Obtainium 5 Year Old 95/5 Barrel Proof Indiana Rye Whiskey (750ml) (Elsewhere $70) $24.99 View

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Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
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The Hearach single malt isn’t just for sipping in the colder seasons, it’s a cracking serve even in the heights of summer.

Whisky writer Dave Broom agrees, as he recalls a recent visit to our island…

“I can’t forget those days on its west coast where sunshine can make the beaches seem Caribbean (Harribean?) before rain sweeps in and turns the green turquoise and yellow, into purple and black and then, equally suddenly, back again. There is that interplay in this glass, the brightness of the nose, the yellow fruits, the scent of machair, hot sand, a hint of almond. It’s there is the light smoke carried on a fresh sea breeze. The smoke in this batch seems more integrated, commenting, nudging, accenting. It’s an outdoor dram to be taken, ideally, while sheltering on the dunes beside a slow, lazy sea. It’s sweet yet with enough spice to tingle the end. It is Harris’ west coast.”

So, feel free to break with convention if the mood and temperature takes you, from adding a single ice cube to your dram like they do in Kentucky to a Japanese-style highball, some rules are made to be broken…

ORDER A BOTTLE OF THE HEARACH

Jameson’s Black Barrel, 40%

THE REVIEW

One of the best selling bottles of whisky in the world, but with a few twists. Jameson’s Black Barrel is a blend that has a higher proportion of single pot still whiskies, with less grain overall. After that we’ve got a double maturation process in double charred casks that are adding so much more of these chewy, rich caramel notes. A modern classic already, this bottle used to go under the guise of ‘Select Reserve’ – thankfully the packaging and name has changed, much for the better. A truly wonderful bottle of whisky that offers a lot of flavour without having a huge price tag and comes from one of the most reputable big brands in all of whisky production.

KAZE Founder’s Reserve LEGACY – Official Launch Announcement

Tenkyo Distillery honours the legacy of late founder Shunsuke Koike with the launch of KAZE Founder’s Reserve LEGACY – a unique blend matured and bottled in Aizu, uniting Scottish spirit with Japanese craftsmanship.

A wind that never fades — a memory that lives on in every drop.

Tenkyo Co., Ltd. (Tenkyo Distillery), located in Bandai Town, Aizu, Japan, is delighted to announce the release of KAZE Founder’s Reserve LEGACY, available from 6th July 2025.

This product originates from maturation trials undertaken by the late founder, Shunsuke Koike, in Aizu prior to the construction of the distillery. By bringing new make spirit from Scotland together with the natural environment of Aizu, and after repeated experimentation with 189 carefully selected casks, this unique blended whisky was born.

The result is a whisky born from the meeting of “winds” – the wind of Scotland, the wind of Aizu, and the spirit of Shunsuke Koike – united to create a profile unlike anything imagined. This character is carried forward through a unique solera system, allowing the whisky to continue evolving, much like an ever-blowing wind.

Thank you very much for your kind attention and support.

Notes

• “KAZE” (風), pronounced kah-zeh [ˈka̠.ze̞], means “wind” in Japanese.
• KAZE Founder’s Reserve LEGACY is currently available exclusively in Japan at this time.
• Additional photography will be available soon.

KAZE Founder’s Reserve LEGACY 700ml

KAZE Founder’s Reserve LEGACY is a blended whisky matured, blended, and bottled at the foot of Mt. Bandai in Aizu, Japan. Crafted using a bespoke solera system*, each release will carry forward the legacy of 189 casks – filled with Scottish new make spirit (both malt and grain) personally selected by the late founder, Shunsuke Koike.Neither Scotch whisky nor Japanese whisky. Born in Scotland, raised in Aizu, Japan. A fusion of culture and terroir, connected by EN (縁).

The 189 casks were laid down as part of a bold maturation project while Tenkyo Distillery was still under construction. With 58 different cask types, it was a visionary exploration of oak, spirit, and future possibility.

The KAZE Founder’s Reserve solera system draws directly from these original casks, ensuring his memory lives on in every drop. The first expression is named LEGACY – a quiet tribute to his enduring vision.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Amber

Nose: Raisins, figs, white chocolate, brown sugar, wrapped in gentle spices and a touch of smokiness

Palate: Toffee, nuts, almonds, meet juicy apricots, combined with a gentle smokiness to create depth and complexity

Finish: Subtle bitterness and cigar-like notes balance with a warming sweetness, leaving a pleasant and long lasting finish

Volume: 700ml

ABV**: 46.9%

Suggested retail price: ¥8,250 (tax included)

Fettercairn Distillery 17 Year Old

To celebrate Inverurie Whisky Shop’s 10th Year we have released a Limited Edition Single Cask, Gordon & Macphail bottling of a 17 year old Fettercairn. This is a big, powerful sherry matured whisky with lots of classic notes of red apple, milk chocolate and nuts, followed up with orange peel and cocoa before lingering notes of liquorice and plums.

It’s the oldest whisky we’ve released as a shop exclusive, bottled to celebrate our 10th year.

Gordon & MacPhail were our first supplier, helping us set up our business back in 2015. This meant that when it came to picking the first exclusive to celebrate, we weren’t really going anywhere else!

Known for producing stunning whisky throughout their range, we wanted something truly eye-catching. Their Connoisseur’s Choice range is truly that – a range of whisky for people who want to experience the finer things in life. It’s a monster of a sherry cask dram from Fettercairn.

Cask Type: First fill Sherry Hogshead
Distilled: 2007

Bottled: 6th May 2025

Tasting Notes: 

Nose Sweet red apple, milk chocolate and hazelnut aromas
Palate Creamy with zesty Seville orange, cocoa and stewed plum flavours
Finish Medium bodied finish with underlying liquorice

58.8% ABV

Fettercairn Distillery has crafted exceptional Highland whisky since 1824, using a unique copper ring cooling system that gives their spirit a remarkably tropical, waxy character. This limited-edition single cask offers a rare insight into the distillery’s elegant style – expect ripe orchard fruits, soft oak, hints of banana and spice, all wrapped in that signature Fettercairn purity. Unfiltered, cask strength and fully natural in colour, this is whisky in its rawest, most beautiful form.

Fettercairn 17 Year Old
First Fill Sherry Hogshead

Inverurie Whisky Shop Exclusive

£145.00

View Product

Celebrate Lowland grain elegance amplified by rye-cask spice with Invergordon 37 Year Old – 1988 Vintage, Alistair Walker “Infrequent Flyers” (Cask #804139). Distilled at Scotland’s oldest single-grain distillery and laid down in a rare ex-Rye whiskey barrel, this whisky spent nearly four decades mellowing into silky vanilla sweetness before bottling at natural cask strength in March 2025. Non-chill-filtered and natural in colour, only 270 bottles reveal a satin-smooth tapestry of honeyed cereal, tropical fruit and lively rye spice—another high-flying rarity from the Infrequent Flyers hangar.

Why We Think You’ll Love It

• Ex-Rye barrel maturation infuses creamy grain sweetness with vibrant baking-spice and toasted-oak character.

• 37 years of Lowland slumber transform Invergordon’s silky spirit into a luxurious medley of vanilla, tropical fruit and refined oak.

• Bottled at natural cask strength, non-chill-filtered and natural colour—preserving full texture, aroma and authenticity.

• Part of Alistair Walker’s sought-after “Infrequent Flyers” series—strictly 270 bottles, perfect for collectors and grain-whisky enthusiasts seeking a unique, rye-accented dram.

Raise a glass to this distinguished Invergordon and savour a seamless fusion of satin grain elegance, exotic fruit and rye-driven spice—an unforgettable whisky that soars long after the final sip.

OUR LATEST WHISKY OFFERS

Our special whisky offers feature standout drams from the world’s best-loved distilleries. We’ve got great prices on blends, single malts and our very own exclusives.

Revisit an old classic or uncover something new – there’s lots to explore.

SHOP NOW

ralfy review 1087 – James Eadie X @57.1%vol: (Blended Scotch)

J. Mattingly 1845, Innovative Craft Distiller, to Purchase 
the Ownership Interests of its Founder Emeritus, Jeff Mattingly

Cameron Mattingly to Remain in Role as Vice President, Production 

FRANKFORT, KY (July 1, 2025) – J. Mattingly 1845 is purchasing the equity ownership of its founder, Jeff Mattingly, a descendant of distilling pioneer John Graves Mattingly.  The transaction will leave 100 percent of the company’s ownership with an investment entity controlled by Andrew Varga and Carl Cordova of Gold Corn & Co. Cameron Mattingly, Jeff’s son and Vice President of Production, will remain in his role at the company overseeing all bourbon making, blending, double staving™, and custom bottling processes. All other employees will also remain in their current roles.  The sale is expected to close in 90-120 days.

“We are honored and thrilled to be a partner with Jeff Mattingly and his entire team for the past two years. Together, they built on the amazing ideas Jeff conceived in bourbon production and custom bottling.  Our Double-Staved™ bourbons and unmatched custom bottling experience have been a unique and exciting innovation for the bourbon industry. We wish Jeff and his wife Melissa nothing but the best as they move into this exciting new chapter in their lives,” said Andrew Varga, Gold Corn & Co.

“It’s been a passion of mine to always look at businesses in unique ways, and this has been no different with the building of the Bourbon 30 and J. Mattingly 1845 brands and distillery. Melissa and I have been proud to lead our great team for the last 15 years in building one of the most unique enterprises in bourbon distilling, said Jeff Mattingly, founder emeritus, J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery.  We welcome Gold Corn & Co, Andrew Varga, and Carl Cordova to continue on with the Mattingly brand and continue their philanthropy working with veterans and first responders.”

About J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery

In 2010, Jeff and Melissa Mattingly started It’s Bourbon 30 in their garage, and in 2015 released Bourbon 30 Bourbon Whiskey. In 2017, Jeff & his team created an ultra-premium bourbon offering, affectionately named J. Mattingly, and then added the year 1845, representing Jeff’s ancestors, John Graves Mattingly & Sons Distilling. The Mattingly family is connected to some of the most prominent distilling families in Kentucky, with ancestors having a hand in the development of at least nine separate distilleries in the Commonwealth.

Today, the Mattingly innovation lives on through a custom bourbon blending and bottling experience enjoyed by thousands of consumers along the Bourbon Trail, as well as special military bottlings where $10 of every military bottle sold goes to various non-profit military organizations.  For more information, visit www.JMattingly1845.com.

I think I have to accept that no matter what I try I always seem to be running a solid month behind schedule. I’m trying to think of it now as a form of whisky jetlag; a dislocation in time that inescapably occurs when casks are to be bottled…

Greetings, then, to these late-May/early-June releases! They may be suffering the malt equivalent of stepping off a redeye to Tokyo, but they’re tasting damnably delicious.

In alphabetical order then:

First up we have a 14-year-old Ben Nevis. Due to the aforementioned temporal vortex this ended up being bottled only days shy of 15.

On the nose then – waxy lemons, chalk, buttercups and white blossom, warm bales of hay, orange boiled sweets, roast pineapple jelly, olive oil … it’s Ben Nevis in other words, freshly collected from the mountain peaks by old Hector McDram himself.

On the palate – a lovely textural arrival with olive oil and a soft butteriness, cut through with splendid lemons. Hints then appear of tropical fruits and soft spearmint, developing on chalky minerals, barley and camphor. The finish is all about sweet citrus oils and juices, with just a lick of salt.

It’s Ben Nevis and it’s wonderful. No other malt is quite like this, and there’s even an echo of some of those revered 1996 vintages in this one. You can’t go wrong.

This second-fill barrel produced 277 bottles at a cask strength of 53.1% and they are available for £85 each.

Next up we have an 18-year-old Caol Ila. I’ve done a bunch of Caol Ilas over the years, and there’s a very good reason.

On the nose: light and lively with fabulous lime leaves, ointments, smoked butter and almonds, tinned mussels and coal tar. We’re on Islay then, but less typically I also find some sweet apricots in the background, as well as frangipane, old emulsion pots (a note I always associate with older Bowmore) and honeysuckle.

The palate immediately feels elegant, with a lithe and soft limey and honeyed smoke. I get smoked sweet oranges and apricots, tiger balm, oyster brine, and cough mixture, before a lingering finish with coal smoke, lime, a single liquorice drop, and jasmine tea.

This is insanely drinkable stuff (my tasting glass somehow magically emptied itself several times writing these notes…), with some of the little nuances you usually find in much older Caol Ila. The citrussy and floral notes make it feel quite summery in its own way, too. Much recommended.

This refill hogshead produced 276 bottles at a cask strength of 50.7% and they are available for £120 each.

After returning to two old favourite distilleries it’s time for something brand new! This is a 7-year-old Nc’nean, and I’m delighted to have it. This is a carbon-neutral single malt, made from 100% organic Scottish barley, but just as importantly it tastes blooming great.

The nose has cherry drops, macadamia nuts, membrillo, grape must and baked apple – it’s a fascinatingly uncommon sort of fruitiness, backed with a nice Highlandsy minerality, and keeps opening up with time in the glass. A little water makes everything cleaner and greener – with lemon peel, green melon, apple, plus a little buttercream and honey.

The palate is full-bodied – almost viscous – with golden apples, quinces, yellow sultanas, honey and a pinch each of salt and white pepper. Again there’s a Highlands (maybe even coastal) feel in the background. I also get some coconut cream and lemon, with Juicy Fruit gum and black tea in the aftertaste.

Lovely Highlands spirit, this, with loads of both fruit and personality. I love how much it develops with time in the glass – a nice reminder to slow down and enjoy the scenery.

This first-fill barrel produced 243 bottles at a cask strength of 57.9% and they are available for £69.50 each.

And…

…that’s it for now. Thanks for bearing with me through my usual meanderings, and I remain – as always – available at the end of an email or DM if I can be of service.

Cheers!

David