2010 Pulteney 10 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength

Single Hogshead Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival)

$79.99 View

The wonderful Pulteney Distillery in the town of Wick is one of the north coasts most well loved. While it remains under the radar to the greater drinking public the Scotch community has long sung its praises. The distillery is one of the few who still manages to sell the odd cask here and there, but until recently it was relatively unusual to see on the Independent Bottlers lists. We’ve recently picked up a few casks and very rarely do the malts from this seaside distiller ever let us down. The distillery itself, located on the eastern coast of the northern most tip of the Highlands in county Caithness, is one of Scotland’s few “urban” distilleries. Tucked among granite homes, just blocks from the bustling harbor, The Old Pulteney Distillery quietly churns out a lovely ocean flecked malt of the highest order. Built in 1826, it’s oddly shaped stills, each with a bulbous refractor ball in the neck and an hair pin turn of a lyne arm, produce a not at all typical spirits. This relatively unadulterated expression of youngish Pulteney is about a typical Pulteney as one might expect full of fresh herbs, bright fruit and salty fruit. Hints of smoke and sea air cap off a totally lovely and typically atypical Pulteney. This lovely hogshead was filled in 2010 and bottled without coloring or chillteration at the end of 2021. Only 222 bottles of this lovely malt were bottled exclusively for K&L Wine Merchants at a cask strength of 57.6% abv.

2009 Benriach 12 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength

Single Sherry Butt Unchillfiltered Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival)

$99.99 View

Benriach is quickly becoming one of the most attractive names in Scotch. They’ve won some huge awards, particularly for their slightly smoky 12 Year Old expression designed by the illustrious Rachel Barrie. Rachel is extremely adept at developing products that offer nuance and complexity, while not compromising on flavor. What we don’t see much out of most distilleries these days are LOUD whiskies – ones that step up and shout at you. And while we don’t always want to be screamed at, it’s impossible to deny the thrilling feeling of getting packed into a sweaty club and having a heavy metal band blow your socks off. It’s ok to enjoy it and still want to go to the Opera next weekend. You don’t have stop liking Guns N’ Roses because you love ballet. This is bold, unabashed Benriach with 12 years in Sherry butts, bottled at cask strength without chillfilteration or coloring. It might not be as punk rock as Ardbeg, but it’s still pretty cool. Most importantly it’s absolutely delicious and totally worth the door fee. We must thank Alistair Hart and his good reputation for getting us backstage passes to this event. Bottled without coloring or chillfiltration at a cask strength of 58.2% abv.

Benriach 15 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength

Single Port Pipe Unchillfiltered Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival)

$109.99 View

The gorgeous Benriach distillery is one of Speyside’s most unique. The distillery, built in 1898, was promptly purchased and shuttered by nearby Longmorn Distillers, where it remained silent for many decades. It was purchased in 1965 by the Glenlivet Co. and refurbished before being sold to Seagram’s in the late ’70s. It was always a hub of experimentation and remains filled with crazy expressions and unusual cask fills, with both peated and floor malted versions. It’s rather rare to see independently bottled Benriach, but it seems Alistair Hart’s relationship with former distillery owner Billy Walker has played a role here. They’ve offered us several casks from the good Mr. Walker’s current and past portfolio this year and we’ve been more than happy to take every single one of them. This delicious port pipe of Benriach was bottled at cask strength without chill filtration. The quality of the wood is paramount here, and the deep red-fruited character works wonders when paired with the gorgeous Speyside attributes that Benriach is known for. Few deals like this will be available in the future. While we can still occasionally buy barrels from the distillery, we’re not likely to get something of this stature or price in their own bottle. A true gem and proof once again that Hart Bros. should be considered one of Scotland’s very top bottlers. Bottled without coloring or chillfiltration at a cask strength of 56.5% abv.

1997 Mortlach 24 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength

Single Sherry Butt Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival)

$279.99 View

There isn’t much that needs to be said about this. Mortlach meet sherry, sherry Mortlach. Two and a half decades later the marriage is still a perfect one. What’s the secret? Listening and mutual respect or raw unbridled attraction? Probably both. There may be no right answer, but no one questions that these two things belong together. The Mortlach distillery, known locally as the Beast of Dufftown, is one of those great distilleries that has never been given proper attention by its owners. The distillery has quietly been a key component in the great Scotch blends since 1823, yet few outside the single malt aficionados appreciate its prowess. Yes, the new owners have recently re-released a line of well regarded distillery bottlings, but their availability is intermittent, and the exceptional pricing the original offered seems to have evaporated. It’s been a much more successful effort to transition the brand into a proper single malt property, yet this excellent property remains in the shadows of its “classic malt” brethren. The beast, brooding down in the gully, was waiting to be unleashed. Now it finally has been! This is a big boy butt from the biggest of Speyside’s blue-chips. Robust, full of character and bottled no-holds-barred at full cask strength. It’s incredible we’re still able to get things like this out of Scotland and while it will be hard to argue with anyone that this one is “affordable,” for what it is, the price is really quite shocking.