LOCHLEA HARVEST EDITION SECOND CROP

The second in a new set of four limited editions, Lochlea Harvest Edition Second Crop has been crafted from Port casks, STR barriques and first fill bourbon barrels. For this years release the distillery has incorporated a much higher proportion of Port casks enhancing the creaminess to the whisky to combine with the peppery spice from the STR barriques.

Harvest Edition is inspired by the end of the Summer when the golden barley is harvested and eventually used for producing next years Lowland whisky at Lochea Distillery.

As always, if you have any questions, please just get in touch.

Free UK Shipping on orders over £95

Fast EU & Worldwide, Tax Free Shopping

Slàinte

SHOP NOW

1997 Ardmore 25 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Refill Hogshead Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

($199.99)

K&L Notes: This unprecedented cask of Ardmore is as unusual as it is delicious. The famous Highland peater was built at Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire in 1898. The spiritual home of the once popular Teacher’s Highland Cream, its original owner was in fact the son of the founder of that brand, Adam Teacher. This barrel was distilled prior to the distillery’s transition from coal-fired stills to gas in 2001, one of the last distilleries to do so. It boasts the ability to produce nearly 5.5 million liters of pure alcohol a year with eight working stills. Nearly all of that is made with heavily peated barley. The distillery has remained relatively unknown, although the eastern Highlands is becoming a more significant corner of the single-malt landscape, thanks to improvements over the last two decades of its two major neighbors, Glendronach and Glen Garioch. The enigmatic offering is one of the only casks we’ve ever seen from this special distillery to feature less peated barley. That said, the constant use of heavily peated barley remains in the system, so a very subtle smoke character remains in the whisky, but by no means is it the standard Ardmore. Add more than 2.5 decades and you’ve got an absolute gem. So, if you’re looking for great, old-school malt but aren’t a fan of the smokey stuff, or you’re just looking to expand your understanding of Scotch malt in a general sense, you’ll not want to miss this old Highlander. Exceptional in its own right, it represents a true oddity very unlikely to be seen again.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: June 14, 2023

This awesome little oddity is more than just a quirk. It’s a gorgeous Highlander in the most old-school style. We thought it was very strange when our supplier said they had an unpeated Ardmore, and it’s true that it doesn’t have the same intense highland peat that we see in many younger Ardmores, but there’s still this twinge of old-school smoke here that’s reminiscent of the old Highland way. After 25 years in an old Hogshead, this whisky has developed some serious complexity. It does, like many old malts, love air and needs some time in the glass to fully open, but once it does, very few modern malts compare to this eclectic style. Here we go. The color is old gold. The nose (after aeration) is a stunning mixture of wild honey, roasted heather, dried herbs, bitter bark, candied stone fruits, and clean white smoke in the distance. On the palate, much more honey, toasted fresh bread, touches of pulverized limestone/chalk, burning citrus oils, snappy dried stone fruits, and a sweet, roasted lingering smoke. Lots and lots of sweet jams and wild herbs poking up on the very long, long finish. This is a dream to drink. Totally spectacular and will likely fly under the radar, but when you walk back to that first glass after a 30+-minute aeration, you’ll know that this is really one of a kind.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: June 08, 2023

This delightful cask is an unusual treat in a very unique style. Unpeated in its production, but with a distinct peaty bent in the final product thanks to residual peat in the stills, it’s a bit like someone that grew up with a Southern drawl then moved to a big city years ago and now just has a slight twang. It’s a twang of peat, and it’s delicious. If you’re a fan of Oban and the level of peat you find there, you’re sure to enjoy this cask. Add on top of that the fact it’s a 25-year-old single malt at a screaming price and you going to love it. The color is bright gold. The nose is a mix of peat, ripe fruits, cut grass, vanilla extract, and Hawaiian King bread rolls. The palate is full of buttered toast, marmalade, and gentle smoke. The finish at 53.3% is surprisingly powerful for such an old spirit and the bit of smoke that is there is long and cool.

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

Exclusive Irish Whiskey

JAMESON 22 YEAR OLD

In case you missed it, we’ve welcomed Jameson’s oldest Irish whiskey to date to our range of exclusives. This limited-edition release has been matured for more than two decades in a combination of bourbon and oloroso sherry casks, balancing Jameson’s signature orchard fruits and vanilla character with sherry nuttiness and warming spices.

SHOP NOW

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 497: Dublin Distilleries

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, has just returned from a citytrip to Ireland’s capital Dublin, visiting all the distilleries: Pearse Lyons, Teeling, Dublin Liberties, Roe & Co and Jameson. Needless to say, it made for a lifetime of memories. Join Mark on this tour during this 15min long Rambling. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/hK2OZEhckrs

Farm-to-cask Lochlea Distillery reveals

second crop of Harvest Edition single malt

Award winning farm-to-cask distillery Lochlea in Ayrshire today releases its second ‘crop’, or batch, of its seasonal release: Harvest Edition.

The distillery’s celebrated seasonal small batch release single malt whiskies showcase Lochlea’s household style across the year, with each season being celebrated through the selection of different casks being used for maturation.

The new release – Harvest Edition Second Crop – has been matured in a combination of carefully selected Tawny and Ruby Port casks, STR barriques and first-fill Bourbon barrels to offer a deliciously different twist to the Lochlea house style.

Production Director John Campbell said: “As a working farm, these expressions tie in to reflect our farming calendar here at Lochlea.

For this year’s Harvest Edition Second Crop we have incorporated a much higher proportion of Port casks as the spirit is another year older and we felt that it could stand up to the richness and intensity these casks add. This has really helped to enhance the whisky’s creaminess, whilst also introducing a delightful peppery, floral spice that the spirit gets from the STR barriques.

We are really proud of this release, which has been inspired by the end of summer, when our golden barley is harvested and eventually used for the next year’s production.”

Lochlea’s seasonal releases are as follows:

• Harvest Edition: inspired by the annual harvest on the farm.

• Fallow Edition: reflects the season of autumn on the farm when the fields are left fallow to rest after a busy harvest.

• Ploughing Edition: released in winter when the fields are ploughed in preparation for spring.

• Sowing Edition: inspired by spring when the seed if sown for the year’s barley crop.

As with all of Lochlea’s whiskies, Harvest Edition Second Crop is non-chill filtered. It has been bottled at 46% ABV – the same strength as Harvest Edition First Crop, so that the annual releases can be compared and contrasted. RRP is £51.60, available now from Lochlea stockists.

In addition to the seasonal limited edition releases, Lochlea has a core whisky expression available all year round – Our Barley. This unpeated single malt has been matured in a combination of three different casks: first fill ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry casks and STR barriques, all of which add depths of flavour to the spirit. Launched in July 2022, Our Barley has received much acclaim as a superb example of a young non-age statement (NAS) Lowlands whisky, made entirely from the distillery’s own home-grown barley. 

Harvest Edition Second Crop

Tasting notes:

Nose: Dates, ripe red grapes, thick cut marmalade

Palate: Pink peppercorns and dried fruit

Finish: A beautiful lingering creamy finish

ABV: 46%

 About Lochlea Distillery:

Lochlea was originally a 222 acre livestock farm before being purchased by Neil and Jen McGeoch in 2006. After much consideration of the future of the farm and a successful trial to grow its own barley in 2015, the couple transformed the land and existing farm buildings into a fully-operational distillery in 2017 and started distilling the following year. The farming side has remained a unique part of Lochlea, with the move into barley production – paving the way for Lochlea to be one of the very few fully grain-to-glass distilleries in Scotland. It also has a rich Scottish heritage with strong links to Robbie Burns, with the bard having worked and lived on the farm a several years.

For a full list of Lochlea stockists, visit: Lochlea Distillery stockists

The Glenlivet introduces whisky cocktail innovation fashioned with boundary-breaking technology: new ‘Twist & Mix’ Cocktails

The Glenlivet’s collection of premium ready-to-serve cocktails can be mixed in the moment with a simple twist of an innovative cap, using spirits industry first, proprietary technology.

The Glenlivet Speyside single malt Scotch whisky, part of the Chivas Brothers portfolio, continues to break conventions with the introduction of The Glenlivet Twist & Mix Cocktails, a new line of premium, ready-to-serve, whisky-based cocktails – launching exclusively in the US this month.

Using first-to-market technology, the innovation proves that quality and accessibility are not mutually exclusive – simply twist the cap and the cleverly-designed mechanism will burst cocktail flavours into The Glenlivet single malt giving a freshly-mixed cocktail, in an instant. The newest offering from one of the world’s leading single malt whiskies provides a premium, crafted experience without the hassle of leftover ingredients, complex recipes and bar equipment.

The Glenlivet Twist & Mix Cocktails are a first not only for Scotch, but for the broader spirits category – setting a new standard for ready-to-drink cocktails using the patented Vessl® closure and mixing technology. The range enables whisky lovers to enjoy these iconic cocktails more often and as part of an elevated at-home experience.

The collection is debuting with the Old Fashioned and New Manhattan, bringing two of the most popular whisky cocktails to consumers’ homes. Maintaining the flavour profiles of the beloved classics, the silky taste of the Old Fashioned is achieved with the tasting notes of orange, nutmeg and cinnamon, while the New Manhattan is a testament to the timeless classic featuring notes of cherry and ginger.

“For nearly 200 years The Glenlivet has broken tradition, so it’s in our pioneering spirit to, together with Vessl, develop a new way to enjoy ready-to-drink cocktails – unleashing a fresh, elevated at-home experience that meets global consumer demand. We caused a bit of a stir when we launched The Glenlivet Capsule Collection back in 2019 —but now we think the world is ready for perfectly-made single malt whisky cocktails.”

said Jayne Murphy, Global Marketing Director, Malts at Chivas Brothers.

Yogesh Gandhi, Global Head of Innovation at Chivas Brothers added,

“This project provided us with the challenge of reinventing the ready-to-serve experience within a highly competitive market segment. What has been achieved puts the consumer at the heart – no mess, fuss or skill required to create a bartender-level, freshly mixed cocktail in seconds.”

“We are impressed with how The Glenlivet has adopted our technology to create high quality, freshly mixed ultra-premium craft cocktails at home,”

said Walter D. Apodaca, Jr., Founder and CEO, Vessl, Inc.

“This is exactly the kind of forward-thinking use of the Vessl®  technology we envisioned, and it tastes even better than we imagined.”

The range follows on from the 2019 launch of The Glenlivet Cocktail Capsule Collection, which turned the idea and format of ready-to-drink cocktails on their head by enabling consumers to experience glassless single malt cocktails served in an innovative sea-alginate based sphere.

The Glenlivet Twist & Mix Cocktails debut in 375ml bottle size, each containing eight servings, exclusively in the US for RRP $21.99 from August 2023, with further markets to be announced. The offering is housed in packaging designed by JDO.

Innovations in Whisky

Three of the videos in our new series that sees whisky experts discuss innovations in whisky are now available to watch. The fermentation chat covers key parameters – such as temperature, pitching rates and time – and explores why they are important for developing flavour and crafting spirit identity. The sustainability discussion illustrates how the global challenge requires local, community-rooted solutions. And, the discussion around distilling with different grains – such as malted and unmalted barley, rye oats and wheat – explores how each are processed and combined to influence new make spirit flavour.

Learn More

Cardhu 11 Year Old

Cardhu 11 Year Old Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Matured in refill, new, and ex-bourbon American oak casks bottled for the Diageo Special Releases 2020 series.. A rare treasure from 2020! Back in-stock. Matured in American oak casks.

Buy Cardhu 11yo »

NOSE

Mellow in feel, with light prickle. A hint of new wood pencil cases introduces freshly juicy, fruity top notes of green apple, green grape and pineapple, which gradually come together with a trace of lemon peel as a sweet fresh fruit salad, on a faintly mossy base. A drop of water adds a further juicy note of boiled fruit sweets.

PALATE

At natural strength, a creamy-smooth texture and a sweet then juicy taste with traces of fondant mid-palate; deliciously buttery, hot and spicy, recalling toasted hot-cross buns. Slightly sweeter at reduced strength and buttery-soft, with enhanced pepper. Drying lightly overall.

FINISH

Quite long, with some white pepper for a lingering warmth.

John and Helen Cumming began producing malt whisky using a single illicit still at their Cardhu Farm in 1811. This ditillery was officially established at Cardhu in 1824 when it was equipped with two small stills and output was necessarily quite small until a new purpose built distillery was constructed just up the road and equipped with four stills. Cardhu Distillery is a malt whisky distillery situated in Scotland’s Speyside whisky region and a contributor to Diagio’s Johnnie Walker blended scotch. Featured in the distillery range are the Cardhu 12 year old, 15 year old and Amber Rock.

Lochlea Harvest Edition Second Crop

Lohclea is an independent, family-owned distillery is the heart of Ayrshire. This bottle is a part of their seasonal small-batch releases, which showcases the signature style of Lochlea. All those expressions tie in to reflect the farming calendar. The Harvest Edition (Second Crop) combines carefully selected Port Casks, STR barriques and first-fill bourbon barrels to create a delicious, fruity liquid with delicate spice.

TASTING NOTES

NOSE Dates, ripe red grapes, thick-cut marmalade.

PALATE Pink peppercorns and dried fruit.

FINISH A beautiful lingering creamy finish.

Shop now

The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum Episode 521 – It’s a Glen Min-Toul Episode!

Welcome to this week’s episode of the show in which I’ll be taking a look at some new wood finishes from Glencadam and Tomintoul. Filmed in The Study Nottingham

Featuring

Tomintoul Small Batch White Port Cask Finish 40%

Tomintoul 14 year old White Port Cask Finish 46%

Tomintoul Small Batch Merlot Wine Cask Finish 40%

 Glencadam Small Batch ‘Reserve de Burgundy’ Pinot Noir Cask Finish 46%

Glencadam 15 year old ‘Reserva de Jerez’ 2007 Limited Edition 46%

Glencadam Small Batch ‘Reserve de PX’ Pedro Ximinez Cask Finish 46%