INTRODUCING…
KI ONE KOREAN SINGLE MALT

We’re thrilled to welcome Korea’s first-ever single malt whisky from Three Societies distillery in Namyangju, located 40 minutes north of Seoul. The distillery experiences a dramatic temperature range from 30 degrees in summer to -20 degrees in winter, effectively speeding up the aging process.

Matured in new American oak, the palate is full of that new cask influence with notes of white pepper, vanilla, nuts, sweet toffee and summer fruits. This is just the beginning for Three Societies distillery and a great sign of what is to come.

Korea’s first single malt whisky comes to us from Ki One distillery in Namyangju, just outside of Seoul. The distillery experiences a dramatic temperature range from 30 degrees in summer to -20 degrees in winter, effectively speeding up the aging process. Matured in new American oak, this single malt opens with a creamy butterscotch character on the nose, which is met by orchard fruit, blackberries and pecans. The palate is light but full of that new cask influence, you can expect notes of runny honey, white pepper and hints of vanilla.

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Reload on Blanton’s Best-Selling Collectible Treasures
The coveted single-barrel special editions back in stock…

Two of the most coveted and best-selling bourbon rarities in recent years, Blanton’s Gold and Straight From the Barrel bottlings, are always at the top of any bourbon enthusiast’s wish list. After a historic offering just over a year ago, you now have another opportunity to restock your bar or add these iconic bottles to your collection for the first time. Please note, these are European import bottles, making a unique journey from Kentucky to Europe and back to the States. Truly remarkable times!

Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon (700ml)(European Import) ($195.00)

K&L Notes: From Buffalo Trace Distillery, Blanton’s holds the distinction of being the world’s first regularly released single-barrel bourbon. This exceptional brand was launched in 1984 and named for the legendary leader of that historic distillery outside of Frankfurt, Albert B. Blanton. Over the last several years, Blanton’s has become one of the most sought-after and inaccessible whiskies on the market. This, their rarest and most elusive expression, was previously completely unobtainable. For instance, in 2021, K&L was allocated a mere three bottles company-wide. Now, thanks to new regulations allowing 700ml bottles to be sold, another channel opened up for this special whiskey. Each barrel is different and bottled at full cask strength without chill-filtration of any kind. Proofs range from 115-135, and cask numbers cannot be checked in advance of purchase. This rare expression is truly one of Kentucky’s finest.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: December 20, 2022

This review is drawn from barrel #397, which was dumped on February 7th, 2022 and bottled at 63.05%. Your bottle will almost certainly be different, so please be aware of the unique character of each barrel. The nose is absolutely explosive with rich aromas of caramel sauce, orange peel, Tahitian vanilla, cherry compote, and vibrant woody spice. The palate starts extremely sweet and creamy before the rye and barrel spice begin to wallop the mid-palate. The intense spice and old-school woody character balances the heavy woody sugars perfectly, and while exhibiting plenty of the Kentucky Hug that bourbon lovers enjoy, it doesn’t feel hot or ethanol-heavy at all. The long, chewy palate gives way to a rich, oxidative finish full of nutty, sweet chocolate and dried red fruits. A few drops of water add more fruit and tame the spice a bit, but I like this best right out of the bottle. There’s no question that the price of entry on this is high, but if you’re prepared to spend this kind of dough on any other modern bourbon, this should be a contender for top dog!

Blanton’s Gold Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon (700ml)(European Import) ($195.00)

K&L Notes: The rare Blanton’s Gold has become beloved by connoisseurs and collectors world wide. The ultimate single-barrel bourbon that launched the entire category, Blanton’s has become one of the most asked-for and hardest-to-obtain bourbons on the market today. We’ve found some limited stocks of European-bound product that would otherwise have not been available. The famous “Gold” Blanton’s is so named for its unique golden horse and golden writing. Bottled at a perfect 103 proof, the Blanton’s Gold ramps up the complexity considerably from the standard release without the heat that the Straight From the Barrel offers. This is the perfect whiskey to offer nearly any bourbon lover if you’re looking for a special bottle that they’ve never had. It’s a true Kentucky benchmark and should be considered one of the truly great whiskies on the market today.

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

Course Spotlight: Wake Up Your Whisky Nose

Embark on a sensory journey that will transform the way you experience Scotch whisky, ensuring that your future tastings become a sensory adventure that you can unpick, analyse and enjoy. Wake Up Your Whisky Nose is a theory-based module packed with practical tips that will awaken your senses to the rich, aromatic world of whisky tasting.

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SPECIALITY BRANDS EXPANDS WORLD WHISKY PORTFOLIO WITH AUSTRALIA’S AWARD-WINNING STARWARD

Speciality Brands, the award-winning, premium spirits distributor, will exclusively represent the globally awarded Australian whisky brand Starward, starting from 2 September 2024.

Starward was created in 2007 in Melbourne by David Vitale with the aim to offer distinctive and approachable Australian whiskies and put the country firmly on the whisky-producing map.

The brand joins Speciality Brands’ world whisk(e)y range which spans from Japan to Canada and the USA  to Taiwan. It includes Nikka, Kavalan, Michter’s, Amrut, Chichibu, and Lot 40.

Speciality Brands will build Starward’s footprint, increasing distribution across all channels with a programme of events, tastings, and sampling.

Chris Seale, Speciality Brands Managing Director, says: “We have been following the progress of Starward for some time now and have always been impressed with the brand’s liquid and positioning. We’re really pleased to be adding them to our portfolio. Our expertise in world whisky stands us in good stead to achieve the brand’s ambition in the UK. We’re looking forward to expanding on its current foundations and bring more drinkers to the Australian whisky category.”

Scott English, Commercial Director at Starward whisky says “We’re pleased to be partnering with Speciality Brands to continue to grow our award-winning whisky’s presence in the UK. Our Melbourne-made whisky already has an established footprint in this dynamic commercial market, and we look forward to seeing Speciality Brands unlock new opportunities for us. We know that our UK Starward fans have embraced our Australian whisky with open arms, and this partnership represents Starward’s ongoing commitment to expand and grow in this region, for years to come.”

Speciality Brands will be distributing the four core brand whiskies: Nova, Left Field, Solera and Fortis (100 Proof) alongside the limited releases with the agreement starting from 2  September.

For trade queries, please contact the Speciality Brands sales team: sales@specialitybrands.com

About Speciality Brands

Speciality Brands is an award-winning, premium drinks agency representing some of the world’s finest spirits. Its portfolio is solely focused on premium spirits and includes Starward, Takamaka, Nikka, Michter’s, Camus Cognac, Cocchi and Tapatio. A dedicated team of well-respected drinks industry personalities including award-winning mixologists, top brand ambassadors, experienced account managers and marketing experts is led by Managing Director Chris Seale. The agency’s passion is delivering first class products, in-depth educational trainings and impeccable service levels to the premium on-trade and retail sectors.

www.specialitybrands.com

About Starward:

Crafted in Melbourne, Starward whiskies embody the city’s adventurous spirit and are celebrated for their delicious versatility, uniquely matured in red wine barrels sourced from Australia’s famed wine regions. Each expression bears the distinctive influence of Starward’s wine barrel maturation, offering a diverse range of flavours from single malt to double grain, ensuring there’s a Starward whisky for every drinker’s preference. | www.starward.com.au | @StarwardWhisky

INTRODUCING…
ELIJAH CRAIG BARREL PROOF BOURBON

Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange, we’re delighted to introduce this single barrel Elijah Craig. Among the thousands of barrels ageing at Heaven Hill distillery in Kentucky, some will distinguish themselves as truly exceptional. This whiskey was drawn from one such barrel, chosen by us, especially for you.

We were blown away by the balance of subtlety and power in this 10-year-old whiskey as well as its complex palate of milk chocolate, leather, freshly baked rye bread and cooling spearmint. Just 174 bottles of this outstanding Kentucky straight bourbon will ever exist, so order yours today.

In Heaven Hill’s vast rickhouses, some barrels stand out for their exceptional quality, and one such cask is this rare single barrel bottling of Elijah Craig. Hand-picked by our head buyer, Dawn Davies MW, it captures the true essence of Heaven Hill’s much-loved brand. This unaltered expression was bottled at barrel proof, showcasing notes of milk chocolate, hazelnuts, caramel, and freshly baked rye bread, followed by subtle notes of menthol and leather. Just 174 bottles of this outstanding Kentucky straight bourbon will ever exist, so order yours today.

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Kilkerran (Glengyle) “Heavily Peated” (2024 Release) Small Batch Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $99.99 View

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

Vic Cameron, one of our whisky lecturers says: “Toasting is one of the heat treatments that we can do to the inside of a cask. It’s when we heat the wood to breakdown some of the lignin in there to release compounds like sugars and aldehydes that can then go into the spirit.”

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Octomore 14.2 – The Unbottling

Fresh from the July 2024 Whisky Showcase, Adam tries the Octomore 14.2 from Bruichladdich. Our members scored it 94.34 and put it in the “Smoky & Earthy” flavour profile.

THE VIDEO!

BUY Octomore 14.2

KENTUCKY BOURBON HALL OF FAME® TO INDUCT FIVE NEW MEMBERS IN SEPTEMBER

FRANKFORT, KY.— The Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame’s 2024 class includes the first Black chemist at Brown-Forman, a veteran visitor center manager who elevated Bourbon tourism, two distinctive distillery founders and a trailblazing retailer who later created his own craft distillery.

That retail guru is Ken Lewis, retired Founder and CEO of New Riff Distilling, and this year’s recipient of the Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award. As a retailer, Lewis created The Party Source megastore and drove legal and legislative changes to allow Sunday and credit card sales of alcohol.

A fearless entrepreneur, in 2014 Lewis launched New Riff Distilling in Northern Kentucky, with the goal of creating one of the world’s great small distilleries based on innovation and collaboration to “riff” on the old ways and redefine new benchmarks of whiskey making.

Eric Gregory, longtime president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association that created and operates the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame®, lauded this year’s visionary class and said, “Our signature Bourbon industry would not be what it is today without these distinguished honorees.

“Each put the industry before self, helping Kentucky cement its place in history as the international and undisputed home of Bourbon. And now we are honored to honor them. On behalf of our signature industry, we offer congratulations – and a heartfelt thank you – to these Bourbon heroes.”

This year’s class, in alphabetic order, will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame in September:

• Elmer Lucille Allen, 93, Louisville. A pioneering activist, Allen broke barriers in the Bourbon industry as the first Black chemist at Brown-Forman – and possibly the entire American whiskey industry. Her work to bring opportunity to all Louisvillians didn’t stop when she left the company. Amongst her many accomplishments, she formed the Chickasaw Little League and led efforts to bring African American art and artists to the mainstream.

• Dee Ford, 59, Louisville. An international beacon of Bourbon hospitality. Ford’s vision, experience and leadership have catapulted Angel’s Envy and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® into an international, bucket-list tourism attraction. Since 2014, she’s served as Chair of the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Committee, earning the respect of her peers and sharing best practices that have leveraged hospitality to elevate Kentucky Bourbon on the global stage.

• Ken Lewis, 71, Cincinnati. A spirits expert and groundbreaking policy leader, Lewis graduated college as a trained English teacher, but left shortly into his young career for the world of spirits retail. He championed efforts for Sunday sales and initiated litigation that allowed retailers to use credit cards for sales, eventually building The Party Source megastore, the first of its kind in the country. Learning the industry from the bottom up, Lewis brought innovation and entrepreneurship as the founder of New Riff Distilling in Northern Kentucky, paving the way for the craft Bourbon boom that now counts dozens of Kentucky distilleries.

• The late Peter T. Loftin, 61, Miami. A preeminent innovator, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Loftin founded the Bardstown Bourbon Company that transformed the landscape of custom whiskey production in 2014. He was among the first to take advantage of modernized Bourbon tourism laws in Kentucky, creating a world-class restaurant and bar that graciously features every distillery’s brand on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tour as well as an enviable vintage spirits lounge. Along with the state-of-the-art distillery, this high-value Napa Valley-style experience greatly raised the bar for Bourbon tourism and collaborative distilling. He died peacefully at his home in 2019.

• M. Corky Taylor, 75, Henderson, Ky. A respected businessman throughout the country, Taylor retired from an accomplished career in financial services and focused on a lifelong dream – to resurrect his great-grandfather’s whiskey company. Taylor and his son spent countless hours poring over family history to bring back the Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co., originally owned by Henry Kraver in Henderson. He built back the family legacy in Louisville along historic Whiskey Row, gaining national recognition – and national awards – by patiently waiting for his whiskey to age, living up to the original quality Bourbon standards his ancestor first set in 1889.

Note: Full biographies, submitted by the inductees, accompany this release in a separate file.

The KDA created the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® in 2001 to recognize individuals and organizations that have made a significant and transformational impact on Bourbon’s stature, growth and awareness. It is the highest honor given by the signature industry.

Candidates are nominated each year by the KDA and its member distilleries. A blue-ribbon committee – including all living recipients of the Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award – painstakingly reviews and selects up to five applicants a year for induction.

The invitation-only ceremony will be held Tuesday, Sept. 10, at The Legacy at Log Still in Nelson County, Ky. The intimate event, known for attracting the industry’s most revered legends and champions, is held annually in conjunction with the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown.

The 2024 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® ceremony and luncheon is sponsored by Brindiamo Group, Blue & Co., LLC, Bardstown Tourism, Buzick Construction, Inc., Stedman Machine Company and Vendome Copper & Brass Works Corp.

About the Kentucky Distillers’ Association:

Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is the legendary voice for Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. Its diverse and growing membership produces the overwhelming majority of the world’s Bourbon, from historic, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are fostering the next generation of the Commonwealth’s landmark economic engine and its thriving, timeless craft. Member benefits include media relations, international trade development, private sampling events, technical assistance, economic development support, networking, legal defense, marketing strategies, governmental and regulatory advocacy and innovative tourism experiences through the KDA’s world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® adventures. A 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, the KDA maintains an open membership policy, champions a strong commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage drinking and drunk driving. Learn more at www.kybourbon.com and www.kybourbontrail.com.