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Squirrel Appreciation Day. January 21st, 2023

A squirrel’s main food source is acorns.

Squirrels bury their acorns

Squirrels lose 80% of their buried acorns

This is how oak forests are made

Whisky is matured in oak casks. Harvested from Oak forests.

 Without squirrels there would be no oak casks.

And whisky as we know it today would not exist.

So give a thought to the hard working oak cask team.

Help protect their habitat and food sources.

2013 Ben Nevis 8 Year Old “Signatory” K&L Exclusive 1st Fill Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) 

($139.99)

The exceptional distillery at the base of Scotland’s tallest peak is quickly becoming rarer than hen’s teeth. Owned by Nikka, the famous Japanese distiller, they’ve publicly announced that they would not be selling casks to blenders and bottlers going forward. The brand is not well known in the states as they’ve neglected to sell the malts here for some time, but the whiskies are used in a number of the excellent Nikka blends and that’s likely where the stocks are going. Despite the announcement, we’ve managed to snag a string of young exceptionally high quality Nevis casks from our friends and partners in Pitlochry. The Signatory brand has become synonymous with the highest quality malts available and they consistently provide us with some of the most exciting whiskies we taste each year. Now, we’ve secured two incredibly high quality sherried Ben Nevis from this excellent bottler, both bottled at cask strength without chillfiltration. This extremely impressive sherry butt is an absolute bomb. Dark and full of sherry intensity, it needs at least 30 minutes in the glass to open up properly. Expect powerful nutty aromas, dense malt and a oily thick texture.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: October 21, 2022

There’s no question that this whisky will go down as one of the most exciting casks we’ve bottled. This feels like Scotland giving a big middle finger to the young, sherried whiskies coming out of tropical climates like Taiwan. You don’t need to age whiskies in Scotland for two-plus decades to be exceptional. Indeed, all you need is extremely high-quality sherry and a spirit with character like Ben Nevis. In some ways, this is the quintessential sherry bomb, but with a depth that few modern distillers can match and almost none at this age. The color is an intense old oak. The nose is pure Christmas pudding, sweet raisins and cherry compote, dried figs, dark chocolate, and old antique mahogany. On the palate, it’s rich and sweet with dark cooked fruit, maple syrup, coffee cake, and caramel cookies. With a drop of water, more savory character envelopes the sweet, rich sherry. Adding nutty oloroso oxidative character and old, worn leather. On the palate, the sweetness is completely overwhelming and the heat is almost non-existent. It feels like they just dumped the highest quality sherry into this whisky, and I absolutely love it. There’s no question that skeptics will be timid at the price for such a young whisky, but no one bats an eye when spending the same or much more for a similarly aged Kavalan, and I’d argue that this whisky matches the Kavalan for power and beats any Kavalan on nuance, depth and complexity.

Will Blakely | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 21, 2022

Decadent and dense, this will be an instant hit with sherry lovers everywhere. It smells like someone drenched fruit and nuts in sticky, dark syrup. Raisins, figs, blackberries, orange marmalade, roasted almonds, and dark cocoa, all soaking in molasses. Even after a dollop of water, it retains that oily, voluptuous texture. Though it needs no adulteration, the water lengthened the profile, allowing a touch more nuance to show through the fudgy flavor bomb it was at the start. That said, it still feels intense and hedonistic, and would pair beautifully with cigars.

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 21, 2022

This bottle should please lovers of sherry-aged single malts. The sherry influence is very strong and tasty. The color is deep and dark. In the mouth, it is rich and round with strong sherry notes. With the addition of a little water, it is still rich and round, but has a wonderful mouthfeel that is soft and creamy.

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

Our January auction is now LIVE!

Place your bids from Friday 20^th January until Sunday 29th^rd January, 2023.

www.whiskyhammer.com

Every month, we present an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits to our members right across the globe. You will find everything here from limited edition releases and vintage bottles to whole casks of rare whisky. There is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest or enjoy!

Karuizawa – 50 Year Old (1965) Single Cask #3037 (50cl)

Macallan – 1989 (Single Cask #1219) Samaroli

Hanyu – Ichiro’s Malt The Joker (Colour)

Bowmore – 43 Year Old (‘White Bowmore’) 1964

Strathisla – 1937 (Gordon & MacPhail) 70 Proof

Selling whisky? Why not arrange the pick-up of your bottles using our global courier service? If you’re based in Scotland, you might want to arrange the personal collection of your bottles. Wherever you’re based in the world, we will make getting your bottles into our monthly auction as simple as possible. Get in touch with the Whisky Hammer team now by dropping them a message at sales@whiskyhammer.com.

93 points Wine Enthusiast

 This is a perfect match for the season’s gingerbreads and spice cakes. Look for a warm, toasted-brioche aroma and pronounced flavors of vanilla, oak, dried figs, clove and allspice. (KN)  (12/2013)

90 points Whisky Advocate

 Weighty and deep. Instantly seductive: vanilla pod, rich fruits, the smell of fur coats. A femme fatale of a malt. A base of crisp malt mixes with oak to give balance and structure. Water brings out apple leaf, even a little grassiness. The palate is broad and balanced, with real sweetness and a tongue-coating quality which softens to dried fruit, earthy density, with a whiff of smoke. Redolent with the aroma of a dunnage warehouse. A class act. (DB, Fall 2015) 

Glenfarclas 17 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $119.99 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

Lochlea ‘Our Barley’

Celebrating Scotland’s most famous poet, Robert Burns (1759 -1796), the annual Burns Night supper is not complete without a dram of Scotch whisky.

And there is no better choice than a single malt distilled at the farm that Robert Burns once called home. Lochlea distillery located on Lochlea Farm produces once of the most exciting young new whiskies making it perfect for a toast to The Baird.

Matured in first fill Bourbon barrels, STR barriques and Oloroso Sherry butts with notes of marmalade, pears, pepper and orange beeswax this will suit all whisky palates and pairs perfeclty with a haggis!

“Freedom ‘an whisky gang thegither!”

Buy – Lochlea Our Barley – £47.00 / us$48* / €44*

ralfy review 960 Extras – It’s YOUR taste that really matters.

Bimber Distillery reveals The Spirit of the Underground Release No.4

London’s Bimber Distillery today announced the launch of the fourth release of its well-regarded The Spirit of the Underground Collection, produced in conjunction with Transport for London (TfL).

Release No.4 showcases four new stations: Covent Garden, Green Park, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus – each featuring stunning iconography presenting unique pieces of London’s history, and adorned with striking labels and packaging design that observes the significance of each station’s location. The collection also complements TfL’s celebrations of the 160^th anniversary of the opening of the Tube this month.

In contrast to the fortified wine finishes of Release No.3, the latest editions all focus on full-term maturations. Drawing from the distillery’s finest casks, they present the distinctiveness of Bimber’s spirit alongside an intensity that has been derived from impactfully active maturations within each cask. Each is bottled at natural cask strength and without filtration:

Covent Garden – fully matured in oloroso sherry, 59.2% abv, 321 bottles

Green Park – fully matured in moscatel sherry, 59.4% abv, 285 bottles

Leicester Square – fully matured in virgin American oak, 60.3% abv, 271 bottles

Piccadilly Circus – fully matured in Pedro Ximenez sherry, 62.1%, 314 bottles

The Collection, which will total 44 individual releases, features a selection of iconic single malt whiskies that celebrate the heritage and diversity of the distillery’s home city. With stunning individual designs, each bottle presents a different Tube station on the London Underground network – the oldest underground passenger railway service in the world. The Tube opened on 10 January 1863, with services running on the then named Metropolitan Railway from Baker Street to Paddington.

Release No.4 of The Spirit of the Underground Collection will be available directly from Bimber’s Spirit of the Underground website from Monday 23^rd January till Friday 27^th January via a ballot, and with an RRP of £125 per bottle.

Speaking of the launch of  the fourth release of the Collection, Matt McKay Bimber’s Director of Marketing and Communications said: “We’re delighted to unveil the next release in The Spirit of the Underground Collection. For Release no.4, we’ve aligned the four single cask whiskies with four iconic Underground stations which all sit alongside each other on London’s Piccadilly line – the adjacency reflecting the full-term maturation and shared intensities that these exceptional casks all showcase. ”

Ellen Sankey, Brand Licensing Manager at TfL, said: “We are delighted to once again see Bimber Distillery use our unique brand and heritage in such a creative way, especially as we celebrate the 160th anniversary of London’s first Tube service this January. Collaborations like this show just how innovatively our designs can be used to bring new ideas and our history together for customers across the world.”

All the expressions in The Spirit of the Underground Collection were crafted to Bimber’s exacting standards. The spirit was produced from the distillery’s single farm barley and malted on a dedicated floor at Warminster Maltings before being fermented for seven days in bespoke, on-site constructed American oak washbacks. Distillation took place in Bimber’s customised stills which possess an increased copper surface area, which results in a rich fruit-forward, layered spirit.

The Spirit of the Underground Collection – Release No.4

The Spirit of the Underground – Covent Garden

Ex-oloroso sherry cask – Ref 441 

Nose: Warmed fudge cake served alongside a bowl of freshly picked raspberries joins mirabelle plums, sponge cake and stem ginger

Palate: A syrupy arrival packed full of sticky toffee pudding, red berry compote and chocolate sauce. Spice tingle through the development – ginger, cinnamon and chilli pepper

Finish: Lingering berry fruit sugars together with piquant spices

321 bottles

70cl

59.2% abv

The Spirit of the Underground – Green Park

Ex-moscatel sherry cask – Ref 443

Nose: Baked apples and peach melba join tonka and coffee beans whilst macadamia nuts are scattered atop of gingerbread

Palate: An elegant combination of orchard and stone fruits that develops into orange jelly, pineapple chunks and chocolate and vanilla choux buns

Finish: Sustained brown sugars together with mentholated oakiness 

285 bottles

70cl

58.4% ABV

The Spirit of the Underground – Leicester Square

Virgin American oak – Ref 331

Nose: Smooth toffee and desiccated coconut sit with pineapple juice and apricot flans whilst brown sugars and nougat are joined by freshly planed oak

Palate: An intense arrival of stone and tropical fruits supported by burnt toffee, cask char, chilli and mustard seeds

Finish: Long with residual fruits joined by tingly pepper and root ginger

271 bottles

70cl

60.3% ABV

The Spirit of the Underground – Piccadilly Circus

Ex-Pedro Ximenez Sherry – Ref 436

Nose: Sticky toffee pudding and Black Forest gateau are joined by leafy sherry – fresh red and black berries, moist tobacco leaves and new chamois leather

Palate: Rich and fulsome with fruit-packed Christmas cake, gooey toffee, coffee grounds and dark chocolate. Fruit loaf follows with cherries, ginger, clove and a drizzle of balsamic

Finish: Prolonged with fresh sherry sweetness, green leafiness and fading chocolate

314 bottles

70cl

62.1% ABV

About Bimber 

Bimber Distillery produces world-class single malt whisky, handcrafted with passion in West London. As a leading distiller of English whisky, we combine generations of rich distilling heritage with the finest quality ingredients to create the ultimate craft whisky experience.

About Transport for London 

Transport for London (TfL) is the integrated transport authority responsible for delivering Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s strategy and commitments on transport. It runs the day-to-day operation of the Capital’s public transport network, including London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway, London Buses and Elizabeth line services, as well as managing London’s main roads. TfL does all it can to support the millions of journeys that are made every day and keep the city moving, working and growing. TfL reinvests all income generated through fares and commercial revenue to run and improve services and is committed to reducing costs. The licensing deal for this product was delivered through TSBA Group, TfL’s brand licensing partner.

The Final Edition of an Coveted Collectible Canadian Whisky
Canadian Club 45 Year Old “Chronicles Issue #5: The Icon” Canadian Whisky (750ml) ($349.99)
A limited pre-sale opportunity for serious spirits collectors…

Over the past 160 years, Canadian Club has been the standard bearer for Canadian whisky, and the series of highly limited, perfectly mature Chronicles bottlings have paid tribute to the brand’s legacy. The Icon is the fifth and ultimate edition of this acclaimed series, and we’ve just secured a rare pre-sale opportunity for collectors to lock in an allocation of this already coveted release. Distilled in 1977, this 45-year-old whisky represents the pinnacle of the singular quality and style that have defined Canadian Club for more than a century, and savvy aficionados can add it to their collections at razor-sharp pricing below the distillery’s SRP. But supplies are limited, and it’s a sure bet this will disappear from the market in short order.

Lock down your bottle of the Canadian Club Chronicles 5th and final edition—the 45-year-old bottled at 50% ABV. Over the past 160 years, Canadian Club has been the standard bearer for Canadian whisky, and the series of highly limited, perfectly mature Chronicles bottlings have paid tribute to the brand’s legacy. The Icon is the fifth and ultimate edition of this acclaimed series, and we’ve just secured a rare pre-sale opportunity for collectors to lock in an allocation of this already coveted release. Distilled in 1977, this 45-year-old whisky represents the pinnacle of the singular quality and style that have defined Canadian Club for more than a century, and savvy aficionados can add it to their collections for well under the suggested release price. But supplies are limited, and it’s a sure bet this will disappear from the market in short order.

Canadian Club 45 Year Old “Chronicles Issue #5: The Icon” Canadian Whisky (750ml) ($349.99)

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

WHISKY OF THE YEAR:
LEDAIG 18 YEAR OLD

The shortlist for our Whisky of the Year 2023 included drams from the highlands and the islands, bold peat bombs, a fruity red wine cask single malt and a rich, coastal whisky. After much deliberation the votes were cast and the winner was clear: Ledaig 18 Year Old.

It’s a richly smoky single malt from Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull and the oldest expression in its heavily-peated Ledaig range. Time spent in ex-sherry casks has added layers of fruit and nuts that temper the earthy, robust smoke that Ledaig is known for, offering waves of herbal peat smoke, orange peel, rich coffee and sea salt on the palate.

SHOP NOW

Raise a dram for Rabbie!

Wednesday the 25th of January is Burns Night, and a feast on this day would not be complete without a glass of something special to toast post-haggis, neeps and tatties. Have a look at some bottles that we have picked out to celebrate Scotland’s Bard, and read our latest TWS Journal post to learn about how they all connect! Slàinte Mhath.

Rabbie Burns Journal Post →