- 1995 Benrinnes 20 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ( $99.99) In our opinion, Benrinnes might be the most underrated distillery in all of Scotland. We’ve purchased a number of casks from the Diageo-owned Speyside producer over the years and we’ve even taken a detailed tour of the space. In just about every interaction with both the whisky and the people who make it, we’ve been completely impressed in just about every way. That being said, the 20 year old cask that we pulled in this year from Benrinnes might be the best whisky yet. It’s a jaw-droppingly delicious single malt that brings big vanilla, big spice, loads of ripe fruit, and a creamy, soft mouthfeel for a screaming deal of a price. Two decades in wood at full proof for $99.99? If the label said Glenmorangie or Glenlivet instead of Benrinnes, you’d no doubt be looking at $180 per bottle or more, but the fact that this is Benrinnes cuts that price point right in half. The irony, however, is that we’d rather have the Benrinnes! The finish even flirts with a phenolic note and hints of smoke, despite the fact that Benrinnes doesn’t make peated whisky. Do not miss this whisky. It might be the best of this year’s Signatory crop.
- 1988 Blair Athol 26 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ( $179.99) Last year’s cask of 1988 sherry-aged Blair Athol from Signatory drove our customers into such a frenzy that we still get phone calls asking about it over a year later. The big, rich, caked-in-sherry flavor blended beautifully with the soft-fruited core of the Highland whisky’s profile, creating an absolute beast when bottled at full proof. We’re happy to announce to all those who’ve been begging us for more that we were able to return to Signatory this past Spring and purchase the lone sister cask to that beloved Blair Athol, bringing one last batch of that sherry-matured magic to K&L customers one last time. Whereas last year’s cask showcased all the sweetness and sugary spice that Oloroso sherry can offer, this whisky is much drier and earthier on the palate. It’s full of coffee bean, dried prunes, and burnt almonds, lingering far longer on the finish with a more dynamic finale of dried earth and savory splendor. It’s a fitting finale to one of the most talked-about and requested whiskies in K&L history. We’re happy we were able to send finish out the legacy with a bang!
- 1996 Glenlivet 19 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Sherry Butt Single Malt Whisky 750ml ( $89.99) The next round is finally here for one of the most-beloved Fall whisky editions in K&L history. We’ve been picking off these first-fill sherry butts of Glenlivet from Signatory ever since we first started visiting the Scottish bottler more than five years ago. While the vintage always stays the same (1996) the whisky gets older each time around! The most recent iteration has spent 19 years in cask, giving the whisky a dark amber hue and plenty of richness. The fudge and cocoa flavors from the sherry have sunken deep into the liquid, permeating it with spice cake, dried figs, and bits of ginger dipped in dark chocolate. Soft on the palate and smooth as silk, this whisky continues to get better as time goes by. Don’t wait around, however, because the annual Glenlivet Signatory release is also one of the fastest selling whiskies in K&L history, as well as one of the most popular. For your holiday parties or gift-giving needs, you won’t find a better whisky at a better price.
- 1981 Glenlivet 33 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ( $399.99) When you’re talking luxury whisky in today’s single malt whisky market, you’re talking four to five-figure price points based more on age statements and brand names than on quality or flavor. In 2015, a bottle of 25 year old Macallan will run you $1200. So how is it that K&L can track down a single cask of 33 year old Glenlivet, aged in sherry, and bottled at cask strength for $399? Sometimes it’s best not to ask questions. We’ve done it, however. We’ve brought it one of the most impressive, crowd-pleasing, all-encompassing single malts of the year with this 1981 Glenlivet, and it’s everything you hope it will be. Dark caramel, Christmas cake with baking spices, fudge, candied ginger, and loads of richness that coat the palate all the way through to the finish. The question you should be asking, however, is: will one bottle be enough?
- 1985 Linkwood 29 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Single Malt Whisky 750ml ( $199.99) Linkwood is one of the most iconic Speyside distilleries not typically sold as a stand-alone single malt, and for good reason: Diageo needs every drop for Johnnie Walker and the various other blends sold by the spirits giant. Linkwood is considered by most blenders to be the ideal canvas, loaded with fresh fruit flavors, a flutter of grassiness, and plenty of weight on the palate. While younger single malt expressions typically bottled by independent labels can be quite enjoyable and perfectly drinkable, they often lack depth and complexity in our opinion. What’s missing is age. Wouldn’t it be great to see how Linkwood tastes after three decades in wood? Now we finally can thanks to this incredible little cask we found tucked into the corner at the Signatory warehouse this year. This 29 year old Linkwood is pure Speyside heaven, loaded with rich vanilla and caramel aromas that tease you into a second and third nosing. The palate is soft and oily, much lighter than the nose would suggest, with a touch of that grassy element coming into play on the finish. This is textbook Highland whisky, a whisky for Glenlivet and Glenfiddich drinkers who enjoy the classic flavors of single malt Scotch whisky, but are looking for more nuance and depth–something more out of the ordinary. For serious aficionados, this is a screaming hot deal. The cask had proofed itself down under 50% naturally, so we knocked another $60 off the bottle price by choosing NOT to take it at “cask strength”.
K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA