say the distillers north of Inverness in an area collectively known as the North Coast. The other names in this area are becoming quite famous—Clynelish, Glenmorangie, Pulteney, and Balblair—so it’s a real pleasure to feature this exceptional cask. Distilled on February 11th, 2013 and filled into a fresh sherry butt, the color is a fiery, old oak tawny. Rested for ten minutes before nosing, we’ve got an immediate raisiny sherry character, almost to the point that I might have guessed PX, although without the overt sweetness one might expect. Instead of saccharine sweetness on the nose, we get baking spice, French roast, black tea, ginger snaps, and some pumpernickel. The palate is rich and full of roasted malt, more coffee, sweet black cherry compote, bold clove, and some tobacco leaf. It’s absolutely delicious at cask strength and doesn’t need the water, but adding creates tons of nuance on the nose instead of the more straight-forward and powerful initial nose. Now we’re getting all we had before, plus some interesting mossy-ness, earthy, freshly tilled soil, the tiniest hints of peat in the distance, and gorgeous salted plum character. On the palate, the spice remains, and the sweet barley comes through more, but we lose a bit of the “oomph.” It’s tough to tell which is better—maybe just a few drops (no more!) and some air to capture the best of both worlds. For everyone who loved those dark Sovereigns we did with Hunter Laing, this is your next bunker stuffer.