THE REVIEW

Glenalllachie 17yo Oloroso & Mizunara

Quite the spot of decadence this week. A Glenallachie matured in ex-Oloroso and ex-Mizunara barrels. Bottled at 50% ABV with all of the other good natural stuff that comes with it.

Billy Walker dominates the world of sherry in a way that no other person or brand can really even touch. Macallan get close, don’t get me wrong. But when it comes to a positive element of cult of personality. Billy Walker is your go to man!

Billy never distilled this liquid so I’m unsure of it was in ex-bourbon prior to this and re-recked into sherry and Japanese oak, but that’s bye the bye when it comes to flavour. The dominance of the sherry on this liquid is so big bit also so subtle at the same time. You get all of these cocoa nib, orange oil, gentle tobacco notes from all of these huge sherry casks. However, the Mizunara element of this whisky takes a while to come through on the nose. You feel it significantly more on the taste.

Mizunara for me is always dominant with white and black pepper notes. It still has some natural sweetness to it with candied apple, but given the power of these sherry barrels the Mizunara is playing second fiddle to when it comes to aroma. The pepper notes contrast the massive sweetness of the liquid, also providing some wonderfully contrasting dryness that rounds off the taste.

All in all this is a very impressive whisky with loads of appeal. The only real downside is the price that comes along with it. Around that £250+ mark for a seventeen year old liquid is quite a push. A few years ago you would never see a limited edition Glenallachie sat n shelves, how ties are changing.

If you see this in a bar or if you’re in a whisky club with a few friends, this would make an incredible bottle to focus on. I also think the Mizunara could become more dominant the longer it’s open, but that will have to be tested another time.

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Talnua Distillery Announces Annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration and Exclusive Olde Saint’s Keep 2025 Release

Arvada, CO – February 2025 – Talnua Distillery, America’s pioneer of Single Pot Still whiskey, is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, taking place at the distillery on March 14 and 15 from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM. This 21+ event promises an unforgettable experience filled with music, camaraderie, and the annual release of the exclusive Olde Saint’s Keep Special Release Whiskey.

Whiskey enthusiasts and St. Patrick’s Day revelers alike are invited to join Talnua Distillery for two days of festivities featuring live music, pipe and drum bands, traditional Irish music sessions, and incredible food trucks. Guests can also enjoy the Trinity Mobile Cigar Lounge, offering a premium pairing experience for those looking to enhance their whiskey enjoyment.

Event Schedule: A full schedule of entertainment and activities can be found HERE

Introducing the 2025 Olde Saint’s Keep Special Release Whiskey

A cornerstone of Talnua’s annual St. Patrick’s Day tradition, the 2025 Olde Saint’s Keep Special Release Whiskey is an exclusive offering available only at the distillery beginning March 14. Crafted with a meticulous approach to tradition and innovation, this American Single Pot Still whiskey is triple distilled from a mash of 50% unmalted barley and 50% malted barley.

Aging in select barrels has imbued this whiskey with remarkable depth and complexity.

This year’s release was aged for 2 1/2 years in Ex-Bourbon barrels with both French Oak and American Oak staves. From there, the whiskey was transferred into barrels that first held Pedro Ximenez Sherry for 17 years followed by PX Solera Brandy from 1948 for 13 years.

The whiskey rested in those barrels for 2 years and 3 months, giving it a final age statement of 4 years and 9 months.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Apple Orchard, Buttery Maple, Baking Spices
Palate: Honey Graham Cracker, Dried Stone Fruit, Macadamia Nut Cookie
Finish: Cinnamon, Shortbread, Long Finish

At 100 proof (50% ABV), this whiskey delivers a bold yet refined profile, with limited availability of fewer than 1,000 bottles, making it a must-have for collectors and connoisseurs alike.

Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this incredible celebration and to secure a bottle of the 2025 Olde Saint’s Keep Special Release Whiskey. Join us at Talnua Distillery on March 14 and 15 for a St. Patrick’s Day experience like no other!

Exciting Releases from Top Distilleries
K&L Exclusive “Faultline” Collectibles
“This is another one of those that we’re simply honored and lucky to have been able to snag under the Faultline label.”— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

We’re thrilled to present these K&L exclusive Faultline bottlings, which deliver exceptional quality far beyond their price point. Sourced from some of Scotland’s most renowned and exciting distilleries, Faultline strives to create single malts that are both effortlessly beautiful and full of character. Complex, dynamic, and unavailable anywhere else, these unique bottles are the perfect addition to any collection.

This Faultline series also offers a rare opportunity to experience the work of Brazilian contemporary artist Céu Isatto. Each special bottling features a segment of her painting, shown below. Whether you choose to collect the full set or select your favorites, each bottle represents not only a brilliant Scotch expression but also a true story waiting to be discovered.

1998 The Huntley (Balvenie) 25 Year Old “Faultline” K&L Exclusive Single Sherry Hogshead Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) ($250.00)

The special distillery in the town of Dufftown is unquestionably one of the top distillers in Scotland. Owners William Grant detest the thought of another company bottling their most special malts, but they nonetheless trade in it on occasion. When they do sell it, they add a molecular amount of a neighboring distillery (either Kininvie or Glenfiddich) and sell it off as Burnside. But now, they don’t seem to like to see that name on bottles either. So, we’ve adopted a totally unrelated name so as not to piss anyone off. Still, I’m happy to tell you this was distilled in Dufftown on December 9th 1998 and filled into a sherry hogshead for 25 years. Bottled exclusively for K&L at a natural cask strength of 51.2%

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 20, 2025

This is another one of those that we’re simply honored and lucky to have been able to snag under the Faultline label. Yes, it’s very expensive – but old Islay of this quality is rarely trading for less than double the price of this wonderful single cask. Sure, it’s listed as a blended malt, but there’s no question about the source and if you’re in it for the function over the form, you’ll be extremely happy with this stupendous cask of Ardbeg. If the distillery had held onto these barrels, there’s no question they’d be in some gorgeous special edition worth thousands. No need for further convincing. Let’s taste.

The color is picturesque old gold (0.6). Still extremely powerful after more than 2.5 decades offering pungent dark coal smoke doused in salt water. Pulverized oyster shell, lemon oil, lanolin, old rubber boots, salted fish, candy cane, roasted tarragon, Vin Jaune, and metal shop. On the palate, powerful green and black peat smoke, tense yet full-bodied, cigar ash, camphor, lemon drops, menthol, and tarry asphalt. With water, we add much more oyster brine and lemon oil on the nose, but the palate still exhibits powerful peat smoke, albeit slightly tamed. Now we have some limestone, Myer lemons, candied ginger drops, and creosote. Absolutely top-notch old heavy peat Ardbeg. Not one of these tame ones. A real refreshing contrast to the modern style peat. It ain’t cheap, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a similar experience anywhere else these days.

1997 Islay Mystery (Ardbeg) 26 Year Old “Faultline” K&L Exclusive Single Refill Hogshead Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) ($300.00)

This wild barrel of teaspooned Islay malt was filled into a single hogshead on November 24th of 1997. The distiller in questions, Ardbeg, does not like to have its name adorn products it did not bottle and during this period which represented a significant transition for the distillery, many deals were made to acquire the product, but obscure its origins. Indeed, this is no single malt. It would have been teaspooned (administratively or literally) with another Islay malt distilled on or before November 1997. But the source of whisky is unquestionably that special distillery on the southern shore of Islay. One taste and you’ll be sure. Bottled exclusively for K&L at a natural cask strength of 54% without color or chillfiltration. One of 264 bottles. Cask: 9876917

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 20, 2025

This is another one of those that we’re simply honored and lucky to have been able to snag under the Faultline label. Yes, it’s very expensive, but old Islay of this quality is rarely trading for less than double the price of this wonderful single cask. Sure, it’s listed as a blended malt, but there’s no question about the source. If you’re in it for the function over the form, you’ll be extremely happy with this stupendous cask of Ardbeg. If the distillery had held onto these barrels, there’s no question they’d be in some gorgeous special edition worth thousands. No need for further convincing. Let’s taste. The color is picturesque old gold (0.6). Still extremely powerful after more than 2.5 decades, offering pungent dark coal smoke doused in salt water. Pulverized oyster shell, lemon oil, lanolin, old rubber boots, salted fish, candy cane, roasted tarragon, Vin Jaune, and metal shop. On the palate: powerful green and black peat smoke, tense yet full-bodied, cigar ash, camphor, lemon drops, menthol, tarry asphalt.

With water, we add much more oyster brine and lemon oil on the nose, but the palate still exhibits powerful peat smoke, albeit slightly tamed. Now we have some limestone, Meyer lemons, candied ginger drops, and creosote. Absolutely top-notch old heavy peat Ardbeg. Not one of these tame ones. A real refreshing contrast to the modern style peat. It ain’t cheap, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a similar experience anywhere else these days.

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

OLD ORKNEY 1999 – 25 YEAR OLD

A beautiful and richly sherried 25 year old Orkney single malt bottled as our fourth Old Orkney release. Matured initially in plain oak hogsheads, this spent its final six years maturing in a very, very old 1st fill, ex-bodega, oloroso sherry butt.

This has made it a beautifully well-sherried mature Orkney single malt, but means there’s also still plenty of distillery character well intact.

The fourth bottling in our occasional but cherished Old Orkney series is a 1999, 25 year old Orkney malt that has spent the majority of its life in plain refill wood, then the final six years of its maturation in a very, very old 1st fill, ex-bodega, oloroso sherry butt.

The result, bottled at natural cask strength, is a richly sherried example of very mature Orkney single malt, that leaves all the wonderful distillery character intact, but decorates it in great detail with some beautifully intricate and old school sherry characteristics.

This one is deeply earthy, gamey and rich, with gentle peat smoke, waxes, hessian and nicely savoury, salty notes. A beautiful dram and a wonderfully old school example of sherried Orcadian single malt.

£350.00 inc VAT

A word from Angus…

Life is tough enough as it is without suffering bad, mundane and boring things to drink. We believe wholeheartedly in ensnaring the most delicious spirits and wines the world has to offer, and presenting them to you in a way that celebrates all that is fun, silly, beautiful, humourous, satirical and surreal. A little bit of ‘decadence’ every now and then is part of what helps make life joyful and worth living. We are Decadent Drinks and we are about quality, about beauty, about pleasure and about fun!

LOCAL BARLEY 8yo

NOSE

Notes of cracked black pepper, cigar box and sage on the nose introduce this year’s Local Barley.

PALATE

There are notes of shortbread and salted caramel on the palate, along with a herbal, basil note.

FINISH

A long, sweet finish with notes of toffee standing out.

UK RRP £90 – £95

ralfy review 1067 Extras – independentspirits.co.uk

Maker’s Mark Premieres “Perfectly Unreasonable”

New Global Brand Campaign Celebrates the Remarkable Lengths it Takes to Create Uncompromisingly Delicious Bourbon

LORETTO, Ky. – Monday, February 17, 2025 – Maker’s Mark®, the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon, today announced the launch of its new global brand campaign, Perfectly Unreasonable. The cinematic campaign asserts that going to unreasonable lengths – in life and in bourbon – is what separates good from remarkable. It celebrates those who relentlessly pursue excellence and shines a light on the unconventional decisions that have made Maker’s Mark an icon.

“Perfectly Unreasonable is more than a campaign, it has been our ethos since my grandparents broke with tradition to reimagine what bourbon could be,” said Rob Samuels, eighth generation whisky maker and managing director, Maker’s Mark.  “Maker’s Mark continues to be driven by the pursuit of better bourbon and a better world, with our founders’ vision as our north star.”

From the beginning, Maker’s Mark founders Margie and Bill Samuels Sr. committed to doing things differently. Burning the family’s 170-year-old recipe to create something entirely new for the category – a delicious and balanced bourbon – and they chose the homeplace for Maker’s Mark in outlying Loretto, Kentucky because of its unique water source. They were also one of the first to open their distillery doors to visitors – a precursor to today’s Bourbon Trail. This challenger spirit endures today with every bottle hand-dipped in signature red wax, every barrel rotated by hand, and the brand’s dedication to become B Corp and Regenified certified.

Perfectly Unreasonable was shot by acclaimed Swedish film director Marcus Söderlund and serves as a manifesto for a new generation of global bourbon enthusiasts, illustrating that breakthrough accomplishments are born from challenging the status quo with vision and determination. This global campaign marks the first execution for the brand by global creative agency Carmichael Lynch.

“This bold campaign reinforces how Maker’s Mark is unique in its uncompromising commitment to excellent bourbon, as well as the personal and unconventional ways we communicate to consumers,” said Chloe Lloyd-Jones, vice president of global brand marketing, Maker’s Mark.  “We know Perfectly Unreasonable will resonate with Maker’s Mark fans, who expect nothing less from us, and new whisky drinkers around the world.”

Perfectly Unreasonable premiered in the U.S. during NBC Primetime this weekend and will include integrations with NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” as well as ‘The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers’ and ‘Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers’ Podcasts. A fully integrated campaign will roll out nationally and in key markets globally throughout 2025. The hero creative will take 30-second, 15-second and six-second forms across television, streaming, digital and social media, and will be supported via the brand’s website, ambassador program and distillery experiences.

For more information, please visit www.makersmark.com.

ABOUT MAKER’S MARK  

Maker’s Mark® is the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon driven by a vision for better flavor and a better world.  Maker’s Mark began with the innovative spirit of Margie and Bill Samuels, Sr., who in 1953, fulfilled their dream to create a delicious bourbon without the bite, using soft red winter wheat instead of rye to enhance the softness, sweetness and signature creaminess. Highly desired around the world, Maker’s Mark is handmade, hand-dipped in our signature red wax, and every barrel continues to be rotated by hand and is aged to taste not time.

Always true to the founders’ vision, Maker’s Mark continues to shape the brand’s future through purposeful, flavor-driven innovation. In recent years, the brand has introduced thoughtful, super-premium expressions to its portfolio, including Maker’s Mark 46, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, and Maker’s Mark Cellar-Aged, all Double Gold winners of the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, as well as Maker’s Mark Private Selection: the brand’s custom barrel program.

Advancing its mission to cultivate bourbon that betters the world, while crafting the most flavorful product possible for consumers, Maker’s Mark is the largest bourbon distillery in the world to achieve B Corp Certification and the first distillery to achieve Regenified Certification, a reflection of the brand’s dedication to sustainable agriculture practices at Star Hill Farm, home to the Maker’s Mark Distillery. For more information, visit www.makersmark.com.

ABOUT SUNTORY GLOBAL SPIRITS

As a world leader in premium spirits, Suntory Global Spirits inspires the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature. Known for its craftsmanship of premium whiskies, including Jim Beam® and Maker’s Mark®; Japanese whiskies, including Yamazaki®, Hakushu®, Hibiki® and Toki™; and leading Scotch brands including Laphroaig® and Bowmore®, Suntory Global Spirits also produces leading brands such as Tres Generaciones® and El Tesoro® tequila, Roku™ and Sipsmith® gin, and is a world leader in Ready-To-Drink cocktails, with brands like -196™ (minus one-nine-six) and On The Rocks™ Premium Cocktails.

A global company with approximately 6,000 employees in nearly 30 countries, Suntory Global Spirits is driven by its core values of Growing for Good, Yatte Minahare and Giving Back to Society. The company’s Proof Positive sustainability strategy includes ambitious goals and investments to drive sustainable change and have a positive impact on the planet, consumers and communities. Headquartered in New York City, Suntory Global Spirits is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information, visit www.suntoryglobalspirits.com

Dufftown Heritage Old & Rare Whisky 44 Year Old · 1975 Vintage 70cl · 41.8% ABV

This elegant and complex whisky from Dufftown, the heart of Speyside, is a 1975 vintage bottled by Hunter Laing at 44 years old for the Old & Rare range and is one of only 239 bottles ever produced. The long maturation has mellowed the spirit, creating a smooth, easy-drinking dram with rich orchard and citrus fruits, balanced by soft sweetness and lingering oak spice.

£1,099.95

As the Laing family have been in the Scotch Whisky business for more than three generations, the company has acquired not only a great deal of experience but, just as importantly, vast stocks of some of the most sought after whiskies in Scotland. Please join us to learn more about our proud history, and our promising future.

DUFFTOWN DISTILLERY

Founded in 1895 as “Dufftown-Glenlivet Distillery”, the distillery is currently owned by Diageo. The distillery operates six stills and has a capacity of 4,000,000 litres (880,000 imperial gallons; 1,100,000 US gallons) per year. It has three wash stills with a capacity of 13,100 litres (2,900 imperial gallons; 3,500 US gallons) and three spirit stills with a capacity of 15,300 litres (3,400 imperial gallons; 4,000 US gallons).

Its Speyside whisky is a component in Arthur Bell & Sons Ltd blended bottlings. It also markets single malt scotch whiskies under the names Singleton of Dufftown and Dufftown Aged 15 Years. Other active distilleries in Dufftown include Balvenie, Glendullan, Glenfiddich, Kininvie and Mortlach.

NOSE

A typically zesty introduction to this dram, there are notes of key lime pie,

apple jelly, honey and vanilla.

PALATE

There is a creaminess on the palate, with notes of banoffee pie, vanilla custard

and panna cotta.

FINISH

Sea salt and brine notes emerge in the finish, along with a gorse note.

UK RRP £62 – £65

This Decadent Drams bottling is a superb and wonderfully juicy wee 1st fill sherry hogshead of Arran single malt. Distilled in 2014, fully matured for 10 years in this cask and bottled with a fair bit of reduction to 57.1%, it’s a big, darkly fruity, spicy and robust wee sporran-warmer of a dram. Ideal for taking generous swigs of from a hipflask while rambling around Arran, or any other bits of Scotland you happen to find yourself in.