Whisky Exchange Whisky Show 2014 – Tickets on Sale!
1995 Glendronach 18 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single PX Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($149.99)
Good grief, Glendronach keeps bringing the hits. We’ve been obsessed with Glendronach since our first visit to the distillery in 2011. They’ve revamped this distillery, investing in the highest quality wood, using meticulous warehouse management to get the very most out of old stock and continuing to pump out some of the finest juice in Scotland. This year’s offering was aged in Pedro Ximenez casks and shows a totally different type of sherry influence from last year’s powerfully masculine dry oloroso cask. What we have here is the perfect sweet sherry nose, filled with dense dried plums, spiced pears, subtle flintiness, and a rich creamy core. On the palate, the baking spices really explode fresh clove, nutmeg, and freshly dried stone fruits. This balance between spices, dark exotic oak tones, and powerfully rich fruit is the hallmark of Glendronach. I think this cask will be the best received Glendronach yet.
Steve Greer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 24, 2014
Well this is one damn good whiskey. Power and sweetness with lovely sherry flavors, baking spices, vanilla, dried fruits and rich malt. The PX barrels are a nice complement to the Glendronach malt and a great price for an 18 year old.
Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: December 06, 2013
This is a crowd pleaser. It is big, soft and round, with the used sherry barrels adding richness and sweetness to the picture. It is not sticky or cloying, but balanced and delicious. There is no smoke to get in the way of this easy-to-drink single malt.
David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 26, 2013
This is what we call the Macallan 18 killer. It’s softer, more supple, more complex, and surprisingly less sweet than what you’d get from the renowned Highland giant. Our barrel is incredibly cakey — as in full of Christmas spice cake. Lovely stuff that just about any one can enjoy, especially at a lower-than-normal 52% alcohol. This one glides right over the tongue and into the belly — quickly and easily. A no-brainer.
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
Excellent whiskies, excellent value Batch 9 & UK exclusive Glendronachs. In short supply, available only while stocks last.
GLENDRONACH 1989 Cask 5470 £113.95
GLENDRONACH 1990 Cask 1240 PX £111.95
GLENDRONACH 1995 Cask 3302 £81.95
It is no longer much of a secret that Glendronach consistently produce some of the most outstanding sherry cask matured single malts. High standards abound, from distilling a top notch spirit to ensuring excellent cask management. The quality always shines through. These Batch releases don’t last very long and there is not much stock remaining so if you haven’t sampled a sublime, high quality, traditional style Speyside for a while, make sure you snap up one of these great single malts.
Whisky Ramblings Via Video #77
Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, enjoys a special bottling for the Belgian whisky club The Finest Notes. For their 10th Anniversary, they selected a Glen Keith 1995 single cask, that matured for no less than 18 years. Truly a great cask selection.
Lot 40 2012 Release Canadian Rye Whisky 750ml ($59.99)
Voted Canadian Whisky of the Year by the Whisky Advocate, Lot 40 is considered by many to be the quintessential Canadian rye whisky, garnering heaps of praise and a cult-like following. Distilled by Hiram Walker, now run by Pernod Ricard, it was briefly discontinued in the early 2000s, which set off a Pappy-esque manhunt by consumers who knew of its excellence (not in CA, however, where we were deprived of its presence). Now that it’s been relaunched by Pernod, we’re lucky enough to start getting a healthy supply in the U.S. It’s clear after tasting it why the Lot 40 has the reputation it has. The flavors of rye are unbelievably pure, while the palate remains soft and creamy underneath. It moves from rye bread into a peppery note so intense that it almost transcends into sweet citrus before finishing rich and floral. It’s the most exciting rye we’ve seen hit the shelves in more than year. We think it’s going to be a HUGE hit. Esteemed Canadian whisky writer Davin de Kergommeaux calls it “a contemporary masterpiece, seven generations in the making. This is one powerfully flavorful whisky that boldly mingles the galvanizing piquancy of distilled rye grain with the soaring floral fragrance of malted rye, and a fruitiness that comes with age.” We call it the best rye whiskey we’ve tasted since stalwarts like Sazerac 18 and older Willett bottles became dreams rather than reality. This is can’t-miss stuff. This is the kind of whiskey where you buy three bottles rather than one.
Mike Barber | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 20, 2014
Now that’s some good drinkin’! This rye is rich and delicious, with vanilla and chocolate notes over classic rye leather and cracked pepper–perfect on its own or for all your Manhattan needs. Not as sweet as some of the LDI stuff coming out of Indiana, not as dry as some of 100% rye Rittenhouse styled whiskeys in our store–it’s just right.
Mahon McGrath | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 20, 2014
Unctuous and rich, this Canadian Rye packs in an intriguing array of flavors that stays true to the character of the grain. Style-wise, it skews to the sweeter side of things, with a fat mid-palate, and a supple, seamless texture. This is definitely the best new addition to the–of recent days–rather un-crowded field of contemplative, sipping Rye Whiskeys that I’ve had occasion to sample.
Sarah Covey | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 15, 2014
All the spice and flash of Rye that I love, with a vanilla, caramel, clove and cigarbox undernote with a soft, sweet finish. AWESOME!
David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 15, 2014
Like other “American” rye whiskies, such as Whistle Pig, Masterson’s, and Jefferson’s, the Lot 40 showcases more of that great Canadian-distilled rye whiskey backstock. I was blown away by this whisky when I tasted it. Then I read Davin de Kergommeaux’s amazing review and learned about the story behind the brand. This has been one of the most talked about whiskies by Canadian and European collectors for years. For the entire back story, check out Davin’s post here: http://www.canadianwhisky.org/reviews/lot-no-40-2012-release-43-alcvol.html
Gary Westby | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 15, 2014
Great rye whiskey is not easy to come by at any price and great Canadian rye is even harder to find. This Lot 40 is clearly the best rye in the store and one of the best that I have tasted in a decade. With a wonderful bouquet of Christmas spice and a complex array of flavors, this Canadian will please the pickiest of whiskey fans. The fact that it still comes across as easy going and moreish even with the wild rye flavor and layers of complexity made a big impression on me. I will make room in my cabinet!
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
www.ralfy.com discovers how unpeated can be peaty with Whisky Review 429 – Caol Ila 14yo (unpeated malt)
UK vlogger Joe Ellis from Whisky Wednesday reviews Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2006
Highland Park Freya
Famous Grouse 40 years old in decanter
Just 276 decanters of the 40 year old product, the whisky house’s oldest blend to date, have been made available, of which Amsterdam airport (AMS) got the first six from mid-August until the end of September 2013. The elegant decanter … Continue reading
The Glenrothes have always been universally acclaimed by blenders as an exceptional Speyside Malt. Only a small number of vintages have been released, such is the exceptional quality required. Each vintage is, by definition, rare and finite. Each has its own unique personality. – Glenrothes Distillery
Discounted Items
Glenrothes 1988 Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky $139.99
GlenRothes 1998 Single Malt Scotch Whisky $59.99
Glenrothes 1995 Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky $79.99
Glenrothes Select Reserve, Single Malt Scotch $43.99
