Newly Arrived Signatory Single Malt Casks at K&L: 1992 Longmorn, 1995 Benrinnes, 2005 Bellachin – Scotch Whisky News
Over the last five years, no single malt whiskies have satisfied our staff members and customers more than the K&L selected single barrel expressions from the Signatory warehouse in Pitlochry, Scotland. Located within the Edradour distillery grounds, Signatory’s independently-purchased inventory of casks has become the gold standard of excellence for our most serious single malt consumers; it’s also the most anticipated appointment of the year for our spirits team. Since 2011, we’ve been working directly with Signatory manager Des McCagherty, sampling through hundreds of different barrels on site, and choosing what we feel are the best of the best from one of the true treasure troves of Scotch whisky. This past March we made our fifth trip to visit Des, tasted dozens of whiskies directly from the barrels, and whittled our selections down to three sure-fire contenders: a soft and fruity 20 year old Benrinnes, a rich and hedonistic 24 year old Longmorn, and a bold, intensely smoky Ballechin—the peated malt distilled on site at Edradour.
| Vintage | Item Name | Retail | Link |
| 1995 | Benrinnes 20 Year Old K&L Exclusive “Signatory” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) | $99.99 | View |
| 2005 | Ballechin (Peated Edradour) 10 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single Bourbon Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) | $89.99 | View |
| 1992 | Longmorn 24 Year Old K&L Exclusive “Signatory” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) | $159.99 | View |
Those looking for bang-for-your-buck, dangerously drinkable, classic Scotch whisky should grab one of the 112 bottles of Benrinnes. It’s one of our favorite whisky distilleries and this concentrated cask evaporated itself down to 48.2% naturally. It’s a gem, especially for the price. Those who have graduated beyond Islay and it’s traditional peated whiskies should look at the Ballechin. In this case, we’re buying a bold and brilliant malt directly from the source-the first time we’ve done so from Edradour-and fans of Kilchoman will instantly taste the similarities. It’s a whisky we don’t see very often in the U.S., so we thought peated whisky drinkers would appreciate the opportunity to expand their horizons. Finally, those in search of vintage Highland style excellence should absolutely grab the Longhorn. Rarely do we find such single casks of individual beauty that taste as polished and poised as this whisky. Part of the enjoyment of drinking single cask whisky is the anomaly. In this case, however, everything has come into harmony without the aid of blending. It’s one of the most perfect single cask whiskies we’ve ever tasted, and it’s a malt we would recommend to any lover of Scotch, of any style.
Here at K&L we love Benrinnes distillery so much that, as soon as one cask sells through, we turn right back around and buy another. Whereas we usually like to shake things up and diversify our inventory to keep things fresh, we start breaking out into sweats when the Benrinnes starts to get low. While it’s not a household name, Benrinnes is part of the Johnnie Walker empire and, while it’s rarely bottled as a single malt, the distillery makes one of the softest, fruitiest, most drinkable whiskies in the business. Everything about the flavor of Benrinnes is joyful, lithe, and warming. This particular cask is light on its feet with fresh stone fruit on the initial entry, followed by soft touches of oak from the hogshead cask and a lovely note of biscuit and sweet malt. What’s also interesting about this cask is that it only yielded 112 bottles and proofed itself down to 48.2% naturally. The result is a high-end session whisky designed to please serious fans of old school Scotch. The bad news about this cask is that it’s the last one in Signatory’s warehouse, meaning we’re going to have to look elsewhere for future releases. At least 112 people will go home happy! (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)
Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 30, 2016
This Benrinnes speaks for itself. As soon as one smells it, the Benrinnes 20 invites one to drink it with pretty aromas that are floral and malty. In the mouth it is classic, light and pretty with fruit and malt flavors. It is easy to drink and there is a nice finish.
Andrew Stevens | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 01, 2016
This is now the third bottling of a Benrinnes I have tried, and the second from Signatory, and I am still struck by how good the whisky from this distillery is. The third party bottlings of Benrinnes have become my go to for elegance and balance, and for anyone looking for an amazing bottle on the lighter and more delicate side. There is a lovely whiff of peat on the nose wrapped in notes of green apple and pear. Light fruited notes with layers of peat and a subtle smoke lead to a slightly spiced finish that has very little heat. This is a beautiful bottle that is light, elegant, and perfectly well balanced.
Although we’ve been working directly with Edradour’s Signatory label for five years now, we’ve never bottled anything directly from the distillery until finding this monster cask of 2005 Ballechin on our last trip. Ballechin is what Edradour distillery calls its heavily peated expression, and the result is something far more beastly than anything you’ll find on Islay. That’s not to say the whisky is peatier, but rather it’s heavier, more earthy, brooding, and dense. The peat smoke is clear right off the bat, but once it begins to collide with Edradour’s intense maltiness, the peat becomes something completely different. If you can imagine the smells and flavors of fermenting malt, that combination of sour, sweet, and cooked grains, then combine those elements with scorched earth, heavy smoke, and burnt peat, then you’ll begin to understand the power of this single Bourbon cask of Ballechin. Now power that profile up to 55.8% and all that intensity gets dialed up a notch. What’s ironic to me about this whisky is that it comes from one of Scotland’s tiniest, daintiest, most manicured and fairy tale-esque distilleries. There’s nothing dainty about this malt, however. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)
Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 30, 2016
I am very happy that we were able to purchase this cask from Edradour. It is flavorful, interesting and just plain fun to drink. There are nice fruit and smoke aromas. In the mouth it is a lusty gem with an interaction between expressive fruit and smoke with smooth and clean flavors. Very good.
Andrew Stevens | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 01, 2016
This is one of the most unique and interesting 10 year old Scotch whiskies I have tasted from anywhere in Scotland. A heavily peated Highland style that offers almost a char-grilled fruit note with layers of caramel and toffee. The big fruit with highlights of vanilla are bolstered by scorched earth and malty goodness. This is a super fun whisky that is a big boy, yet still balanced for all that and a different approach for those of us who love big peat and bold flavors.
If pressed, I would probably put Longmorn in the top tier of Highland malt whisky producers right alongside more heralded names like Macallan, Glenmorangie, and Glenfarclas. There is something ineffably quintessential about Longmorn’s richness, weight, and texture; there’s a core of sweet vanilla and malted barley in just about every expression I’ve ever tasted from the distillery, and I always walk away from the drinking experience utterly satisfied. For that reason, I will always buy an older, reasonably-priced cask of Longmorn when I get the opportunity. This past spring, I stared down a vintage-dated 1992 barrel in the Signatory warehouse and had yet another fantastic dram. This 24 year old whisky should be the mold after which all other Highland malt whiskies are created. It’s almost heavy on the palate and it moves slowly across the tongue, a creamy wave of dried apricot, vanilla bean, and sweet grains. The finish has more of the same, but throw in a hint of butterscotch for dessert. There’s no sherry maturation or sweetness really from the hogshead cask. All that richness is inherent in the whisky itself. All in all, there’s nothing extraordinary about this whisky because just about every edition of Longmorn we’ve ever bottled has been outstanding. This whisky is nothing more than another example of a superior Scotch distillery doing what it does best. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)
Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 30, 2016
I have always liked the selection of single casks that Signatory offers. They are always of high quality and are worth the price. This 1992 Longmorn is packed full of flavor. There are beautiful honey and floral aromas. In the mouth it is round with honey and malt flavors. It it full bodied, concentrated and complex. Most importantly, the Longmorn 24 is an easy to drink and enjoy single malt.
Andrew Stevens | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 01, 2016
So as to not leave anyone without during the holiday season we have more fantastic cask strength single malts from Signatory to satisfy your whisky cravings. This one from Longmorn is a rich verging on decadent offering for those who like the bigger Highland style. Caramel, vanilla, and baking spice in the nose lead to a densely fruited palate with a creamy mouth feel and a soft finish. A little smoke on the nose and a low heat finish round this bottle out and make it a beautiful choice for cool weather and long nights.
Shaun Green | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 28, 2016
Oh Yes, rich and creamy with lots of weight and texture. The creamy caramel/butterscotch element is very up front and very subtle apple skin and light spice moving back palate. It’s so smooth that even at 51.1 it shows a silky elegance. One more win for Signatory!
