Coveted 21 and 26 Year Cask Strength Single Barrels

Whisky season is at full throttle with new casks hitting our shelves every week. This first week in December brings us a tantalizing pair from “Hepburn’s Choice.” Both are superlative drams that would be welcome additions to any Scotch lovers’ collection. They are true “teaspooned” treasures, which is to say, a thimble’s worth of whisky from another distillery was added to the cask, thereby protecting the name of the parent cask. Yes, it’s a bit of marketing voodoo, but the end product is a whisky that’s been crafted by top distillery and sells for a fraction of the price of its unmodified equal.

Take, for example, the 26 Year Old John McCrae featured here. This cask hails from Balvenie, one of the most respected distilleries in Speyside. Because it was teaspooned and comes in 3% under proof, it sells for a sliver of their $700, 25 Year Old bottling. The value here is incontestable. The Hector Macbeth is every bit a compelling, if for slightly different reasons. This cask originates from Glenfiddich, a ubiquitous and well-known brand, but one that never produces single-cask expressions. But here you can enjoy just that thanks to the process of teaspooning. At 21 years of age and unfiltered, it is a rare find that’s every bit as delicious as it is unique. And like the McCrae, a regular bottling of Glenfiddich with this age statement usually costs about 50% more. Being single casks, there’s isn’t a lot of either to go around, so we recommend quick action to secure your bottles. For the full details on each, please scroll down.

1997 Hector Macbeth (Glenfiddich) 21 Year Old “Hepburn’s Choice” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($109.99)

There’s just no way to describe the feeling of coming across a splendid old cask of Wardhead (trade name for teaspooned Glenfiddich) like this one. You’d expect that with the incredible value that these casks offer, we’d see more of this type of whisky on the market, but I think suppliers are scared to work with something labelled as a blended malt whisky even when they know it’s actually only blended on paper. This magical cask bottled as “Hector Macbeth” was actually distilled at the famous Glenfiddich distillery in spring of 1997. It was filled into a used hoggie and left to sit in the warehouses for nearly two decades before being “downgraded” to a blended malt and sold off to the Laing Brothers. To be honest, it’s not entirely clear how the process actually works. Do the Laings have contracts to fill under the blended malt label or does the distillery open up stocks to the open market when space/cash is needed? Considering how difficult it is to find spirit from this particular distillery above 18 years old, these older teaspoons are becoming more definitive in our understanding of how this malt matures in its naked form. Very few whiskies on the shelf are going to offer more.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 24, 2018

For being the most best-selling single malt in the world, Glenfiddich gets a bit of a bad rap. While the distillery is widely known for its ubiquitous 12-year offering, it’s occasionally offering exciting cask finishes and special releases that are sought after, but a lot of the regular malt drinkers seem to poo poo them. While I consider the 12 year a benchmark that serves as a good middle ground to compare other malts—a centering malt—an easy way to seem like you know what you’re talking about is to shit on easy targets. But one thing very few malt drinkers can say they’ve actually tasted is Fiddich in a single cask. I do believe that experience will change many staunch detractors’ minds about Dufftown’s most active distillery. The nose is a gorgeous mixture of clean minerals and pale malt. With the tiniest drop of water it begins to expand. Vibrant freshly cut Granny Smith apples, the deep minerality of a grand cru Alsatian Riesling, chamomile tea, and citrus peel. On the palate, the gorgeous orchard aromas are pointed with a subtle cracked pepper. With a bit more air, lovely yellow floral and stone fruit aromas start to creep out. There’s no question that Fiddich is producing one of the finest malts in Scotland and if they let it go for 20+ years and bottle it at full strength it can be absolutely superlative. A polished gem that should be in every serious malt nut’s cabinet.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 15, 2018

Teaspooned casks offer some of the best deals in Scotland. Invariably it is the biggest and most prestigious names in Scotch that don’t want to see their whisky on the independent market trading on their hard-earned reputation. This famous “valley of the deer” is elegance defined. It’s gentle and fruity, supple from 21 long years in a refilled hogshead barrel. Vanilla and crème brûlée layer on top of cooked grains and fresh malty wort. A little bit of saline keeps it from feeling sweet. It’s balanced and endlessly approachable. A stunning value in its own right and a downright steal considering its heritage.

Will Blakely | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 24, 2018

There is a lot of life in this bottle for a whisky that is old enough to drink itself. Orange blossom and pleasant salinity on the nose make for a gracious, friendly introduction. There is also a subtle whiff of nutmeg and marmalade. Honeyed biscuits, creamy orange, and a touch of cocoa envelop the palate in an exquisite texture that lingers indefinitely. With a few drops of water, the aromas explode from the glass and the heat from spices surprisingly increases on the tongue, though is offset by sweet cereal and fresh mandarin. This packs a lot of delicate flavor into every drop without ever sacrificing balance or lift. Easily the best expression of Glenfiddich malt I’ve ever tasted.

William Beare | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 18, 2018

Smells like it rained Scotch all over my mom’s nice flower patch. Read: delicious! The nose on this beauty is packed with soft flowers and sweet, wet earth. I’m reminded of the rich smell of a garden nursery—soft leathery smells marrying flower petal and earth aromas. On the palate, this is a creamy delight, with notes of soft caramel candy and saltwater taffy.

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 16, 2018

From what I have tasted so far,the single malt casks that the team from K&L purchased this year in Scotland are not only high quality and tasty but also offer a broad range of flavors and styles. The Hector Macbeth is a lighter single malt with a nose that is sweet with a subtle savory note. In the mouth it is soft and light and just rolls on the tongue with delicate malt and honey flavors. In addition, there is nice concentration to balance out this package out.

Neal Fischer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 15, 2018

The nose is all soft vanilla chews, coconut pastry and lavender floral notes with a nice briny quality. The vanilla continues on the palate along with cocoa powder and salted nuts. In time, light flavors of leather and subtle medicinality come out. Skip your next doctor’s visit for this li’l cookie.

1991 John McCrae (Balvenie) 26 Year Old “Hepburn’s Choice” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($139.99)

We’ve discussed the practice of “teaspooning” at K&L several times before and it’s critically important to understanding just how special this cask of whisky is. There are some producers who freely sell or trade their single malt and are happy to have their name used in the sale of that whisky. But there are also producers who carefully guard their name, as is their prerogative, but who still end up selling or trading whiskey with the independent bottler market. To guard their distillery name, they “teaspoon” casks before selling them. This is simply the addition of a minuscule amount of whisky from another distillery to the cask. That teaspoon of whisky renders the entire cask “blended malt” (a blend of single malt whiskies from two different distilleries) instead of single malt and as such makes it illegal to call the cask by the producer’s name. The independent bottling market has created unique names for each independent cask that comes from a particular distillery. Enter “John McCrae.” While the distillery is known for its double cask program, this single cask is everything you want from a 26-year-old Speysider of impeccable pedigree. A true gentlemen of the highest order.

K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 16, 2018

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 23, 2018

Another stupendous “blended malt” from Hepburn. This is world-class stuff that we just happened to get a hold of. Of course the only reason Balvenie wouldn’t use this exceptional whisky in its extremely well-regarded whisky program is if it didn’t meet the brand’s standards. That by no means implies that this whisky is of a lower quality than the insane 25-year-old single barrels they sell for $700+, but that it just didn’t fit in the program. And I bet William Grant was well pissed when they rolled this cask out of the warehouse to find it had gone under the 47.8% that the 25 year is bottled at. But, we’re the lucky beneficiaries of that “fault” and can now sell you something that missed the mark for that special line by about 3.2% for an 80% discount. Oh and it tastes goddamned delicious, just as you’d expect from an old whisky of this pedigree. There’s no question that we’ll be looking out for more malts like this one, but I doubt we’ll find many that taste quite this special.

Will Blakely | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 24, 2018

A powerful whisky despite its relatively low proof, this bottling definitely shows the prowess of its original distillery. Savory and softly herbal on the nose, it comes across as hearty and wholesome, even soul nourishing. The taste is deep and earthy, supplemented by lighter tones of ginger, citrus, and mint. With a dash of water, the aromas open up to include whispers of sweet flowers and thyme. The finish is intensely flavorful and immensely satisfying, like a big meal after a long day of hard work. This is definitely a one-of-a-kind bottle that you don’t want to miss.

William Beare | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 18, 2018

A powerful dram indeed. This is not a whiskey you are likely to forget if you are fortunate enough to taste! The nose is exotic and seductive– really delicate fruity notes slowly make their presence known. I get candied orange and a touch of cocoa, like the little orange filled chocolate candies my parents would give us around the holidays. The palate is unexpectedly subdued, with briny, savory qualities that warm the belly and keep you coming back for more.

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 17, 2018

The last time that K&L had a cask from this distillery it sold out in a very short time. After tasting this selection, I can see no reason that this will not happen again. There is a very pretty, almost delicate but pronounced, wax and honey nose. The mouthfeel is velvet and cream with nice lush, honey-like flavors. There is a dry and long finish.

Neal Fischer |

A powerful burst of salted caramel cookies, coconut, white peach, and gentle medicinality characterizes the nose of this Scotch. The medicinality, leather, and varnished oak dominates the palate initially, but gradually fades to cream, vanilla, and cocoa powder then a woody finish.