1996 Caol Ila 15 Year Old K&L Exclusive Sovereign Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($99.99)
One of the most surprising visits from our 2012 trip was at Caol Ila distillery on Islay. The Diageo plant is so big, so efficient, and so sterile that our appointment was more about around professional growth and crossing another distillery off our list. We didn’t expect to be wowed. For all of the criticism Caol Ila takes as being a whisky factory, the single malt made on site is damn good. Caol Ila uses big, fat-necked stills that produce a round and fruity spirit. That soft and supple character compliments the peat smoke of Islay malts perfectly. None of their whisky is aged on the island, so the brine and salt character attributed to Islay aging never really appears. What’s frustrating for U.S. customers is that most of the expressions that showcase the depth and potential of the distillate don’t make it across the water. The 18 year old we tasted on site was one of the best whiskies I had tasted all year, but since we can’t buy casks directly from Diageo, we were going to have to look elsewhere for something similar. Last year’s visit to Sovereign resulted in a 30 year old Caol Ila cask of supreme complexity, but we were so intrigued by the 18 year that we wanted something with less age and more fruit. Tasting the 15 year old cask on the mainland in Glasgow, we found what we were looking for. Soft, supple textures, youthful campfire smoke, brandied fruit on the palate, with vanilla accents that smooth out the finish. A tasty winner that we can’t wait for you to try.
1994 Caperdonich 18 Year Old K&L Sovereign Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($99.99)
We love finding great casks of whisky from “lost distilleries,” single malt institutions that are no longer in operation making their whisky more collectable and difficult to find. While the buildings at Brora and Port Ellen still stand today 30 years after their closure, Caperdonich, closed forever in 2002, was completely gutted and destroyed just recently. Nothing remains from the former Pernod-Ricard facility other than the single malt already sitting in cask. Much like its demolished cousin Banff, which we featured in last year’s K&L single malt lineup, Caperdonich has a distinct and understated character that doesn’t jump out of the glass immediately. It needs to be coaxed out. Our single barrel of 18 year old malt is a tease at first – hinting at supple fruit on the nose, yet lithely avoiding any serious concentration on the palate. Water is a must with the cask strength in order to temper the heat and bring out the nuance. With the alcohol in check comes the classic character of the distillery – grass, hay, and notes of pepper with more stonefruit. It’s a keenly interesting whisky that offers a chance at understanding a fallen soldier. Again, the Banff comparison will be key. Some people thought last year’s cask was underwhelming, others thought it was the best they had ever tasted. This year’s Caperdonich barrel will likely polarize drinkers much the same, wowing those who appreciate delicacy. Like the distillery itself, it will be missed after it’s gone.
1998 Glen Garioch 14 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($87.99)
On last year’s trip to Scotland, David and I stopped by Glendronach distillery on a whim, fell in love, and now it’s one of the top whiskies we sell at K&L. This year’s version of that was Glen Garioch distillery in Oldmeldrum. An old-fashioned, picturesque distillery located in the center of the quaint village, generating romanticism like you wouldn’t believe. Part of the Morrison-Bowmore portfolio, Glen Garioch’s whisky creation has been put into the hands of former Ardbeg superstar Rachel Barrie, who jumped ship to Bowmore last year. We weren’t planning on selecting a cask of Glen Garioch, but after stopping by early on in our trip, we told Rachel how much we enjoyed our visit while meeting with her a week later. Being originally from the area, Rachel was so overjoyed we had connected so deeply with her own sense of nostalgia, that she ran to the back to grab a cask sample she had picked out for Bowmore recently – a 1998 single cask aged in a hogshead that had previously held peated whisky. GG had dabbled in the peated Highland style before 1994, but the whisky produced today is completely without smoke. This very special cask, chosen by Rachel, has all the beautiful sweet grains we love about the malt with just a whisper of peat in the background. The palate is elegant and lean, but the fruit and vanilla is concentrated in its core. The whisky tastes like the town of Oldmeldrum – old world, country, rustic, and down-home. That’s terroir in whisky. (David Drisoll, K&L)
1980 Glenlochy 32 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($399.99)
I’ve maybe glossed over a mention Glenlochy in the Malt Yearbook or one of Michael Jackson’s books, but it has never had a form or context for me. It is not been on our radar because it is absolutely one of the rarest single malts on the market today. Purchased by DCL (the company that would become Diageo) in 1953, Glenlochy is one of these distilleries that met its demise during the whisky slump of the early ’80s. It had only one wash still and one spirits still. That is to say, they made very little whisky. This is the only bottle of Glenlochy currently available in the US market. It also happens to be the sister cask to the incredibly acclaimed 31 year old Glenlochy that was recently rated 92 points by Serge Valentine of Whiskyfun.com. I cannot express how outrageously complex this whisky is. The range of flavors is unfathomable. This thing is absolutely packed up. It’s like unraveling a giant ball of yarn. We start on the almond, nougat, exotic wood, all savory and powerful. Subtlety shifting into the herbal and fruit aromas, this nose is like a chameleon, at once beautifully exotic and powerfully brooding. On the palate, fabulously rich in texture, the whisky is like a ball of plasma oscillating through multiple states of being. It leaves you smiling and exhausted. Seriously, this is one of a kind. -David Othenin-Girard
1991 Linkwood 21 Year Old K&L Exclusive Sovereign Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($115.99)
Diageo’s Linkwood distillery is generally considered one of, if not the best of, the Speyside distilleries that are not sold stateside. We’re lucky to find a delicious, independently-bottled expression from time to time and we’re always on the lookout for something special. While most Speyside distilleries use heavy amounts of sherry, Linkwood’s elegant, fruity style stands on its own when aged in hogshead barrels as an alternative. Unfortunately, getting that delicate nuance of fruit and vanilla takes time and we haven’t seen older expressions of Linkwood very often. Our friends at Sovereign dug deep into their inventory, however, and surfaced with exactly what we desired: unsherried Linkwood with more than two decades of time in the barrel. Graceful, playful, and light with flavors of stonefruit, with the vanilla from the wood acting as a backbone. Because it’s bottled at cask strength, water is key to toning down the proof and releasing the potential for more flavor. A few drops helps balance the power and brings out notes of baking spice, resinous oils, and more richness from the wood. This is a whisky we expect many to pass over in favor of our other, more exciting casks, before coming back around later to realize they’ve overlooked a true gem. The sleeper of the older expressions we’ve had bottled. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)
United States – Bourbon and Rye
Smooth Ambler Old Scout 6 Year Old Bourbon 750ml ($36.99)
95 points Wine Enthusiast: “This amber-hued, six-year-old Bourbon has a bright, honeyed, slightly peachy scent. On the palate, it has a sweet creaminess, very smooth and light, finishing dry and lovely with just a bit of spicy rye-like sparkle. A fine choice for Manhattans and other Bourbon-based cocktails.” (07/2012) K&L Notes: The Old Scout has a lot of rye in the mash–36%–making for a supple-but-spicy bourbon with subtle fruit flavors and a hint of tobacco and spice.
Scotland – Single Malt Scotch
Laphroaig “Càirdeas” Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml (one bottle limit) ($64.99)
Here is the 2012 release of Laphroaig’s ever popular “friendship” malt. It takes the vatting from last year, an array of casks ranging from 11 to 19 years old, and add in some cask strength quarter cask material. Powerful, heady, lovely, Laphroaig, it is indeed. Jump on it, we got a big allocation, but it’s still basically non existent.
United States – Bourbon and Rye
1512 Barbershop Rye White Whiskey 375ml ($29.99)
1512 Spirits is a little outfit that has been making illegal moonshine for three generations. From what I’ve heard (from them and from others) the guy behind this project is a distillation genius. This guy still works as a barber five days a week in SF and distills at night in Sonoma County. We just got 48 bottles of this 100% white rye and it’s so pure, I can’t believe how much it smells like fresh bread and rye grains! It’s very, very good. I hope it’s an indication of what is to come. There supposed to have some aged stuff coming soon! Can’t wait. I plan on doing plenty o’ business with 1512. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)
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
