Rare & Collectable at The Whisky Shop

Deemed some of the best collectables on the market, these drams are highly sought-after, and are equally good for new investors and avid collectors alike. We have some incredible bottles on our site so delve into the selection below…

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1997 Blair Athol 25 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

$279.99

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This beautiful cask of Blair Athol is truly the star of our 2023 campaign. We rarely get access to such exceptional old malt and if you’ve been following the K&L Exclusives, this will easily compare to the wonderful 25 year Cragganmore we sold last year. The Blair Athol malt is an absolute dream and when you put it into high quality casks, it can produce one of the Highland’s most complex and delicious whiskies. Founded in 1798 by John Steward and Robert Robertson, it changed hands many times until eventually being mothballed in 1932. IT was after that that Arthur Bell purchased the distillery to make it the home of his Bell’s Blend. Production start up again in 1949 and continues to produce the top dressing malt for blends. But a few special casks make it out of the system and we’re extremely lucky and proud to have procured this exceptional whisky. Fewer and fewer casks are able to offer this old malt experience for a relatively reasonable price. Any one looking for great old highland sherry should look no further. This is the best around.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

HIGHLAND PARK ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF LONDON EDITION

AS PART OF ITS SINGLE CASK SERIES

Orkney-based distillery Highland Park has unveiled its new Single Cask Release as part of its limited-edition Single Cask Series. The Highland Park London Edition will be available in the UK from 11^th September at an RRP of £390, with an ABV of 58.5%.

The launch of the 18-year-old London Edition sees Highland Park release just 642 bottles from a specially chosen cask in one of its 23 stone warehouses. The whisky, distilled in 2002 and bottled in 2021, is a naturally light, elegant golden colour, matured in a refill sherry-seasoned European oak cask. The cask – #4627 – was hand selected by Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion.

Fans of Highland Park should expect the brand’s signature earthy, smoky tones from the new release, allied to a deep, rounded nose spanning vanilla sponge, oak and nutmeg. Flavours of pears, aniseed and rich cedar wood mark the palate, with a gentle peaty note and lingering sweet spice.

With casks contributing up to 60% of the flavour of Highland Park’s whisky, the distillery works closely with Spanish bodegas to source the finest sherry-seasoned casks available. Sherry’s relatively low alcohol content means it takes less from the cask, leaving more elements to influence the flavour of whisky as it matures.

“Some of our most outstanding single-cask bottlings come from refill casks, as they have often previously held whisky for only a short period of time, so have much to give in subsequent maturation,” says Motion.

For the Single Cask Series, Motions says he is “looking for the exceptional – a unique aroma, an outstanding character or simply a superb example of Highland Park’s uniquely complex balance of flavours”. The cask he chose for the London Edition was marked out by its particular marriage of “diverse yet harmonious flavours”, he adds, via a palate that features notes of pear, vanilla, nutmeg and peat. “When it comes to whisky that’s matured for 18 years and more, I have fewer casks to choose from so those in our Single Cask Series are, quite simply, the most exceptional Highland Park casks available.”

Highland Park whiskies are filled at approximately 63.5%, and during maturation they naturally lose some alcohol and water to evaporation, or the so-called Angels’ Share. As Motion points out, however, the flavours themselves intensify rather than evaporating. “By bottling at cask strength, we encourage whisky enthusiasts to experiment with adding water or ice to reach their preferred drinking strength and flavour,” he says.

To find out more about Highland Park visit: www.highlandparkwhisky.com

About the release of Highland Park Single Cask #4627 18-Year-Old London Edition

RRP: £390

ABV: 58.8%

Total production: 642 bottles

On sale date: 11^th September 2023

Appearance: Elegant light golden colour

Tasting notes: Deep, rounded aromas of vanilla sponge, fresh Galia melon, oak, nutmeg and light peat tones. Flavours of pears, aniseed and rich cedar wood mark the palate, with a gentle peaty note sweeping through the mid-palate, finishing with a lingering sweet spice and woody character. 

About Highland Park

We’ve been crafting our award-winning whisky at the Highland Park Distillery in Kirkwall, Orkney since 1798. Now, 225 years later, we are one of the ten oldest working distilleries in Scotland. Age, experience and respect for tradition may define our whisky but it’s Orkney that differentiates us. And it’s not just the influence of the finest sherry-seasoned oak casks on our whisky as it matures, it’s the salty sea winds that batter Orkney’s rugged coastlines, the intensely floral character of our treeless but heather-rich peat, and the fiercely independent Viking spirit that drives us. These are the elements that go, untamed, into our whisky-making to create a wild harmony of sweet-smoky flavours that is, uniquely, Highland Park.

www.highlandparkwhisky.com

About Edrington UK

Edrington UK is the UK’s number one whisky supplier, part of the global Edrington family and responsible for the UK sales, marketing and distribution of a portfolio of ultra-premium brands including The Macallan, Highland Park, The Glenrothes, The Famous Grouse, Naked Malt and Brugal. As a valued distribution partner of Beam Suntory, Edrington UK also represents many of its brands in the UK marketplace, such as Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Bowmore, Laphroaig, Courvoisier and The House of Suntory range of Japanese craft spirits.

uk.edrington.com

The GlenDronach 29YO PX Puncheon Cask #6738 Exclusively for Dom Whisky /53,3%/

The single cask edition presented here brings whisky from a different era – distilled in June 1993, when the distillery was owned by Allied Distillers, spent almost three decades in PX sherry puncheon # 6738 (in our opinion, the best type of wood for this whiskey). This nectar was bottled at cask strength (53.3% abv) exclusively for us, for DOM WHISKY, in 2023. The cask yielded 694 bottles.

Nose: creamy cappuccino, chocolate-coated raisins, roasted almonds, vanilla, hints of herbs (thyme and sage), ripe cherries and plums, delightful combination of sweet, dark fruit and the spiciness of toasted oak.

Taste: silky smooth and multi-layered, mocha, gingerbread, a dash of cinnamon, melted butter, plenty of dark fruit, especially plums and blackberries, roasted walnuts, and tobacco leaf.

Finish: long and evolving, from sweet layers of honey and blackberries to a subtle spiciness and mixed nuts playing a final cord.

The GlenDronach 29YO PX Puncheon Cask #6738

Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

(700ml)(European Import)

$270.00

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From Buffalo Trace Distillery, Blanton’s holds the distinction of being the world’s first regularly released single-barrel bourbon. This exceptional brand was launched in 1984 and named for the legendary leaders of that historic distillery outside of Frankfurt, Albert B. Blanton. The brand, which is produced and distributed by Sazerac at the Buffalo Trace Distillery, is owned by the previous owners of the distillery a Japanese company called, Age International. Over the last several years, Blanton’s has become one of the most sought-after and inaccessible whiskies on the market. This, their rarest and most elusive expression, is previously completely unobtainable. For instance, in 2021 K&L was allocated a measly 3 bottles company wide. Now that new regulations allow 700ml bottles to be sold, another channel is open for us to obtain this special whiskey. Each barrel is different, bottled at full cask strength without chill filtration of any kind. Proofs range from 115-135 proof and cask numbers cannot be checked in advance of purchase. This rare expression is truly one of Kentucky’s finest.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

BUNNAHABHAIN 1990
32 YEAR OLD

We’re excited to present a powerful and concentrated Bunnahabhain single malt, distilled in 1990 and matured for 32 years in a single oloroso sherry butt before being bottled exclusively for our customers. Bunnahabhain distillery rarely releases retailer-exclusive bottlings, and it is rarer still for it to be a whisky as well-aged as this one.

The Whisky Exchange head buyer Dawn Davies MW worked closely with master distiller emeritus Brendan McCarron and his team to select a whisky with a rich and bold character. The oloroso sherry butt has imparted layers of sweet spices, sticky caramel and nutty chocolate that mingle with Bunnahabhain’s fruity and malty character. It is an explosion of flavour on the palate and a cask not to be missed.

£2,000

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BELL ROCK

Cask Strength

70cl | 61.1% ABV

Bell Rock Cask Strength is the latest limited edition single malt whisky from the Kingsbarns Distillery. This robust, full bodied single malt was matured in a combination of Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks, and bottled at 61.1% ABV

£74.95

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Tasting Notes:

THE NOSE – Rich velvety toffee, baked meringue, roasted almonds.
THE PALATE – Pecan pie, caramelised orchard fruits, fresh pastry.
THE FINISH – Caramel sauce, crème brûlée.

We are delighted to introduce The Macallan Colour Collection, a travel exclusive Collection exploring our commitment to Natural Colour and Sherry Seasoning. This Collection is designed in collaboration with the eminent artist and graphic designer, David Carson.

Comprising five expressions, aged from 12 Years Old to 30 Years Old, the Colour Collection explores the rich spectrum of natural colours, flavours and aromas imbued by our exceptional sherry seasoned oak casks from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.

A travel exclusive, the Colour Collection will be available in The Macallan Global Boutiques, in key airports and selected duty free locations around the world from September 2023.

DISCOVER

With just three weeks left until launch, life with The Hearach in the world is starting to feel very real. These are exciting times for all of us here in Harris as we bring the collective efforts of this young endeavour ever closer to fruition. If you’d like to help spread the good news about the forthcoming launch then please feel free to share our emails and social media messages with friends and family. And, if you have any questions then simply click HERE, HERE , and HERE to find the answers to lots of queries from your fellow whisky lovers. This week, we’re sharing some details about our batch numbering system, the creative sounds of ceremony, and a few words on tasting notes done Harris-style…

Slàinte mhor, and as ever here’s to The Hearach!

Le gach deagh dhùrachd,

Mike Donald, Chief Storyteller

Be Here With Us In Harris – 22.09.23 and 23.09.23

We are releasing our whisky with a ‘strip code’ – a special combination of letters and numbers found on every stopper seal. The code may refer to a specifically married batch, or a batch from a single cask, or a batch from a certain type of maturation, or other unique factor in its release. These codes will also be found on a dedicated page of our website at launch, allowing you to download an accompanying ‘batch sheet’ to help you learn about your whisky.  We aim to be as transparent about our drams as we can, by sharing information on our yeasts, barleys, peating levels, cut-points, fermentation times, and more… You’ll also be able to enjoy stories from the island written at the time of bottling alongside tasting notes from Harris people, more on which can be found below…

We want everyone who enjoys The Hearach to connect with us here in the Isle of Harris. One of the ways we can help you do this is through beautiful objects, audio, and a quiet sense of ceremony. We hope you’ll be able to put life on pause when you can, pour a dram of our whisky, and press play on our specially created immersive soundscapes.  The first creative collaboration from launch is with young island audio artist Fraser MacBeath. Fraser spent much of 2023 with us at the distillery, traveling around Harris, getting to meet local people and exploring hidden corners of our community with his recording equipment. The resulting piece of experimental work weaves past and present, the noises of the natural world, and the musings and music of the men and women who call this place their home.

We feel that the flavour of our whisky will be perceived differently by different people as they allow the complex character of our dram to unfold in their glass over time. So, we won’t issue any ‘official’ tasting notes and instead encourage folk to explore the scents and sensory experience of The Hearach single malt from a more personal point of view. We also understand that identifying notes on the nose, flavours, and finishes can be daunting for those not used to the more formal way of dissecting a dram. Therefore, each batch will come with some simple words written by someone from our local community as they enjoy a glass and delve a little deeper into their island memories and imagination, to help things along. We’d love you to share your notes with us too and any stories which become spun as you too spend time with our island spirit.

September 2023 is just the beginning. When the dust settles, rest assured there are a great many good things yet to come, and no end of creative ideas still to explore. We look forward to sharing every moment with you and hope you will be inspired to be part our our plans as The Hearach story progresses.

Slàinte!

Got More Questions? Click To Learn More!

Our mailing address is:

Isle of Harris Distillers Ltd is registered in Scotland.
Tarbert, Isle of Harris, HS3 3DJ

Celtic Honey leans into its key ingredient with Celtic Honey Beekeeper’s Blend

New packaging and reformulation at 80 proof complete Celtic Honey’s transition into the flavored whiskey category

St. LOUIS (Aug 26, 2023) – Celtic Honey – inspired by a honey mead recipe from the Irish Celtic tribes and believed to bring good luck – is poised to blaze a new trail with updated packaging and a new formulation that increases from 60 to 80 proof (30% – 40% ABV), transitioning the brand from a cordial to a flavored whiskey. Made in Northern Ireland with all-natural Irish honey, distilled Irish whiskey and flavors of native Irish flowers, plants and trees, Celtic Honey Beekeeper’s Blend is set to reach retail shelves across the country by August at a suggested retail price of $24.99 per 750 ml bottle.

Celtic Honey Beekeeper’s Blend features aromas of sweet vanilla, bee pollen and oak on the nose and flavors of clover, honey and vanilla spice on the palate. The blend is rounded out by a warm, yet delicate, finish with a welcomed note of Irish whiskey.

To complement Celtic Honey’s new formulation, the brand features updated packaging with a modernized, simplified logo. While the bottle is the same, new Celtic Honey packaging features an elevated capsule enclosure, as well as foiled treatment on a craft-paper label for a premium look and feel.

“Celtic Honey Beekeeper’s Blend is a great way to bring a touch of sweetness to any occasion,” said Allison O’Brien, brand manager for Luxco’s Irish Portfolio. “Highlighted by all-natural Irish honey, Celtic Honey Beekeeper’s Blend adds a deliciously floral flavor and texture, whether you enjoy it over ice, as a shot or as an unexpected ingredient in a cocktail.”

To find a bottle or learn more, visit celtichoney.com.

About Luxco

Founded in St. Louis in 1958 by the Lux Family, Luxco is a leading producer, supplier, importer and bottler of beverage alcohol products. Our mission is to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of consumers, associates and business partners. Merged with MGP Ingredients, Inc. in 2021 (Nasdaq: MGPI), Luxco operates as MGP’s Brands Division and manages all MGP/Luxco brands. This extensive and award-winning spirits portfolio includes well-known brands from four distilleries: Bardstown, Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers, home of Ezra Brooks, Rebel, Blood Oath, David Nicholson and Daviess County; Lebanon, Kentucky-based Limestone Branch Distillery, maker of Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey and Bowling & Burch Gin; Jalisco, Mexico-based Destiladora González Lux, producer of 100% agave tequilas, El Mayor, Exotico and Dos Primos; and Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey are produced. The innovative and high-quality brand portfolio also includes Penelope Bourbon, Everclear Grain Alcohol, Pearl Vodka, Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream, The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey, Green Hat Gin and other well-recognized brands. For more information about the company and its brands, visit luxco.com.