We’ve have some exciting finds you want to miss including a new offering from Michel Couvreur, some regional blended malts from Douglas Laing, a Whistle Pig release, a dinner with the grappa savant Jacopo Poli, and, lastly, an assortment of sale items with deep discounts you won’t want to miss. There’s so much here we’ll dispense with long intro and get right into it…
K&L’s SMOKY, SHERRIED CUVEE FROM MICHEL COUVREUR RETURNS!
From the underground Burgundian cellars of Michel Couvreur, we’re happy to announce the return of our immensely-popular, super-sherried, super-peaty blend of luscious single malts! Not only are we back with a new batch, we’ve managed to shave an extra ten dollars of the price thanks to our direct business with Couvreur moving forward. Using only old sherry butts, in which the sherry has soaked in for at least thirty to forty years, Couvreur has some of the heaviest and richest Scotch single malt whiskies on the planet. The whiskies are tinkered down from Scotland and then aged in the cave at Couvreur until they’re ready for blending. We’ve been working directly with Couvreur for three years now and our customers have come to depend on our K&L blend over time. It’s currently the only whisky we have here at K&L that is as lush and sherried as it is smoky and peaty!
The chance to work with Michel Couvreur on a special K&L whisky project was something that we had been dreaming of for years. We had heard the stories. This crazy Belgian had moved to Burgundy in the ’60s, carved out a wine cellar inside a mountain, only to fill it with Scottish single malt whisky instead of Pinot Noir. He set up camp in Beaune, ordered new-make spirit to be delivered by tanker, and drove down to Jerez himself, selecting his own sherry butts to insure only the finest quality casks for his contracted spirit. Unfortunately, Michel Couvreur passed away in 2013 from pancreatic cancer, thus ending the career of one of the industry’s most courageous pioneers. Luckily for us, however, apprentice Jean-Arnaud has carried on after studying under Michel for more than a decade. When we visited the underground cave, we were all in total awe. The tunnels of dripping stone go on forever, and the amount of whisky stored in this secret lair is jawdropping. We put our trust completely in Jean-Arnaud and are happy we did. Our peated version of the incredible sherry expression is a seamless creation that drinks like the best version of Johnnie Black ever, mixed with the most supple and soft expressions of Macallan. It’s a lush, unfiltered, creamy, caramel-laden dream of a whisky composed only of malts 12 years and older. There’s a bit of peat on the finish, but the soft sherry is the star. (NOTE: do NOT cut the hard wax seal, use a wine opener to go through it as it’s sealed with a wine cork, not a standard cap)
Michel Couvreur “Peaty Overaged” K&L Exclusive Malt Whisky (750ml) $79.99
DOUGLAS LAING’S DELICIOUS REGIONAL BLENDED MALTS
As many of you know, we’ve been working directly with Douglas Laing for many years now for our independently-bottled Old Particular casks. What you may not have known, is that Douglas Laing was and has always been primarily a blending house and Fred Laing is one hell of a blender. In Compass Box style, Douglas Laing has put together a series of blended malts (much the Couvreur above, meaning no grain whisky, only single malts) that showcase the regional styles of Scotland. Not only are the whiskies absolutely delicious, they’re indicative of an era that is beginning to fade. Because Scotland’s focus with modern connoisseurs has shifted to single malts over the last decade, the distilleries are less motivated to create one singular style anymore. At this point there are dozens of distilleries that make both light and heavy whiskies, peated and unpeated whiskies, and both sherried and unsherried malts. There was a time, however, when Scotland’s five main regions (leaving out Campbeltown) were very specific. Highland’s were lithe and elegant, Speysides were sherried and rich, Lowlands were light and fruity, Islands were salty, and Islay malts were peaty. Back when blending houses were still contracting their whiskies (today they outright own their means of production), they would put together recipes for blends based on these styles. You still find old recipes that say things like: two parts Speyside, one part Lowland, one part Islay. It’s from Scotch whisky’s history of blending and from the lessons taught to Fred by his father Douglas that the regional malts were born. And let me tell you…they’re absolutely delicious!!
Douglas Laing’s Epicurean Lowland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $46.99
Our friends at Douglas Laing in Glasgow, with whom we do the Old Particular bottlings, have put together a series of regional malt blends that wonderfully showcase the stylistic flavor profiles of Scotlands main whisky producing sectors. Not only are the whiskies accurate reflections of a dying era in Scotch whisky production, they’re some of the tastiest and most enjoyable whiskies we’ve discovered in ages. The Epicurean is the “Lowland” expression that absolutely brims with fresh fruit, sweet barley, and hard candy. It’s a barley-rich malt that is likely a mix of Auchentoshan and Glenkinchie (or maybe even Bladnoch), but while we can’t say for sure, we can say with absolute certainty that this is a must try whisky for those looking for something fun and delicious.
Douglas Laing’s Rock Oyster Island Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $54.99
The Rock Oyster is an Island blend that uses whisky from the Arran and Jura distilleries, along with other malts from the islands of Islay and Orkney. The whisky is an explosion of sea salt, wave soaked rocks, smoke, honey, peat, ash, and pepper. It’s a textural malt as well, one that envelops the palate under all that potent island flavor.
Douglas Laing’s Scallywag Speyside Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $64.99
The Scallywag is the Speyside entry in the series and uses whiskies from Macallan, Mortlach, and Glenrothes to create a sherry-matured delight. It’s full of rich vanilla, chocolate, fudge, and orange zest with a bit of tobacco and fruit cake on the finish. A classic Speyside malt if there ever was one!
Douglas Laing’s Timorous Beastie Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $54.99
The Timorous Beastie is the Highland edition that uses whiskies from Blair Athol, Glen Garioch, Dalmore, and Glengoyne to compose an elegant and finely-tuned Highland expressions. There are flavors of sweet barley, honey, sweet fruit, and cereal grains on both the palate and finish. The texture is also as soft as silk.
Douglas Laing’s Big Peat Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $64.99
The Big Peat is a blend of Islay’s finest distilleries: Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bowmore and the rare Port Ellen, it is exactly what you expect when you taste it. The aromas are of smoke, and salty seaweed with a slight medicinal note, and the palate shows more campfire smoke with a saline and herbal character. The finish is rockin’ and the length on it is incredible. It lingers in your mouth for minutes as hints of fresh chopped spearmint and pepper start to appear. This is an aptly named whisky that is very much a big and peaty drink.
WHISTLE PIG RELEASES NEW “FARMSTOCK” RYE
Whistle Pig’s new Farmstock release is the Vermont distillery’s first expression to contain whiskey from its own stocks, giving fans of the brand a chance to taste something homegrown. The blend uses 20% one year old rye from Whistle Pig, 49% five year old Canadian rye from Alberta, and 31% twelve year old rye from Indiana to create a blend that wonderfully balances the spice and the pure rye flavor of the youth with the richness and texture of maturity. Both the Whistle Pig and Canadian rye whiskies were aged in Vermont oak as well, adding an extra dimension to the locality of the flavor. The profile is bready and spicy on the nose, but the mouthfeel maintains its richness from the older components. It’s a fantastic new release from the producer that should make fans of potent and flavorful rye whiskies quite happy.
Whistle Pig “Farmstock” Rye Whiskey (750ml) $84.99
ALSO AVAILABLE:
Whistle Pig 10 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml) $69.99
Whistle Pig 12 Year “Old World Marriage” Canadian Rye Whiskey (750ml) $119.99
Whistle Pig “Vermont Oak Finish” 15 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml) $199.99
Whistle Pig “Boss Hog” Straight Rye Canadian Whiskey (750ml) $299.99
