Single Barrel, Cask Strength, No Compromise
K&L Exclusive Aged Canadian Whisky Duo from Found North
“Allow me to be the first to tell you that this brand is probably the most exciting new bottler in years.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer
These selections are labeled as 12-year bottlings since the base component (50%) comes from 12-year-old stock, but over 30% of the blend is made up of whiskies aged more than 20 years. The result is an under-the-radar gem that wildly overdelivers—offering far more than its age statement or price tag would ever suggest.
The unreal run that Found North has achieved over the last several years is truly unprecedented. The two brothers behind the brand understand whisky—and the whisky business—like few founders in the industry today. They know that every bottle they release must astonish the customer who opens it.
They’ve created a new style of whisky that, while nodding to great innovators before them, transcends traditional categories. Using exceptionally high-quality, well-matured stock from Canada, paired with thoughtful cask selection and a deft blending hand, they’ve developed a system for producing world-class aged whiskies that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the finest in the world.
We’ve always said “yes” to any offer from Found North, so when they presented us with two single casks this year, we snapped up the best of the lot. These powerhouse whiskies were distilled in Canada, aged separately, and then blended and given additional maturation in top-quality barrels.
— Josh Gelfand, K&L Spirits Buyer
Found North “Season 6 – Madeira Finish #6131” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Canadian Whisky ($99.99)
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer
If you’re not yet familiar with Found North, allow me to be the first to tell you that this brand is probably the most exciting new bottler in years. The Taylor brothers, who founded the company, seem to have cracked some sort of whisky cheat code. What they’ve proven is that mature whisky doesn’t need to spend its entire life in fresh wood to be complete. If you take well-aged whisky, blend it skillfully, and finish it thoughtfully, you can create something far greater than the sum of its parts.
Of course, it’s not that simple—you need great whisky and great wood from the start. Blending is a huge factor as well, but it’s clear these guys are overachievers on both fronts. We’ve never had a Found North release that didn’t overdeliver, and these two new barrels are no exception.
Let’s start with the Madeira Cask Finish. This one isn’t rye- or corn-heavy; instead, it perfectly balances its aromatic and palate-driven elements. The color is a lovely russet (1.3). The nose is explosive, offering baked orchard fruit, exotic spice, tense earthy oak, candied apricot, gravel, and caramel candies. On the palate, it’s dusty and old-school, with loads of rye spice and earthy warehouse floor notes. With some air, the nose opens beautifully to sweet peach tea, fig jam, pink peppercorn, and wet cement. The palate stays bold, spicy, and earthy, while adding layers of sweet oak and candied corn.
A tremendous and surprising whisky that fits into no box—and doesn’t need to. It’s simply delicious.
Josh Gelfand | K&L Spirits Buyer
These guys sure know how to pick them. Here’s a Canadian whisky that defies what most Americans might expect from the north. Blended from 49% rye, 48% corn, and 3% malted barley—and drawn from barrels aged between 12 and 25 years before a final rest in Madeira casks—this is a stunning example of thoughtful craftsmanship. Each grain and the finishing cask have their moment to shine.
The nose opens with sarsaparilla, allspice, toasted coconut, and buttery pastries, all of which carry gracefully onto the palate. The flavors unfold further, revealing lemon custard (a hallmark of Madeira cask aging), orange marmalade, white chocolate, and a cascade of baking spices. It finishes with a touch of earthy potpourri, laced with spice, dried flowers, and cream soda. Despite the high proof, it drinks with deceptive ease and leaves you wondering what other treasures might be resting in those northern warehouses.
K&L Notes: The resulting mashbill for each barrel is 50% 12yr rye (w/ malted barley, 3% 21yr rye, 13% 15yr corn, 3% 17yr corn, 27% 22yr corn, 4% 25yr corn). These single barrels could not technically be classified as either bourbon or rye, if they’d been distilled here, but barrel #6131 delivers a heady combo of both. Expect sweet stone fruit, earthy soft tannins, exotic wood and wild funk finish. We’re proud to continue supporting Found North. Bottled at cask strength without any dilution, chillfiltration, or additions of any kind.
Found North “Season 6 – Tawny Port Finish #6118” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Canadian Whisky ($99.99)
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer
Let’s see how an old Tawny Port cask works with these exceptional aged Canadian rye and corn whiskies. The color is a deep, sanguine auburn (1.5)—an absolute about-face from the Madeira cask—offering dense red fruit notes of cherry, cassis, and raspberry. Next come layers of roasted nuts and rich herbal tones such as cassia bark, cinchona, and kola nut. The palate shows dense rye spice and earthy warehouse floor character more overtly than the Madeira, with the spice kicking up at the end. It begins with sweet, jammy red fruit—dark cherry and fudge—before melding into gravelly rye spice and exotic herbs.
Josh Gelfand | K&L Spirits Buyer
If you really want to see how much a finishing barrel can transform a whisky, look no further. The Found North team continues to uncover exceptional spirits and display blending skills rarely seen from our neighbors to the north. This exclusive release—like its Madeira-casked counterpart—combines an almost even split of corn and rye whiskies with a touch of malted barley, all aged between 12 and 25 years. The blend is then finished in tawny Port casks, creating something that, as cliché as it sounds, is truly greater than the sum of its parts.
The nose opens with blackberry jam, figs, and Mexican chocolate, all wrapped in the warm air of a dusty saloon. Those rich, stewed berries carry through to the palate, joined by clove, anise, wet bark, and a touch of molasses, before finishing with black cherry compote over dense dark chocolate. It’s remarkable how distinct it is from the Madeira-cask version, proving just how dramatically different fortified wine barrels can shape a great blend. Both are stunning and well worth tasting side by side.
K&L Notes: The resulting mashbill for each barrel is 50% 12yr rye (w/ malted barley, 3% 21yr rye, 13% 15yr corn, 3% 17yr corn (new wood), 27% 22yr corn, 4% 25yr corn. These single barrels could not technically be classified as either bourbon or rye, if they’d been distilled here, yet this delicious barrel #6118 delivers the best of both – a bomb of spice, sweet red fruit, dusty earth and sweet oak. We’re proud to continue supporting Found North. Bottled at cask strength without any dilution, chillfiltration, or additions of any kind.
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