1992 Glentauchers 28 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” Cask Strength Single Barrel Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $239.99 View

The Hart family have been licensed victuallers and publicans in Paisley on the outskirts of Glasgow since the 18th Century, but it was in 1964 that brothers Iain & Donald Hart incorporated the company as Wine & Spirit Wholesalers and Scotch Whisky Blenders. Alistair Hart, who still selects casks for this special line today, came on as Chief Blender in 1975. His charge at the time was to secure and select the finest casks of single malt that were not readily available to the market. Their commitment to excellence is second to none in the industry and they’ve built a reputation for acquiring high quality stocks and bottling exceptional single casks. The excellent barrel of Glentauchers was aged entirely in new oak for nearly 30 years. It’s the oldest Glentauchers we’ve ever sold and represents the oldest stocks on the market currently from this old distillery. The distillery is on the outskirts of Keith and was built during the whisky boom of the 1890s and is now part of the Chivas family. This key component of the Ballantine’s blend is typically on the lighter side of Spey, but this is not an aperitif; it’s pungent citrus and vanilla coupled with a vibrant mineral quality. The sometimes overpowering zestiness of Tauchers has been tamed here by time offering some waxy citrus and orchard fruit, fresh grass, and green fruits. Just 90 bottles will be available only to K&L customers.

1988 Ardmore 31 Year “Hunter Laing Old & Rare Heritage Platinum Selection” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $349.99 View

Only 60 bottles will be available of this intriguing, old Highland peater. Distilled in April 1998 and bottled in 2019 at 50.2% ABV without dilution or chill filtration, the Platinum Selection represents the very best of what Hunter Laing has to offer. These casks are the bottler’s finest stocks and are selected not only for their exquisite rarity but also their unbelievable quality. Built in 1898 by William Teacher, the Ardmore Distillery is one of the Highlands’ best kept secrets, offering only an extremely limited selection bottled by the distillery, and the Ardmore malt remains a key component in the popular Teacher’s Highland Cream, which may be why they’ve neglected to market the wonderful peated Highlander beyond the current limited offerings. This very old barrel offers an incredible expression of old-school Highland malt with deep coal smoke, cured leather, wild honey, and tart red fruit. Just perfect at nearly 100 proof, it needs no water to open but could use some air to develop fully in the glass. Despite the high quality and limited availability, the price is extremely reasonable, and it should be given some serious consideration by any lover of old peated whisky.

1988 Tormore 31 Year “Hunter Laing Old & Rare Heritage Platinum Selection” Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $349.99 View

This lovely Oloroso Sherry butt from the Tormore Distillery was distilled in May of 1988 and bottled in 2019. A sister to the wonderful barrel we purchased last year, this time bottled in 700ml, it represents one of the best values in old, sherried malt available in Scotland today. The Tormore Distillery and its iconic copper roof is one of Speyside’s newer distillers. Built in 1958, great care was taken with the design of the exterior, unlike at other distilleries of the period. The distillery was expanded in 1984 and can produce upward of 3.7 million liters of alcohol per year. Nonetheless, it’s extremely rare to find Tormore of any age in the U.S. The relatively short and wide stills give a rich and textured spirit which lends itself nicely to sherry aging. Bottled at natural cask strength of 49.1% ABV and without chill filtration, only 60 bottles of this exceptional cask are available in the U.S. exclusively at K&L Wine Merchants. As described by the bottler, “This amber coloured whisky matured in an Oloroso sherry butt has lashings of hazelnuts, coffee, chocolate and tobacco on the nose. Spicy and nutty on the palate with a touch of toffee leading to a long, rich, peppery finish.”