Two Amazing Single Malt Deals – “Like Macallan 18 at half the price” at K&L California – Scotch Whisky News
We pride ourselves on the incredible growth and selection we’ve been able to achieve with our single malt program over the last ten years. But as much as we love searching through Scotland, hunting down the rare and interesting whiskies of the world, nothing gives us as much excitement as finding a great deal–especially when those deals provide as much bang for your buck as the two we’re featuring today.
Old Malt Cask is an independent whisky label known for supreme quality in its selections and we tracked down two outstanding expressions with prices so good you’re doing to do a double-take. Craigellachie is a Highland distillery of great esteem that is just beginning to make waves in the U.S. with a few official distillery releases. We’ve found some extremely-tasty sherry-aged selections from the Pernod-owned producer over the past few years, but nothing on the level of this Old Malt Cask edition. Simply put: it tastes like Macallan 18 at less than half the price, and at 100 proof! Not only is it a great deal when compared to Macallan, but also when compared to other editions of the same whisky. We’ve noticed a few stores in the area selling Craigellachie 19 from Old Malt Cask for $150 a bottle, yet we’re offering it for $60 less. As if that weren’t enough, we tacked on an incredible 16 year old of peaty, smoky, classically-styled Laphroaig with the same great savings. Other editions of Old Malt Cask Laphroaig 16 sell for as much as $200, yet we’re offering it for $119.99. The math is pretty simple. The whisky is pretty great.
It’s a wonderful thing when you can find a substitute for your favorite brand at half the price. In the case of this new Craigellachie 19 year old sherry cask we just discovered, we think it tastes exactly like Macallan 18 year–a whisky that is now up to $230 a bottle when you can even find it. All that soft and integrated oloroso sherry flavor permeates the palate, while the delicate and malty flavors of the Highland whisky work in conjunction to balance out the richness. Even at 100 proof, this is a delicate whisky. It has a little more punch than your standard bottle of Macallan 18, but a few drops of water can temper that storm quite easily. As if the Macallan comparison weren’t enough, we’ve found other stores in the area and across the nation selling the Craigellachie 19 from Old Malt Cask for $150, yet we managed to work out a deal to get the price down under $100. Even the distillery version of the Craigellachie 23 sells for $240 a pop, yet this whisky someone how costs less than three figures? We hope that’s enough of a savings to get you excited because we’re pretty excited ourselves! Pour yourself a glass of this superb sherry-aged Craigellachie, enjoy that elegant marriage of toffee and caramel, and know that you got one of the best whisky deals of the year–hands down.
Kyle Kurani | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 16, 2015
This single cask of Craigellachie is a throwback in every sense of the world. It is a perfect example of old school Highland whisky, not from a 200% first fill sherry barrel, not peated to more PPM of smoke then the inside of your smoker, just absolutely delicious Scotch, and more importantly at a price for a 19 year old that hasn’t been seen for years on a single malt shelf. This starts off with sweet gingerbread and dried apricots, pure and elegant, followed by hints of richer poached pears. The palate is filly with butterscotch and round rolly viscosity, dense and opulent. Finishing through with toffee and caramel-topped brownie. One of the best deals we have seen in a very long time here at K&L.
David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 16, 2015
I think Kyle summed it up best: classic Highland whisky, no frills, for an unbeatable price. This is right there with the Glenlivet 19 we just released, but this one really tastes more like Macallan or some of the more graceful single malt whiskies of Scotland. When you look at what other stores in the area are selling Craigellachie 19 for, the deal becomes clear. You could almost buy two of this for the price of their one.
1998 Laphroaig 16 Year Old “Old Malt Cask” Single Barrel Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Elsewhere $199) ($119.99)
As if our stunning Craigellachie 19 year old edition of Old Malt Cask wasn’t enough, we also managed to track down a delicious 16 year old edition of Laphroaig, bottled at 100 proof, for an incredbile price. We noticed retailers on the East Coast selling 16 year old Laphroaig versions of Old Malt cask for up to $200 a bottle, and even the standard Laphroaig 18 year from the distillery goes for $120 or more. This concentrated, single barrel expression of Laphroaig brings all the peat smoke, saline sea water, and iodine notes you expect from your Islay whisky, but it adds a layer of vanilla from the cask maturation that balances the punch and the intensity of the island style. Even fans of Lagavulin and Bunnahabhain (those who like more richness and texture in addition to their smoke) will have a tough time finding a bottle better than this for the price. The finish is like a caramel candy covered in Islay peat, the perfect way to end a meal this holiday season.
David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 16, 2015
The levels of richness and smokiness here in this Laphroaig 16 are equal. It’s both chock-full of classic Islay flavor and simultaneously quite supple and round on the palate. I can’t decide if I think it’s sweet or spicy. That’s a sure sign of perfect balance if there ever was one. And the price….
K&L Wine Merchants http://www.klwines.com/ Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637) Email: wine@klwines.com San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA
