2014 Glen Garioch 11 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Refill Bourbon Barrel Cask Strength Highland Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) $64.99 View

2013 Ben Nevis 12 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Refill Hogshead Cask Strength Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival) $79.99 View

2013 Caol Ila 12 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Hogsheads Cask Strength Single Refill Hogshead Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival) $79.99 View

2007 Bruichladdich 18 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Cask Strength Refill Hogshead Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival) $225.00 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

Blackadder – The Epic Trilogy Unbottling

THE VIDEO

Adam introduces us to three more Blackadders from the final shipment of whisky to BC. Trapped in a warehouse since 2019, these whiskies are ready to unleash themselves upon their unsuspecting prey. Come try some Blackadders in store now at The Strath, or shop online at strathliquor.com

SAZERAC BARREL SELECT CONTRIBUTES ELMER T. LEE SINGLE BARREL FOR CHARITY PROGRAM BENEFITTING ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL

Winner receives a VIP Elmer T. Lee barrel select experience, one-night stay in Stagg Lodge, and more

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Sazerac Barrel Select (SBS), Sazerac’s single barrel release program, is thrilled to announce the Elmer T. Lee Charity Sweepstakes, offering bourbon enthusiasts the exclusive opportunity to select a barrel of the limited Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey, with all donations, less required transactions fees, benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Inclusive of the SBS’ signature VIP selection experience – typically reserved only for SBS members – the sweepstakes is open to the public, with each $100 donation serving as one entry to win.

“Elmer T. Lee is often called the ‘father’ of single barrel bourbon and for good reason – he’s the creator of both Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon and the original Sazerac Barrel Select program,” said Diego Bianchi, Sazerac Barrel Select General Manager. “The last single barrel of Elmer T. Lee was selected 10 years ago, and fans have requested this rare barrel offering since; some even reminisce about selecting barrels alongside Elmer. This is a fantastic opportunity to offer this brand to single barrel enthusiasts, and we are proud to once again support St. Jude.”

The randomly selected winner of the Elmer T. Lee Charity Sweepstakes will receive:

• A one-night stay in Stagg Lodge and VIP, behind-the-scenes tour and private catered lunch at Buffalo Trace Distillery accommodating the winner and up to 7 guests (age 21 or older);
• A private barrel selection experience to thieve, taste and select their barrel alongside Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley, who was trained by Elmer himself after joining the Buffalo Trace Distillery team in 1995;
• $18,000 cash prize, which may be used to purchase the bottles yielded from the selected barrel with personalized medallions

“I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with Elmer both at work and away from work, often listening to his many stories about the industry,” said Harlen Wheatley, Master Distiller, Buffalo Trace Distillery. “It was a privilege to work with Elmer, and I understood that when I was with him. I’m proud to call Elmer a friend, mentor, and trusted advisor, and I’m honored to continue sharing his legacy through this charity sweepstakes program.”

The Elmer T. Lee Charity Sweepstakes benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital begins at 8am EST on September 8, 2025; all entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on September 30, 2025. Entrants will receive one entry into the sweepstakes for every $100 donation made through the registration site. The winner will be randomly drawn and notified via phone and email the week of October 6, 2025. To register and view the full official rules, please visit www.SazeracBarrelSelect.com/drawing.

SBS is a membership program offering small groups and individuals the opportunity to hand-select barrels from Buffalo Trace Distillery and other Sazerac distilleries. In 2024, SBS partnered with St. Jude for the Blanton’s Gold Charity Sweepstakes and raised more than $1 million. In recent years, SBS has worked with multiple charitable organizations to raise more than $4 million for a number of great causes. Though the Elmer T. Lee Charity Sweepstakes is open to the public, SBS encourages those who are not members to sign up and participate in the quarterly drawings. SBS membership is free and those interested can sign up here.

Widely considered a 20^th-century bourbon pioneer, Elmer T. Lee joined the George T. Stagg Distillery, known today as Buffalo Trace Distillery, in 1949 as a maintenance engineer, quickly rising through the ranks to become Plant Manager and Master Distiller. He led the Distillery into a new era of modernization and, in 1984, introduced Blanton’s—the world’s first single-barrel bourbon. Just two years later, following his retirement, Elmer was honored with his own namesake release: Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey, hand-selected and bottled to meet the exacting standards he established. Perfectly balanced and rich, this single barrel bourbon has a nose that brings notes of clove, vanilla, and old leather. The palate offers balances fruit, honey and vanilla with a light spiciness.

For any questions regarding the Elmer T. Lee Charity Sweepstakes, please email charity@sazerac.com.

About Sazerac

With over 400 years of history, Sazerac is one of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies. Now in the fourth generation of the current family ownership, Sazerac strives each day to bring the finest spirits to consumers and communities around the world.

Over 500 of the world’s most extraordinary brands are part of the Sazerac portfolio, including Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare, Weller, The Last Drop Distillers, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Southern Comfort, Wheatley Vodka, Meyers’s Rum, White X Cognac, Sazerac de Forge Cognac, Paddy’s Irish Whiskey, and many more.

Sazerac is also the steward of many fine distilleries internationally, including Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, United States; Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac in Cognac, France; Paul John Distillery in Goa, India; and Lough Gill Distillery in County Sligo, Ireland. Additional impressive locations can be found in New Orleans, Montréal, London, Cork and Sydney, to name a few.

To learn more visit www.sazerac.com.

About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was largely considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and it won’t stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.

No purchase or donation necessary to enter or win.  Purchasing a product will not improve your chances of winning.  Must be legal resident of 50 U.S. or D.C, excluding NY, age 21 or older as of date of entry.  Registration begins at 8AM EST on September 8, 2025, and ends at 11:59PM EST on September 30, 2025  To enter, and for complete official rules including eligibility and full prize description, scan the QR code or directly visit www.SazeracBarrelSelect.com/drawing.  Approximate retail value (“ARV”) of prize award: $18,000.  Odds of winning based upon number of eligible entries received.  No alcoholic beverage is part of any prize award.  Void wherever prohibited or restricted by law.  SPONSOR: Sazerac Company, Inc., Louisville, KY.

New Era Whiskey Releases Three Cask-Strength Bourbons to Honor Kentucky Parks

The Lexington Company will Donate to Kentucky Flood Survivors

LEXINGTON, KY (Sept. 4, 2025) – Nearly everyone can say the pandemic affected them in some way. A healthcare worker looking for hobbies to help him escape the long hours and stressful days of Covid-19, Zane Brammell discovered bourbon. Not just collecting bottles, but joining the community of enthusiasts that shared his passion. In 2022, Zane founded his first single-barrel club, selecting exclusive barrels to share with members. Two years later, he expanded his club into a full-fledged brand called New Era Whiskey.  Today, Zane and co-founder Matt Hobbs are releasing their first bourbons to stores in Kentucky, a trio of cask-strength single barrel bourbons honoring three of Kentucky’s most iconic natural landmarks: Nature’s Crossing at Natural Bridge (115 proof); Dark Wonders at Mammoth Cave (113.8 proof); and Magic Moonbow at Cumberland Falls (115 proof). ​​

Each of the single-barrel offerings was aged eight years, bottled at cask strength, and will be available only at retail stores throughout the state of Kentucky. Suggested retail price is $99 per 750 mL.  In honor of Kentucky’s state parks and natural wonders, New Era Whiskey Company is donating $3,000 to the Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund.

“These three barrels are exceptional, and I’m thrilled to share them with bourbon fans across the state. Previously, our single barrel bottlings have only been available as private club picks. I’m happy to reach this milestone, with retail accessibility across Kentucky,” said Brammell.  “And we’re proud to give back to Team Kentucky’s Storm Relief Fund to help flood victims.”

“It’s great to celebrate the success of Lexington’s New Era Whiskey, while also recognizing the positive impact they’re making as they live out our Team Kentucky values of lifting up our neighbors,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “I want to thank Zane, Matt and the entire team for their support of Kentucky State Parks and for their donation to our storm relief fund, which will make a difference in the lives of survivors across our commonwealth.”

Kentucky State Parks Commissioner Russ Meyer adds, “Our Kentucky State Parks and bourbon industry play a significant role in Kentucky’s $14.3 billion tourism industry, so it’s exciting to see New Era Whiskey fuse the two. Throughout challenging times and natural disasters, our state parks have been a refuge for Kentuckians in need. We are pleased that a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund.”

New Era Whiskey’s Kentucky trio of bourbons honoring Kentucky’s State Parks goes on sale in retail stores throughout Kentucky the week of Sept. 6th.

About New Era Whiskey and Spirits

From small towns in Kentucky with humble roots, two whiskey connoisseurs embarked on a journey to create something extraordinary – a tribute to tradition reimagined for a new generation.

New Era is a headline-worthy whiskey that honors the traditions of craftsmanship and storytelling while moving into a new era with bold intention. Every pour is a nod to the past and the publisher of our stories today and tomorrow. For more information visit https://www.newerawhiskey.com

Glendronach Port Wood

A stunning wee dram inspired by Scotland’s history of importing casked port. After an initial maturation, this expression spent a further three years maturing in Portuguese port casks to create bold flavours of spiced fruit. Lovely!

Our Hamish has had a sip and jotted down his thoughts.

Nose: cherry blossom, juicy blackberries, milk chocolate.

Palate: autumnal spices, baked apple, ginger snaps.

Finish: sumptuous, cinnamon, chocolate.

Edradour 12 Year Old “Caledonia” Single Malt Whisky (700ml)

$74.99

This prized bottle from Scotland’s wee Edradour distillery is named after musician Dougie MacLean’s Caledonia guitar. MacLean was visiting Edradour in the summer of 2009 to help select the first cask and take part in the bottling. Remember that only 3 men work at the distillery, and they are only able to produce about 12 casks a week, which is barely enough to satisfy any kind of commercial demand. Their standard 10-year-old bottling is one of the most unique whiskies in existence and one of the regular favorites on our shelves. The 12 year is unchillfiltered and has a strong nose full of rich oak and dried fruits. The palate is packed with baking spices, red fruits, and oily notes finishes with powerful complexity. The color is a deep tawny and this wonderful whisky straddles the line between grace and power. A great addition to the Edradour line, that has all but been unavailable in the California market for several years. Now its back, don’t miss out on this incredible price, only at K&L.

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 1094 Extras – Comparing two VERY different single malts.

Distillery profiles: Dallas Dhu.

Construction started in 1898 when the Glaswegian blenders Wright & Greig were granted a site at Dallas near Forres in Moray adjacent to the Highland Railway line on its route to Grantown-on-Spey, Aviemore and afterwards Perth. The land was part of distiller and entrepreneur Alexander Edwards’s Sanquhar estate. In this year Edwards also formed Oban & Aultmore-Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd, having built Aultmore in 1897, he also commissioned Benromach in 1898.

In Roderick Dhu Wright & Greig had a successful blend and as demand for the brand rose the company had to source more spirit, Highland Park had apparently been a major component. The name of the blend is taken from a character in Sir Walter Scott’s then popular Lady of the Lake. The distillery was originally going to be called Dallasmore but by November 1899, 7 months after the completion of the buildings, it was referred to as Dallas Dhu.

During construction the boggy nature of the land meant strengthening ties were required to prevent some parts of the distillery from sinking. As there was not originally a siding at the distillery goods in and out were initially transported to Forres station by horse and cart. Wright & Greig went in to voluntary liquidation in 1919 unable to survive 2 decades of downturn in the industry and ownership of the distillery was passed to J. P. O’Brien & Co. Ltd, again of Glasgow who also had control over Caol Ila.

Dallas Dhu Distillery- (Rotorworx / S. Gardiner)

In 1920 Benmore Distilleries Ltd. took over Campbeltown distilleries Benmore and Lochead as well as Lochindal on Islay and Dallas Dhu in 1921. The company was made up of brewers and merchants including several based in England. Benmore Distilleriies were taken over in January 1929 by DCL who then transferred it to its subsidiary, Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd. (SMD) the following year. After a period of closure in the early 1930s the distillery reopened in 1936 but a fire on the 9th of April 1939 destroyed the still room. It was said that had there been stronger winds and if the fire brigade not been so prompt to attend the fire may have spread and the whole distillery could have been lost. Although malting took place in the remainder of the 1939 season distillation did not restart until 1947 as the war years prevented barley being supplied for production.

Due to a limit on the water supply Dallas Dhu was not expanded in the post war boom of the 1950s and 60s although it was modernised with electric power being introduced relatively late in 1950. In common with other SMD sites 1963 saw the introduction of mechanical stoking of the coal fired stills. Subsequently along with other actions production increased by 25% the following year. As at its neighbour, Benromach, hand malting of barley was discontinued in 1968 with the opening of Burghead maltings. Internal steam heating was introduced in 1971 meaning a water wheel powered rummaged was retired. The rummager had been powered by overflow from the worm tubs.

After a peak in demand in 1979 there was a falling off in popularity for whisky and DCL decided to close some of its older and smaller units. After a period of operating at 50% of capacity the last cask was filled on 16.3.1983. The licence to distil was finally cancelled in 1992. The copper domed mash tun was made of cast iron, there were 6 45KL larch washbacks, 2 stills, the wash at 6,377L was heated by kettles whilst the spirit was heated by coiled pipes and has a 5,623L capacity, both have similarly descending lyne arm leading to worm tubs. Maximum output was 0.75ML. The distillery was selected to be preserved as an industrial museum having many original features retained as examples of historic practices and equipment.

Asides.

In 1843 Dallas, Texas was renamed after American vice-president George M. Dalllas who was a descendant of William de Ripley who was granted the lands around which the distillery was eventually built. De Ripley changed his name to de Dallas.

Between 1894 and 1899 19 distilleries were built in Speyside and Banffshire. Dallas Dhu was the last facility to be constructed in the 19th century.

Mark Davidson, aka The Jolly Toper Profile

We managed to get our Whisky Advent ducks in a row a lot earlier this year, and we are thrilled to announce that our KWM 2025 Whisky Advent Tastings are now open for registration. And Early Bird Pricing is in effect on the Full Sets for two weeks, now through September 17.

While we still can’t call them Advent Calendars, to comply with the AGLC and Excise Canada, this year we are offering our Full Sets of five 5-whisky Advent Tastings in a single box. So while it may resemble an Advent Calendar, make no mistake… it is Still Not An Advent Calendar! 😉

Still Not An Advent Calendar Full Set – All KWM 2025 Whisky Advent Tastings

One of our goals every year is to try and offer as much value as we can for our participants in the Whisky Advent Tastings. By putting the Whisky Advent Tasting Full Sets back into one box this year we will cut down on our labour cost to produce them. It also allows us to include a Wee Glencairn Glass again.

We are also moving to a standardized box design with black printing on plain cardboard. This design change substantially reduces the cost of our Advent boxes, reduces waste, and allows us to put more focus on the whisky. But don’t worry, they’ll still look cool!

As a little teaser, to give you an idea of where we are going this year, I thought I’d share an image of one of the box designs we decided not to go with. This note is full of text, and begging for an image to break it up. The mockup ABOVE is NOT our KWM 2025 Whisky Advent Tastings Full Set box!

There is one other little change this year. We won’t be redacting any details on the bottle labels, as you will be able to reveal the whiskies one at a time as you open each window. But don’t be mistaken… it is Still Not An Advent Calendar… it is a collection of five 5-whisky tastings! 😉

Our KWM 2025 Still Not An Advent Calendar Full Set features an all-new range of whiskies, primarily single malt Scotch, with an average age of roughly 19 years. The oldest whisky this year is a 44 year old Scotch. Like our old Advent Calendars it will also include a Wee Glencairn Glass.

We are also producing a limited number of KWM 2025 Still Not An UBER Advent Calendar Full Set this year, similar to the UBER Whisky Calendar we produced in 2023. The average age of whiskies in the UBER edition is more than 29 years, and the oldest is 50!

Pre-Sale Early Bird Pricing is in effect on Full Sets of both the KWM 2025 Whisky Advent Tastings and KWM 2025 UBER Advent Tastings until September 17th. And if you purchase both, you will save an additional $25.

As we did last year, we are also offering the five KWM 2025 Whisky Advent Tastings for purchase individually. And…….. Still Not An Advent Calendar BOTH SETS

I know we say this every year, but our lineup(s) this year is the best one yet… for the 12th year running we are bringing you 25 Days of Dram Fine Whisky!

Plenty of details can be found below, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

There are also a handful of new and returned whiskies to fill you in on.

Sincerely,

Andrew Ferguson

PS – As always, in the event of a price discrepancy, the point of sale at KWM will be taken as correct. Online ordering and in-store purchasing are always our preferences. You can email your requests in, but they may not be dealt with as quickly as the web orders!

The warmest of autumnal salutations to all, and welcome to our now live 171st auction!  We have a fabulous array of drams in this auction everything from far eastern rarities to homegrown heavyweights sourced from right here in Scotland.  With so many bottles being offered we thought it prudent to pick out a few lots to shine a spotlight on, so here we go.

First up we have a bottle which boasts exquisite design and is of tremendous rarity, this is the Karuizawa 1965 50 Year Old Single Cask #8636 for La Maison du Whisky.  As we all know Karuizawa is no more, having fallen silent in the year 2000, which makes expressions like this all the rarer.  It has spent a mammoth five decades ageing before finally being bottled for release while still somehow managing to maintain a hefty ABV of 62.6% in the process.  An increasingly sought-after bottling, and a genuine highlight in even the most salubrious of whisky collections.

Next we have a bottling which has attained near-legendary status in the world of American whiskey collecting, this is the A.H. Hirsch Reserve 1974 16 Year Old.  Distilled at the now defunct Schaefferstown Michter’s distillery in 1974 and aged for 16 years this special dram exhibits the famed ‘golden hue’ Hirsch was renowned for.  This bottling has been leaving reviewers astonished for years due to its richness and depth of flavour, so why not pick this one up and see what all the fuss is about?

It wouldn’t be a highlight reel without something special from Scotland and this beauty most definitely fits the bill, this is the Macallan 40 Year Old The Red Collection.  Taking inspiration from Macallan founder Alexander Reid, who’s surname means “the red one”, this show stopping range is also noteworthy for having been crafted by Macallan’s first female Master Whisky Maker, Kirsteen Campbell, who took the up the reins in 2019.  An absolutely fantastic and understated release from Macallan, solidifying their position as one of the most collectable distilleries out there.

Finally we return to Japan for our last highlight and a lot which includes not one but three of the most collectable Japanese whiskies on the planet, this is the Chichibu 2009, Hanyu 2000 and Karuizawa 35 Year Old SAFE Bubbles and Malt Premium Collection 3 x 70cl.  Produced for Hong Kong whisky merchants SAFE Bubbles and Malt this collection features a Chichibu, a Hanyu and a 35 Year Old Karuizawa; a fearsome lineup we trust you agree.  Each whisky is drawn from a single cask and they have been packaged together in a beautifully understated presentation box adorned with Asian imagery.As always we have an enormous selection of drams to suit every budget on offer this month, so now is the time to delve into this month’s offerings and start building that watchlist.

Best of luck to everyone in the auction, and as always………..don’t lose your bottle.