Welcome to new and improved Whisk(e)y News, fresh with a new banner, a better server, and a more professional look! Since we’re now reaching a bigger audience than ever before, we figured it was time to up our game. We’ve already had an eventful month with the arrival (and quick departure) of the Compass Box “5th & Harrison,” as well as the new Michel Couvreur whiskies, but July isn’t over yet and we’ve got a few more surprises before we launch into August and the arrival of our Scottish single casks.

Lagavulin Celebrates its 200th Anniversary!

We know you’ve been reading about the limited release of Lagavulin 8 year for months now, but California always seems to get its allocations last when it comes to major market releases. We’re happy to report we’ve finally got our allocation, albeit not much! Sink your teeth into this lovely Islay expression: Lagavulin 8 Year Old Limited Edition Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky $59.99 The 200th anniversary bottling of Lagavulin is finally here! A limited edition eight year old single malt whisky that packs all the peat, smoke, salt, and classic Islay flavor of the beloved distillery into a younger, brighter, more assertive expression. Sure to sell fast and sure to be one of the more popular whiskies we sell this year! The special edition celebrates a visit to the distillery be Alfred Banard (author of the classic “The Whisky Distilleries of Scotland”), where he recollected tasting a delicious eight year expression. There’s a lot to love with this whisky-the fruitiness on the palate, the malty mouthfeel, and the price! It’s nice to see a coveted whisky release for well under a hundred bucks.

The Return of the Orphan Barrel!

Diageo’s Orphan Barrel program is back, to the delight of many of us who like to drink old Bourbon. We’ve pleasantly surprised by the drinkability of these bottlings and the reasonable prices considering the market right now. There are plenty of 10-15 year old Bourbons selling for far more than this. Enjoy it while it lasts (which won’t be long). Orphan Barrel “Rhetoric” 22 Year Old Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey $119.99 Maxim called the Rhetoric 22-Year-Old a “top-shelf triumph,” saying, “The mash bill for Rhetoric Whiskey is 86% corn, 8% barley and 6% rye. Beginning with hints of toasted grains, cherries and oak wood, Rhetoric 22-Year-Old tastes of toasted oak and dark chocolate with ripe banana and baking spices of clove and anise, while the finish is long and woody ending with dark chocolate notes. In other words, you’ll want to sip this one slowly….” (JPS, 05/2016)

Another K&L Exclusive Barrel of Russell’s Reserve…

Our time spent with Jimmy and Eddy Russell in Kentucky a while back continues to have been well spent. We just got in another one of our single cask Wild Turkey selections and it’s a breath of fresh air-a Bourbon full of spice and life! Russell’s Reserve K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #175 Kentucky Bourbon $59.99 Everything we love about Wild Turkey Bourbon is alive and well in this 2016 release of K&L exclusive single barrel Bourbon. The sweet baking spices and bright vanilla tones on the nose carry over to the palate that pops at 55% and lifts the richness beyond just the standard toasted oak profile. There’s a flurry of cinnamon, creme brulee, and vanilla bean on the initial sip and that harmony carries through to the finish. It’s always easy to tell a bottle of Russell’s Reserve from the other Bourbons we feature for that reason. There’s a freshness to them, a certain joyfulness, and it’s alive and well in this whiskey: K&L Exclusive single barrel #175. 55% ABV

Loch Lomond Revamp

Let’s talk about Loch Lomond distillery for a minute, one of the weirdest and most mysterious distilleries in all of Scotland. David and I have driven by the facility a number of times. We’ve even pulled over and tried to peek through the gates. Loch Lomond is like the creepy haunted house on the hill on your way to Springbank. They don’t allow visitors and much of what they sell goes into weird blends. As a group, the company also owns Glen Scotia and Littlemill, although the latter is no longer in existence, and lately has decided to invest a bit more money into their operation. I have to be honest here: anyone not utilizing mature stocks of single malt whisky right now has to be crazy. Imagine my surprise when I saw that Loch Lomond was back in the states, with all new packaging, and a new line of whiskies.

Changes at Loch Lomond first started in 2014 when a new management group bought into the company and began the restructuring. Since then, they’ve released a single grain, a blended reserve, and a new single malt expression, while also revamping the Glen Scotia offerings. Loch Lomond is also a bit of an anomaly in Scotland because it’s an entirely self-sufficient distillery. They have two traditional copper pot stills, along with an additional six that have rectifying columns like what you see at distilleries like St. George. Then they have a Coffey still where they make grain whisky (like the Nikka Coffey still releases) , then they also have Lomond stills on which they make the single malt Inchmurrin. They’re like the DDL of Scotland, utilizing a number of different production methods to make a variety of different whiskies with which they can blend. Personally, I’ve always been interested in the distillery, but the quality was never there for me until recently. After having tasted through the new expressions, I was practically jumping at the chance to bring them in; namely, because they offer something we don’t see too often these days in the Scotch whisky world: VALUE!

Loch Lomond Lomond Reserve Blended Whisky $16.99 – A soft and gentle blended Scotch whisky made entirely in house with creamy barley notes and classic vanilla. This isn’t some nameless blend in a bottle, it’s a whisky made entirely at one distillery for a hot, hot price!

Loch Lomond Single Grain Whisky $27.99 – Imagine all the sweet character of the Nikka Coffey Still for less than half the price! This is loaded with caramel and candy corn, round on the palate, and soft on the finish. It’s nothing to revel in; it’s for enjoyable drinking, plain and simple.

Loch Lomond Original Single Malt Whisky $32.99 – Rich and round on the palate with classic malted barley and sweet vanilla tones. Think of this as an upgrade to Glenlivet 12. Technically a Highland, but located just outside Glasgow north of Dumbarton. Rather than continuing to build new micro-distilleries that sell more young whisky for boutique prices, it’s nice to see an older operation get refurbished and use that size and scale to bring some value back to the market. I’m very happy with what’s happened so far to Loch Lomond and I hope to see more good stuff from them down the line.

That’s it for today everyone! Until next time,

David Driscoll

K&L Spirits Buyer daviddriscoll@klwines.com

650.556.2736 http://spiritsjournal.klwines.com/