The Crowning Achievement of K&L’s Scotch Program
1989 The K&L Liquors’ 35 Year Old “Sideburns” (Balvenie) K&L Exclusive Single Vintage Speyside Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($250.00)
“I am confident in saying this is easily the greatest Scotch deal K&L has offered in its 40-plus year history.”— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

After 18 years of buying spirits for K&L, this special parcel may be my crowning achievement. Just a few years ago, it would have been almost unimaginable that we could gain access to stocks of this quality at such low prices. Of course, we’ve bottled similar whiskies before—years back we secured a 1991 version from Hunter Laing, and only last year we offered a Faultline barrel from 1998 that sold out almost immediately. Now we bring you another “Single Vintage Blended Malt,” a full decade older than that barrel, offered at exactly the same price.

It is an absolute coup and, if I’m honest, may get me into a little trouble—but that has never stopped me before. My style has always been to ask forgiveness rather than permission. The true challenge with stocks like this is deciding how to label them. We cannot, under any circumstances, place the distillery name on the bottle, even though it is beyond doubt where the whisky comes from. The once-accepted trade name “Burnside” belongs to our dear friends at Cadenhead, and out of respect (and good sense, given their famously litigious nature) we would never infringe on it. So the question became: what do we call this whisky?

Our friends at Duncan Taylor once sold us a wonderful barrel for our Faultline label that they dubbed “The Huntley,” after their hometown. That option was off the table for us. After some consideration, we settled on a playful nod to our friends in Campbeltown: “The Sideburns.” We are not the first to use the name, but ours is plural—because who on earth needs just one sideburn?

Needless to say, this is one of the most outrageous deals I’ve ever had the honor of brokering for our shop. It represents the pinnacle of my ongoing effort to push back against one of the most damaging trends in our industry: the erosion of value for the end consumer. If you destroy the primary market for great whisky by pushing prices beyond reason, you eventually destroy the market itself. Too many producers have forgotten the first rule of selling anything: give customers what they want at a price they can afford. Start with the customer’s experience and build the system backward from there, rather than forcing corporate projections and marketing jargon down their throats.

And what do customers want? Great old malt whisky. But in today’s marketplace, finding a bottle over 25 years old that delivers real value in the glass is nearly impossible. Yes, brands can create other kinds of value—through lifestyle, image, luxury packaging, or grand storytelling—but if the true measure is taste (and for me it always is), you would struggle to find another whisky that offers what this one does at anywhere near this price.

This parcel is, without exaggeration, one of the finest opportunities ever presented to lovers of Scotch worldwide. I hope this is only the beginning. If we can continue to secure parcels like this through new channels, perhaps we can begin to chip away at the barriers keeping customers from enjoying extraordinary old whisky rather than simply admiring it on a shelf. For now, I am confident in saying this is easily the greatest Scotch deal K&L has offered in its 40-plus year history.

–David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

1989 The K&L Liquors’ 35 Year Old “Sideburns” (Balvenie) K&L Exclusive Single Vintage Speyside Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($250.00)

This product is estimated to be available by 04/30/2026.

K&L Notes: This exciting parcel of Scotch is evocative of everything K&L stands for. Since 1976, K&L Wine Merchants (originally K&L Liquors) has been committed to providing our customers with the absolute finest products available in the world at the very best possible prices. Our team of buyers travels the globe to secure these coveted stocks, and it is through these decades-long relationships that we are able to offer such extraordinary parcels.

This unprecedented release marks a completely new phase in K&L’s Scotch program. We have bottled countless stocks under our own “Faultline” label, but this is the first parcel that K&L has been able to access directly from the source. The result is truly unparalleled in our history.

Our 35 Year Old Sideburns have no equal in today’s marketplace. Blue-chip malt of this caliber, whether teaspooned or not, simply does not trade anywhere near the prices we are offering. These stocks represent the absolute pinnacle of aged Scotch malt available today, and we are presenting them at nearly one-tenth the price of the distiller’s own 30-year-old expression. Bottled at full cask strength and drawn from ex-sherry hogsheads, there is no better way to buy old malt whisky today.

It is almost unimaginable that these stocks are available to us at such an incredible price, and we believe every Scotch lover should take note of this extraordinary opportunity—because one thing is certain: K&L’s customers will not let this last.

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

Highland Laird Ledaig 2001 – Aged 24 Years

This one is a bit special. Distilled at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull way back in February 2001, this Ledaig is a true example of the distillery’s famously bold, peated variant. Matured for an impressive 24 years in just one single ex bourbon HHD, the whisky has developed the raw, maritime smoke of its youth and now mellowed and interwoven itself with layers of oak and sweetness. With only 189 bottles being disgorged from the original cask, and only 24 making it through to general release, this offering sits right next to our other very limited edition gems.

£195.00

Nose: Coastal smoke, sea spray, and briny peat.

Palate: Bold and oily, with waves of peaty smoke, seaweed, and charred oak. Hints of lemon peel, white pepper and ever so slight salted caramel.

Finish: Long and warming. Lingering bonfire smoke, sea salt, and gentle sweetness leave a lasting impression.

The Good Dram Show – Episode 608 ‘Tobermory’

This week’s episode of the show features both peated and unpeated releases from the Tobermory distillery. Given their promotion from the ‘Axis of Evil’ a tasting to explain why was long overdue. Episode 608 – Sunday Pontification About Tobermory! Filmed in The Study Nottingham

Featuring

Tobermory 12 year old 46.3%
Ledaig 10 year old 46.3%
Ledaig 10 year old Hebridean Moon 58.8%
Ledaig 18 year old 46.3%
Ledaig Sinclair Series: Rioja Finish 46.3%

tobermorydistillery.com

MacTalla unveils second Lighthouse Series bottling, shaped by the whisky community for 2025

September 2025 Islay single malt whisky Mac-Talla has released the second bottling in its Lighthouse Series – and for the first time, its network of hand-picked global retail and bar partners helped select the final liquid.

Following the inaugural bottling in 2024, which celebrated the lighthouse as a guiding light, this new edition shifts focus to the guiding hand – a tribute to the skill and intuition that shape great Scotch whisky.

“Just as a ship’s skipper uses knowledge and experience to steer through treacherous waters, a whisky maker guides spirit on its journey from cask to bottle,” says Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers Head Distiller Graeme Mackeddie. “Lighthouse 2025 is about celebrating that human touch – the decisions, the craft, and the expertise that bring whisky safely to its destination.”

This year, Mac-Talla invited its network of hand-picked Lighthouse retailers and bars across the EU and UK to help select the final spirit. These Lighthouse partners are talented whisky specialists who can offer expertise, passion, and a deeper exploration of Mac-Talla’s journey of taste. The partners included Vin et Whisky in Paris, 3 Greek St in London, The Black Cat in Edinburgh, and Tara Spirits in Munich.

This has resulted in a whisky that reflects Islay’s rugged maritime character, that also carries the insight of a global whisky community.

Crafted from a complex combination of First Fill Bourbon, First Fill Oloroso and PX, and a First Fill Bordeaux barrique – all finished in Virgin American Oak – Lighthouse 2025 offers a rich and indulgent flavour profile.

On the nose, expect treacle toffee, milk chocolate, dried fruits, and a lift of spice. The palate delivers chewy caramels dipped in chocolate, balanced with soft peat smoke, gentle wood spice, and a long finish of toasted coconut – a decadent Islay treat likened to a caramel log in a glass.

This special bottling is only available at Mac-Talla Lighthouse partners. A few of them will be holding special tastings in the coming months; details can be found here: https://mactallawhisky.com/lighthouse.

Tasting notes: 

• Nose: Treacle toffees and milk chocolate. Subtle dried fruit and a hint of spice.
• Taste: Chewy caramels dipped in milk chocolate, balanced with peat smoke and gentle wood spice.
• ABV: 54.7%
• RRP: £74

Mac-Talla Lighthouse 2025 is exclusively available from MacTalla Lighthouse partners from September 24th across the UK and EU.  Find your local lighthouse: https://mactallawhisky.com/stockists

ABOUT MSWD

Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers (MSWD) is an independent, family-owned company based in Perth, Scotland. Rebranded in 2020, MSWD represents five generations of Morrison whisky heritage under one name, with a focus on single malt production, brand development, blending and bottling. Its flagship brands include Aberargie, Old Perth, Mac-Talla, Càrn Mòr and Bruadar.

Further Background

Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers is solely owned and operated by one of Scotland’s oldest and most prominent whisky families, Jamie and Brian Morrison. There has been over five generations of the Morrison family involved in the whisky business including grocers, brokers, blenders, bottlers and distillers, making them one of Scotland’s oldest whisky families.

Their heritage gives them access to a wide variety of unique and exceptional casks from pedigree distilleries across Scotland. Their family’s values are run through everything they do and they proudly showcase these underneath each of their bottles reiterating their commitment to Patience, Intuition and Integrity.

In every whisky they release, they are committed to continue to impart the knowledge that has been passed down from generations of family whisky makers. Our chairman’s great-grandfather, William Walker, one of the pre-eminent whisky brokers of his era, worked closely with various distilleries on the island, even advocating on behalf of the Islay whisky trade to American businesses on the repeal of US prohibition in 1933.

Walker grew very fond of Islay, where he eventually purchased a home, and played an integral part in developing transport, trade and marketing of the Island’s produce.  His philanthropic nature was deeply appreciated by Islay residents – with the Glasgow Islay Association (of which he was a life member and chairman) noting in 1934 “In the Island itself, he has closely identified himself with every cause worthy of support”.

In 1963 a chance lunchtime encounter at a Glasgow restaurant led to Stanley P Morrison, the son-in-law of William Walker, purchasing of Islay’s oldest distillery — Bowmore (established in 1779) — that evening. Morrison Bowmore Distillers was created and emerged as a globally-recognised brand of quality Single Malt Scotch

Whisky, producing a characterful spirit with some legendary bottlings. Morrison Bowmore Distillers was acquired by Suntory in 1994.

To find out more about Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers visit www.morrisondistillers.com or for MacTalla visit www.mactallawhisky.com

Tomatin owner Takara Shuzo International announces global release of Kurokabegura New Make Spirit

Takara Shuzo International has announced the UK launch of Kurokabegura New Make Spirit, a highly limited early preview of Kurokabegura single malt Japanese whisky.

Distilled at the Kurokabegura distillery in the town of Takanabe-cho in Miyazaki, Japan by Takara Shuzo – owner of the historic Shirakawa Distillery in Japan – Kurokabegura New Make Spirit has been unveiled ahead of the launch of the first Kurokabegura single malt whisky, anticipated for release in the coming years.

Bottled at 63% ABV and presented in a slimline, premium glass decanter featuring Japanese brushwork calligraphy, known as shodo, this extraordinary new make spirit is characterised by its bold flavour, opening with a rich, sweet aroma with notes of raisins, banana and honey, and offering a deep and lingering maltiness on the palate.

Previously only available in Japan, Kurokabegura New Make Spirit is now distributed globally via the Tomatin online shop.

Whisky has been produced at Kurokabegura Distillery since 1982. With a legacy of excellence in Japanese shōchū production, Kurokabegura Distillery has earned global acclaim at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the International Wine & Spirit Competition.

The copper pot stills used to shape Kurokabegura New Make Spirit were crafted in Scotland by McMillan Coppersmiths and installed in 1979, with the stills’ design following the style of the Shirakawa distillery, located 200km north of Tokyo, where Japanese whisky was produced in the 1950s. Although Shirakawa closed in 2003, its spirit continues through this legacy.

A single parcel of Shirakawa was forgotten for decades, as the distillery moved on from whisky-making to produce more traditional Japanese spirits which gained popularity through the second half of the 20th century.

Tomatin managing director Stephen Bremner became fascinated by the history of Takara Shuzo’s whisky production, interviewing former employees and scouring the globe for documents relating to Shirakawa. He eventually tracked down not just the history of the distillery but also one last remaining parcel of single malt, which he located at Kurokabegura in 2019. Released in 2022, Shirakawa 1958 is thought to be the earliest known and rarest single vintage Japanese whisky ever bottled.

Takahiro Shimizu, Executive Officer at Takara Shuzo International, said: “Our team has dedicated years to mastering the art of cask maturation through our experience with crafting around 85 expressions of shōchū, each one contributing to our understanding of wood and time.

“Kurokabegura Distillery has a dedicated cooperage where each cask is carefully managed, restored and prepared. This close attention allows the whisky to mature under expert care and achieve its finest character. Our new make release is testament to the high quality of our spirit, demonstrating the starting point from which our whisky is crafted.”

Stephen Bremner, Managing Director at Tomatin Distillery, said: “Takara Shuzo’s quiet dedication to whisky-making at Kurokabegura Distillery is very similar to our own distillery ethos here in the Highlands, so forging a meaningful partnership over thousands of miles to bring Japanese new make to the rest of the world has been an incredible experience and follows on from the release of the world’s rarest Japanese single malt, Shirakawa 1958. We’re seeing an increasing number of whisky enthusiasts purchasing new make in anticipation of how it will evolve in the future, and I have no doubt Kurokabegura will surprise and delight in equal measure.”

Kurokabegura New Make Spirit is available to purchase from the Tomatin Distillery Visitor Centre and its online shop now, priced at £34 per 200ml bottle. It will also be available to sample and purchase at The Whisky Show at Old Billingsgate in London from 3-5 October 2025.

To purchase a bottle of Kurokabegura New Make Spirit, visit https://tomatin.com/shop/

For more information about Kurokabegura or Shirakawa, visit https://tomatin.com/kurokabegura

For more information about Takara Shuzo International, visit https://www.takara-intl.co.jp/en.

About Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd and Takara Shuzo International Co., Ltd    

Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd. produces sake, other alcoholic beverages, and seasonings, including Shirakawa and Kurokabegura. It has been one of Japan’s leading manufacturers since 1842. In 1951, Takara Shuzo became one of only a handful of distilleries in Japan to produce malt whisky and it continued to do so uninterrupted until 1969. The vast majority of this malt whisky is used in Takara Shuzo’s flagship ‘King’ blended whisky brand.

Takara Shuzo International Co., Ltd. operates the company’s overseas alcoholic beverage business. In 1986, it acquired Tomatin Distillery in Scotland. 

About Shirakawa Distillery  

Shirakawa distillery was built by Daikoku Budoshu in the Fukushima Prefecture, 200km North of Tokyo, in 1939. Even though Shirakawa Distillery was one of the pioneers of malt whisky making in Japan, it was never officially available as a single malt. That category didn’t take off in Japan until the mid-80s, and by that time, Takara Shuzo’s focus lay elsewhere. The land where Shirakawa Distillery once sat was subsequently gifted by Takara Shuzo in 2011 to build emergency housing to accommodate the locals who had been displaced by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

JOHNNIE WALKER
BLUE LABEL

Rahul Mishra Limited Edition Design

70cl · 40% ABV

Introducing the new limited-edition design by Indian couturier Rahul Mishra for Johnnie Walker Blue Label. This intricate bottle and packaging design celebrates the vibrancy of India and encases an extraordinary Scotch Whisky.

This limited-edition design for Johnnie Walker Blue Label by Rahul Mishra embodies an unwavering commitment to craftmanship and reflects the fine art of whisky making. The intricate bottle design featuring a bright festive night symbolises abundance and joy to come, making it a meaningful gift for loved ones over the festive period.

£229.95

Discover our exclusive 16-Year-Old [M] Secret Speyside, distilled at Macallan and matured in a single refill hogshead. Bottled August 2025 at 62.6% by Signatory Vintage for The Whisky Barrel, this rare Speyside showcases orchard fruits, creamy vanilla, toasted coconut and gentle oak spice. With the subtle influence of a refill cask, the elegance and depth of Macallan’s signature spirit truly shines. Only 299 bottles — a remarkable treasure for collectors and Macallan enthusiasts.

[M]acallan 16 Year Old

2009 vintage Signatory Un-Chillfiltered for The Whisky Barrel single refill hogshead #171.
Cask Strength | Natural Colour | Un-chillfiltered

£95.94 GBP

Only 299 bottles at 62.6% reveal classic orchard fruits, gentle oak spice, apple tart and honeycomb. Distilled at the “secret” Macallan distillery—an insider’s treat without the marquee price tag.  Perfect for collectors and Speyside aficionados seeking a rare single-cask Macallan

Amrut 15 Year Old “The Expedition – Diamond Jubilee Celebration”

$10,500

Indian Single Malt Whisky (750ml)

This product is estimated to be available for delivery or pickup within 7 business days after your order is placed.

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

ralfy review 1096 – KinGlassie 8yo ‘Raw’ @46.3%vol:

Limestone Branch Distillery collaborates with Ross & Squibb Distillery on 2025 release of Yellowstone Limited Edition

10th anniversary expression features a blend of three unique mash bills aged 10 years and bottled at 105 proof

ST. LOUIS (Sept. 2025) – To celebrate a decade of excellence across its award-winning annual Limited Edition collection, Limestone Branch Distillery released its 2025 Yellowstone Limited Edition, a unique blend of straight bourbon whiskeys thoughtfully aged 10 years. The series debuted in 2015 to honor the finest spirits worthy of the Yellowstone Bourbon name.

In the pioneering spirit of Yellowstone Bourbon, Founder and Master Distiller Stephen Beam and the team at Limestone Branch Distillery collaborated with the blending team at Ross & Squibb Distillery – one of the most historic distilleries in America – to create the 10^th anniversary release. For the first time, the combined team chose barrels from the Indiana and Kentucky distilleries to blend for this year’s unique and high-quality commemorative expression.

The 2025 release includes three unique mash bills aged 10 years and is bottled at 105 proof (52.5% ABV) in tribute to the debut of Yellowstone Limited Edition in 2015. An allocation of 10,000 (3-in) cases will be on shelf in September at retail and Limestone Branch Distillery, just in time for Bourbon Heritage Month, for a minimum suggested retail price of $99.99 per 750mL bottle.

“We’ve done something different with this special annual release every year since 2015,” said Beam. “This year’s 10-year anniversary Limited Edition represents my natural progression of experimenting with blending, using three unique mash bills to create a remarkable product. In partnership with the Ross & Squibb team, we pushed the boundaries of innovation by creating our first blend featuring barrels from the Indiana and Kentucky distilleries – without compromising on our commitment to quality that has kept the Yellowstone Bourbon brand on shelf for more than 150 years.”

The 2025 Yellowstone Limited Edition release features an aroma of vanilla, oak and hints of citrus. The body includes tastes of rich caramel, vanilla, toffee and hints of stone fruit on the palate, and a lingering finish of charred oak with notes of honey, cherry and cinnamon. Presented in a custom-designed embossed Yellowstone Limited Edition bottle, the 2025 anniversary edition features a high-quality natural cork, and a unique black and gold label highlighting the bold 10-year age statement, anniversary details and Beam’s signature.

The 2024 Yellowstone Limited Edition release earned gold medals at the 2025 ASCOT Awards and San Francisco World Spirits Competition. A product locator for Yellowstone Limited Edition can be found here.

About Yellowstone Bourbon

Founded by pioneer distiller Joseph Bernard Dant, Yellowstone Bourbon was named after the United States’ first national park in 1872. In 2011, seventh-generation Master Distiller Stephen Beam – a descendant of both the historic Dant and Beam distilling families – founded Lebanon, Kentucky-based Limestone Branch Distillery and resurrected the Yellowstone brand with the creation of Yellowstone Select Bourbon. Expressions in our Yellowstone family of premium bourbons and whiskeys have earned many spirits industry awards, including platinum at the 2025 ASCOT Awards and gold at the 2025 SIP Awards and San Francisco World Spirits Competition for Yellowstone Small Batch 107. Since 2018, we have partnered with the National Parks Conservation Association as one of NPCA’s largest corporate sponsors, having donated $1 million to preserve national parks. To learn more, visit YellowstoneBourbon.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram.

About Luxco

Founded in St. Louis in 1958 by the Lux family, Luxco is a leading producer, supplier, importer and bottler of beverage alcohol products with a mission to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of consumers, associates and business partners. Luxco operates as MGP Ingredients Inc. (Nasdaq: MGPI) Branded Spirits division since its acquisition in 2021. The company’s extensive and award-winning premium portfolio includes brands from four distilleries: Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where Penelope and Remus bourbon are produced; Bardstown, Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers, home of Rebel, Ezra Brooks, and Blood Oath bourbons; Lebanon, Kentucky-based Limestone Branch Distillery, maker of Yellowstone Bourbon; and Arandas, Mexico-based Destiladora Gonzalez Lux, producer of 100% agave tequilas including Cortada, El Mayor, Escasa and Exotico. For more information, visit Luxco.com.