K&L Wine Merchants - Staff Favorites

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/4/2022 | Send Email

It's baaaack! After many moons, our beloved Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose has returned. As always, very peachy and stone-fruited, with ripe raspberry and blood orange accents. Delicate, creamy, and floral. No wonder it is so popular!

Price: $89.99

Billecart-Salmon "Le Rosé" Champagne

By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 5/3/2022 | Send Email

You just can't go wrong with classic Rose from Billecart-Salmon! It's one of the most prettiest, perfectly balanced and elegant expressions of Rose Champagne. With bright raspberry and barberry aromas and flavors with a hint of white peach it's almost ethereal in its profile. No wonder it is crowd pleasing and one of the ultimate favorites among the staff here and customers.

Price: $89.99

Billecart-Salmon "Le Réserve" Champagne

By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 5/3/2022 | Send Email

Classic Champagne with touch of toast and marzipan note but mostly clean, fresh, zesty, citrus flavor profile with green apple and Bosc pear. Dry, mineral, dangerously easy to drink! It's the all time favorite Champagne.

Price: $64.99

Marie Duffau Napoleon Bas Armagnac (750ml)

By: Tim Telli | Review Date: 4/27/2022 | Send Email

For the money, I can't think of a better deal in Armagnac than the Marie Duffau 'Napoleon'. This is a delicious brandy that is smooth and textured with great flavor, rich fruit and a rounded finish that is very easy to like and drink. A minimum of 6 years old and is typically a blend of mostly Ugni blanc, some Baco, and a little Colombard and Folle Blanche. Try a bottle, it's great.

Price: $34.99

WE: 90

Arran 10 Year Old (New Label) Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

By: Tim Telli | Review Date: 4/27/2022 | Send Email

Anyone looking for an easy drinking whiskey that is light and bright should take a look at the Arran 10 year old. Arran is a relatively new distillery, opened some 30 years ago off the coast of south-west Scotland on the picturesque island of Arran. The whisky has a very clean fruity profile that has some vanilla and citrus notes followed by a little spice and apple on the finish. This is a great whisky for someone who doesn't want a peaty or smoky style or is just starting to look at single malts. A very fine dram indeed.

Price: $59.99

Port Charlotte 10 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)

By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/23/2022 | Send Email

If you are a peated whisky fan, you'll enjoy this single malt. There is a sharpness to this whisky that is not for the faint of heart. You get intense peat that hugs your tongue and it is delightful! Overall, it is a must try and a great deal for a 10 year!

Price: $59.99

WA: 91

Redwood Empire "Pipe Dream" Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/6/2022 | Send Email

Hmm, where should I start with Redwood Empire? A fun little fact is that Redwood Empire promises to plant a tree with every bottle sold. So, from here we’re already off to an amazing start. Diving into their Pipe Dream Bourbon, you get enriching flavours of vanilla, baking spices, and toasted pecans. The mouthfeel of this whiskey is delicate with a hint of a black pepper spice at the finish. I personally enjoy drinking Pipe Dream by itself, but it is equally as delicious in a cocktail as well. If you’re looking for a new bourbon to try, I highly recommend grabbing a bottle on your next visit!

Price: $29.99

WE: 94

The Botanist Islay Dry Gin (750ml)

By: Dejah Overby | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email

This is by far my favorite Gin for martinis. The botanicals are well measured so that one does not overpower any of the others. Bright lemon, a touch of seaweed, and a whisper of moss. The finish is clean and perfect for enjoying stirred and garnished with a lemon twist.

Price: $34.99

St. George "Terroir" Mount Tamalpais Gin (750ml)

By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email

What an exciting idea. Distill a gin using some botanicals from a local area.The St. George Terrior Mt. Tam is more that a good project, it also tastes good and expands the bonderies of flavors for a gin. There are aromas of juniper and bay laurel that are followed by flavors of juniper, bay laural, sage and fir. A gin to think about and enjoy. Over the last ten years this has been on of our best selling gins because it is both delicious and unique.

Price: $27.99

Tsuji Zenbei Shoten Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama Genshu Omachi Sake (720ml)

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email

A lush nose of cantaloupe, lychee and honeysuckle. On the palate, surprisingly nutty (Pine nut, Macadamia nut) with plush mouthfeel. Very creamy, with flavors of vanilla and honeydew. Delicious and perfectly enjoyable on its own!

Price: $49.99

The Botanist Islay Dry Gin (750ml)

By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email

My single malt senses are tingling... Wait!... This isn't malt!... It's gin! Bruichladdich is an extraordinary gin out from the Isle of Islay, twenty two native botanicals are used in this gins conception. It's flavors are lush, real great juniper bite with a wonderful saltiness on the finish.

Price: $34.99

Martin Miller's Westbourne Strength London Dry Gin (750ml)

By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email

An interesting London dry, of course as the name states its produced in London and has a great classic botanical list; however, it's water is sourced from Iceland! Once the gin arrives in a village called Borgarnes it's blended with fresh water from the Selyri spring. The inclusion of fresh water offers the gin a softer body, and smoother liquid texture. An awesome London dry that'll be great over ice, or in a martini.

Price: $36.99

WE: 94

Le Brun de Neuville "Côte Blanche" Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne

By: Dejah Overby | Review Date: 3/26/2022 | Send Email

The Le Brun Cote Blanche BDB is a bottle of champagne I love to bring to parties. It is approachable for newbies and enjoyable for experienced champagne drinkers. Aromas of bartlett pear, fresh ginger, yellow melon upfront later the minerality, slight chalkiness, and soft richness express in the mouthfeel. The finish is altogether charming. So if you are seeking a high-quality Champagne that is under $60.00 this is the one and should not be missed.

Price: $34.99

JS: 93

WE: 91

Rey Campero Espadin Candelaria Yegolé Oaxaca Mezcal (750ml)

By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 3/25/2022 | Send Email

This is a very will made and delicious Mezcal. The nose is very complex. Every moment seems to offer different aromas, with citrus and savory notes interacting. In the mouth it was soft with a nice roundness and a hint of minerals. There are very subtle hints of smoke.

Price: $39.99

1982 The Rare Armagnac Collection (Domaine de Pouchegu) 38 Year Old K&L Exclusive Vintage Armagnac (750ml)

By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 3/25/2022 | Send Email

Armagnac continues to offer some of the most compelling values in the world of spirits. It's insane that these ancient spirits are still available in 2022 at these kind of prices. While I've loved so many of the Pouchegu bottlings we've done in the past, the 1982 came as a surprise to me. The deep mahogany color fit right with my expectation as I associate this chateau with a very strong wood profile, but I most certainly wasn't expecting the intensity of fruit that this is showing. On the nose dark cherries, freeze dried stone fruits, and a touch of gummy peach ring are just bursting from the glass. It all sits on a beautiful tray of aromatic cedar covered in a thick varnish, staying true to my Pouchegu preconceptions. The palate is big, bold, and again, shockingly fruity. It's a testament to the power of the spirit that after nearly 40 years in oak the original fruit stands up strong both on the nose and palate. The mouthfeel is robust, leaning just a touch toward hot, but shockingly drinkable at the 54.1% ABV this clocks in at. If you're a fan of delicate fruit forward Armagnac this probably isn't the one for you. If you love big and bold wood flavors with a huge helping of fruit, do not skip the 1982.

Price: $179.99

1982 The Rare Armagnac Collection (Domaine de Pouchegu) 38 Year Old K&L Exclusive Vintage Armagnac (750ml)

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 3/24/2022 | Send Email

Anyone who knows this producer and the excellent spirits that were distilled by M. Laporte some 30-40 years ago should not be surprised that I believe this to be one of the greatest domaines in Armagnac. The barrels themselves were purchased after Laporte's death by the Chateau Hontambere, but the quality has not been compromised what so ever. No, in fact it seems as though the current owners have managed to keep some of the finest barrels under wraps. Few spirits in the store will compare to this exceptional product, no other age spirit deliveries so much for so little though. If all armagnac was made in this style, we'd have drunk it all years ago. Let's have a taste. The color is deep tawny. The nose is pungent, intoxicating mix of wild red fruit compote, toasted vanilla bean, light roasted arabica, raw honey and charred oak. On the palate the fruit upfront is an absolute surprise. Pure dried apricot and peach, followed by tart cherry, exotic antique wood, slight lacquer box character. The big spice and slightly bitter oak is overpowered on the finish by the desiccated peach flavor, moving almost to the candied peach range. The balance and complexity is second to none and it's absolutely astonishing that nearly 40 years in new oak hasn't completely clobbered this spirits. That said, if you don't like a wood driven style of Armagnac this is not the product for you, for everyone else this will, I believe become a benchmark for which to measure brandies in this style.

Price: $179.99

Rihaku "Dreamy Clouds" Tokubetsu Junmai Nigori Sake (Unfiltered) (720ml)

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 3/19/2022 | Send Email

This actually does look like dreamy clouds! Unfiltered and cloudy, like Karl the Fog! It has a plush nose of vanilla bean, melon and red licorice. On the palate, initially, there is a little weight but, it is quick to come forth with dry and clean flavors of sweet white rice, vanilla ice cream, and banana. It also has a nice tangy finish. Delicious!

Price: $30.99

Condesa "Clasica" Extra Dry Mexico City Gin (750ml)

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 3/12/2022 | Send Email

What an incredible bottle of gin! We had this in a big lineup of stone cold London Dry classics, and it showed so spectacularly that I didn't wait five minutes after the tasting to buy one for home. This does the trick that only the best of all drinks can do- it is super refreshing and also complex and interesting. I love the cooling juniper and exotic high tones from this gin- it is all together too good for gin and tonics!

Price: $34.99

Condesa 'Prickly Pear & Orange Blossom' Mexico City Gin (750ml)

By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 3/12/2022 | Send Email

I'll admit I was skeptical going into my first tasting of this one. It's in a beautiful pink glass bottle (although it pours clear) and I was expecting just a massive floral and fruity mess. Boy was I wrong. There is plenty of juniper here to anchor the fruit and floral blossoms firmly in the world of gin. It's no slouch in any classic cocktails and in fact really shines beautifully in a simple G&T. The citrus is crystal clear, the prickly pear sweet yet bracing. The texture of both Condesa gins is otherworldly. That texture makes for a perfect dry martini. Just shake or stir over ice according to your pleasure and garnish with really any citrus peel you have on hand, strain, and enjoy. As a huge proponent of vermouth being a strong feature in any good martini, it's remarkable that I would make one without it, but here, the gin is so good, so complex, so bright, so lively, that you can get away without it. Of course, if you have some fresh, delicate dry vermouth to add, it's not going to hurt anything either. If you love gin, both Condesa bottles are simply must haves at all times.

Price: $34.99

Condesa "Clasica" Extra Dry Mexico City Gin (750ml)

By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 3/12/2022 | Send Email

This gin is insanely good. I cannot keep my hands off the bottle. If a few short days, it's gone. I've made every classic gin cocktail in my repertoire and it has performed to perfection in each one. It's texturally impressive, silky, yet robustly flavorful. There is a firm juniper backbone, but with no hard edges. It doesn't classify as a London dry per say, although it is bone dry. It's not a floral bomb gin either. It's just so spectacularly balanced and graceful. It stands as one of the best gins on our shelf, in my personal collection, and in the wide world of gin. Add to that the fun facts that it's a woman owned and operated distillery in the heart of one of the most exciting cities on earth and crafted by a practitioner of the Mexico's traditional healing arts and packaged in a stunning bottle AND it's reasonably priced to boot, and you've got a 10/10 here.

Price: $34.99

2010 Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan

By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 3/9/2022 | Send Email

Ask any seasoned Bordeaux drinker about Pessac Leognan and the one thing that's sure to come up is the minerals. As mysterious and unbelievable as it is for the flavor of the stones and the earth to travel through the roots, and the veins and into the grapes themselves, I beseech you to smell this wine. Yes, it has the dark currants, the potent violets, and the smoke found only in the best Cabernet Sauvignon, but it also has an unmistakable stony earthy aroma that you don't get anywhere else. It has an incredible balance on the palate that seems to highlight every corner of nuance in the wine, nothing overpowering anything else. This is a testament to the unmatchable terroir of Pessac Leognan.

Price: $274.99

Condesa 'Prickly Pear & Orange Blossom' Mexico City Gin (750ml)

By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 3/8/2022 | Send Email

Gin from Mexico City? You better believe it and believe that it's great stuff too! Condesa Gins are made in the heart of Mexico with Mexican sourced botanicals, helmed by Maestra Destiladora, Hillhamn Salome. Right away, it's apparent that this is a very different experience that the Condesa Clasica, but it's still got that juniper structure and is still so aromatically expressive. The prickly pear makes it playful. The addition of orange blossom really shoots the floral and citrus components of the gin to the stratosphere. If you're a fan of more flower-oriented gins like Hendrick's then you owe it to yourself to check this out. Forced to describe this gin with one word, I'd have to go with "bright". This gin shines through and keeps going with vivacity and freshness. It makes a great Gin & Tonic, but honestly I just want this over ice with two dashes of bitters and a thin wedge of lemon, lime, and mandarin orange all squeezed and dropped in the glass.

Price: $34.99

Condesa "Clasica" Extra Dry Mexico City Gin (750ml)

By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 3/8/2022 | Send Email

Gin from Mexico City? You better believe it and believe that it's great stuff too! Condesa Gins are made in the heart of Mexico with Mexican sourced botanicals, helmed by Maestra Destiladora, Hillhamn Salome. As all great gin should, the Condesa Clasica hits first with a firm juniper note that forms the core of the spirit, but there's a lot at play here. Spicy and floral notes intertwine beautifully, raising the juniper higher. The sage and palo santo provide a nice herbal and earthy base, but then the jasmine and citrus keep bursting through to lighten everything up with a breath of summer that gets headier with each whiff. I prefer the Clasica in a Martini, but the cocktail potential here is vast with all the unique botanicals and complex flavors.

Price: $34.99

Ariston Aspasie "Cépages d'Antan" Brut Champagne

By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 3/3/2022 | Send Email

With this bottle, Aspasie offers imbibers a beautiful glass of Champagne with one hand and a glimpse into the history of the Champagne region with the other. The Cepages d'Antan is made using grape varietals that have all but gone extinct in the area: 40% Arban, 40% Petit Melie, and 20% Pinot Blanc. If that sounds like an odd Champagne blend then you'd be correct, but rest assured that there's no mistaking this for anything but a great Champagne! Green apple kicks off the nose followed briskly by tropical fruits, clotted cream, a slight toasty edge, and fresh raspberries. On the palate I get bright cherry, passion fruit, and mandarin orange. The acidity is on point here helping to make a vivacious sparkler that tingles and tickles the tongue. If anyone tries to tell you that history is boring, give them a glass of this.

Price: $124.99

Tedorigawa Kinka "Gold Blossom" Daiginjo Nama Sake 720ml

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 3/3/2022 | Send Email

I'm a bit late writing up this selection for week three of "Sake Saturday". As opposed to our previous two selections, this one has a more muted nose with the majority of the scents focused upon cantaloupe. There are light hints of banana and macadamia nut. In the mouth, it starts out on the richer side but, suddenly turns very dry and crisp. For me, it is once again the cantaloupe fruit that comes to the forefront, underscored by green fruits and sugar snap pea. A very interesting choice for the week!

Price: $39.99

Tedorigawa Kinka "Gold Blossom" Daiginjo Nama Sake 720ml

By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 2/26/2022 | Send Email

Another successful Sake Saturday; watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew... All the melons! How wonderfully refreshing this sake was, a bit on the drier side those fruit notes are accompanied by none of the sugar, giving their truest, and rawest flavor! The nose was slightly floral, just faint enough to pick it up, but not present enough to be overwhelming. The finish was a wonderful umami, minor saline quality with some soft vegetation -- a real beautiful crisp piece of nori! The "Gold Blossom" Daiginjo Nama is absolutely delicious... Oh, I almost forgot to mention, nama translates to 'raw' this sake is unpasteurized, meaning those flavors its offering are coming in their freshest, and purest form - keep cold, and enjoy quickly!

Price: $39.99

Jean-Jacques Lamoureux "Trilogie" Brut Champagne

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 2/24/2022 | Send Email

After having the Trilogie by itself for the little video that I made, Cinnamon and I enjoyed it with some black truffle tapenade on crackers for our aperitif. For me, the bright, light color of this wine belied the time in oak and many years on the lees of this “secret” vintage Champagne. On the nose, it had the classic pain au levain aromas of yeast contact as well as subtle dried fruit notes. In the mouth, the tight, small bead gave the concentrated wine underneath the perfect lift and balance. Delicate white fruit flavors focused into the clean earth that reminded me of the best terre Chablisienne and the acid refreshed me. I loved the pairing with the truffle tapenade, but I must say that I also got a big kick out of the wine by itself!

Price: $49.99

Wine Club

$34.99

Jean-Jacques Lamoureux "Trilogie" Brut Champagne

By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 2/23/2022 | Send Email

This is why people in-the-know choose K&L for their champagne needs! These are small-production, grower producer bubbles that spend an astounding five years aging to perfection on the lees, for well under $40! A classic blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay that spends time in neutral oak barrels, this has rich flavors of Norman apple, Meyer lemon, and white peach with subtle baguette yeast and a beautiful open-knit texture that is lifted by fine bead and bright, integrated acidity. It was a total hit when we opened it for the staff!

Price: $49.99

Wine Club

$34.99

Fukucho "Moon on the Water" Junmai Ginjo Sake (720ml)

By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 2/20/2022 | Send Email

Fragrant, expressive, and deceptively fruity; what a fine sake this is! Only in the past two or so months have I found myself gravitating to this category of beverage, and well.. I'm happy that I am! This Junmai Ginjo is beautifully balanced; fragrant cherry blossom and floral perfume, fresh melon and banana mash, and a minor saline quality that just ever so slightly lingers on the palate... Umami! Glorious Umami! With a Nihonshu-do level of +3 this Sake fringes on the border between dry, and sweet. A great compromise for anyone looking for a fruit bomb, or a more complex expression... If you're someone looking for both.. This is the perfect bottle!

Price: $36.99

Fukucho "Moon on the Water" Junmai Ginjo Sake (720ml)

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 2/19/2022 | Send Email

Week two of sake Saturday! Another pretty one, just like last week. A nose of lychee and a hint of anise. Remember a cocktail called a Melon Ball? Well, the scents from this sake reminds me of that. On the palate, it is very clean and crisp with more melon, green banana, and the white Good & Plenty candies (vanilla and licorice). Yes, that's not a technical description but, that's what it reminds me of. Sake Saturday has now become my favorite day. Just as good as Champagne Friday!

Price: $36.99

Jean-Jacques Lamoureux "Trilogie" Brut Champagne

By: Tim Telli | Review Date: 2/18/2022 | Send Email

A blend of the three main grapes of the Champagne region; pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay in equal proportions. Raised in wood with four years aging on the lees gives us a powerful wine that is well balanced and all to easy to drink. This has richness yet retains elegance and complexity on the palate and is very well balanced. A fun wine for sure!

Price: $49.99

Wine Club

$34.99

Cascahuin "Tahona" Blanco Tequila (750ml)

By: Will Blakely | Review Date: 2/18/2022 | Send Email

Cascahuin has been one of my favorite producers in tequila since I first sipped tasted their entry level offerings years ago. Their traditional process creates spirits leaps and bounds ahead of most competitors in terms of quality and flavor. Effortlessly balanced and expressive, this entirely tahona-pressed bottling in particular exhibits everything that most blanco tequilas aspire to be. Rustic aromas of dusty herbs and dry earth instantly evoke the region from which this hails. The taste is unbelievably refined, with pure agave sweetness taking center stage, supported by fresh white pepper and chamomile. The finish shows darker fruit tones and a satisfying earthy counterpoint to the ethereal flavors up front. A lingering hint of roasted meat makes this endlessly satisfying to drink. Purists should always have this on the shelf, and those looking to take a step up in the category should look no further.

Price: $69.99

Jean-Jacques Lamoureux "Trilogie" Brut Champagne

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 2/16/2022 | Send Email

The first thing that wafts out of the glass of "Trilogie" is whipped cream. That is followed by green apple, pear, and a nice, light minerality. On the palate, the Pinot Noir and the Pinot Meunier shine through with additional creaminess, more weight, golden apple and baking spice. The lingering finish brings back the fine minerality and spices. This is one of my favorites from Jean Jacques Lamoureux!

Price: $49.99

Wine Club

$34.99

Wakatake Onikoroshi "Demon Slayer" Junmai Daiginjo Sake (720 ml)

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 2/12/2022 | Send Email

Happily, as of today, we are back to tasting sake and this is a grand place to start! It has a very pretty nose of banana, lychee and melon. A real pleasure just to smell. In the mouth, it has a rich mouthfeel, with additional banana, vanilla cream, and a (light) hint of apricot. There is a nice dryness to counteract the overall richness of the taste. I tasted this chilled but, not especially cold. I can't wait to see what we will taste next week!

Price: $49.99

Don Julio "1942" Añejo Tequila (750ml)

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 2/8/2022 | Send Email

Tasting Don Julio 1942 is always a SHOCKING experience. It truly doesn't compute how they're able to create something so heady and sweet using just highland distilled agave and oak barrels in the quantities that they do. The nose is an explosive mix of sweet coconut, fresh vanilla bean, chocolate nibs, and tropical fruit. On the palate, the richness is jaw-dropping, I can't help but let out a guttural exclamation. Uhhhhhh ... what the hell did they do here? Yes, it's sweet, but it's so decadent you almost want to compare it to Sauternes or Quart de Chaumes. Baked tropical fruit, smooth silky texture, and a long, lingering finish. I tasted this next to slow-barbecued cacao crusted short ribs and couldn't imagine a better pairing. We've also got this at a killer price, so there's that too.

Price: $174.99

WE: 98

Ariston Aspasie "Cépages d'Antan" Brut Champagne

By: Giovanni Bueno | Review Date: 2/5/2022 | Send Email

This is not just a wine for the wine nerd. Cepages d'Antan could very well be portal from the past into the future of Champagne, using once forgotten about grapes native to Champagne. Cloy and veiled initially, this wine really starts to open up with air, so if you're not one to decant Champagne, try it out with this special blend. You will be rewarded with a bouquet of different citrus from a touch of mandarin peel, to plucky lemon and even some buddha's hand? Then the butter cracker comes through and the extended lees pays off as swirls of heady savory herbs come into the finish. Who knows if climate change means we move back to some of these forgotten varietals, but at least you'll know what everyone had been missing when we get there.

Price: $124.99

2019 Far Mountain "Fission" Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 2/3/2022 | Send Email

Phenomenal mountain Cabernet, one of the finest I've tasted in many years. This is the real deal. Sourced from vines high on Moon Mountain planted in 1971! These gnarled old vines bring forth a genuine character of powerful, brooding, mountain grown Cabernet. Dense black / purple fruit - blackcurrant, mulberry, damson, briary tones, mountain chaparral, crushed rock, cigar box, leather. Wonderfully expressive fruit, quintessential of the varietal. Good structure and noble tannin provide an excellent frame for the wine to adhere to. Drinking great now as a young expression, but I'm sure this will be a stunning 10 year wine...and probably will see 20 years in good form too. A steal in terms of value for money vs its Napa neighbors.

Price: $44.95

WE: 94

JS: 93

VN: 93

W.B. Saffell Limited Edition Batch #1 107 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (375ml)

By: Giovanni Bueno | Review Date: 2/1/2022 | Send Email

Andrew and David do a great job of delivering you the heady nuances of this whiskey--I'm just here to hype. This bourbon is everything you want in an American whiskey, leaping across the room from any glass it's poured into to smack you with deep caramel notes and fragrant earth and spice. Even taking small tasting sips like we do at work, this whiskey lingers on your senses, creating a cacophony of smells and flavors that will be sure to delight even the casual lover of whiskey. If you've already got a bottle of this, grab another, you never know when you might run out.

Price: $49.99

W.B. Saffell Limited Edition Batch #1 107 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (375ml)

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 1/5/2022 | Send Email

It's no secret that I'm a total Wild Turkey fan boy. I've been pining for this whisky for the better part of two years. While this batch was released in most markets in 2019, we didn't see it in California until two years later. While most other markets have sold out and the few stores that still have it are asking nearly double the original price, we've done everything in our power to purchase every single bottle we could find. There's simply nothing on the market as delicious and available as this incredible product. If you ever wanted to taste what pre-prohibition bourbon might have tasted like, this is about as close as you're going to get. The nose is never ending in its complexity. Every trip back is a different story. First it offers tons of sweet corn, rich caramel and brown sugar. When you return, now a powerful spice focused on cinnamon, but more complex and some added herbal savory character. Finally, zesty burnt orange peel and freshly toasted vanilla bean. On the palate, that fab WT earthiness, which I'm certain comes from the old 12 year element (of course distilled at the now demolished Old Ripy plant). Sweet oak, peppery spice, caramel syrup, it's full bodied but not obtrusively heavy, with a vibrant zesty-ness no doubt thanks to some excellent work by the blender. This is a whisky I'd like to be drinking all the time in perpetuity. It simply never gets old. After days with this bottle it continues to grow on me. There will be a the occasionally hater that quips about the price, but considering the junk that people throw money at these days, this is about the best bourbon we can sell to you dollar for dollar. This gets my highest recommendation!

Price: $49.99

W.B. Saffell Limited Edition Batch #1 107 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (375ml)

By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 12/31/2021 | Send Email

Tantalizingly close to perfection. Painstakingly recreated from the study of historical notes, careful tasting of pre-prohibition bottles, and the ingenuity of the Russell's - The recreation of W.B. Saffell's famous whiskey is finally here. Bottled at 107 proof it's seamless, powerful, and graceful all at once. The nose is a stunner: fresh gingerbread, candied corn, sweet succulent grassy notes like a burst of springtime, butterscotch, vanilla, creme brulee, dark cocoa, toasted oak and fresh saw dust, caramel, it's got the whole nine yards. And that's just the first nosing. The palate is down right glorious. The combination of sweet corn, spicy rye, and toasty barrel is on point. It drinks like the very oldest Russell's barrels we've ever sold but with a softer silkier palate. The proof is dialed in just right. The finish is long and sweet with a hint of heat on the back end that is the exact reminder you need that this was made at Wild Turkey. It's maybe the easiest drinking AND most fully flavored Bourbon I've tasted all year.

Price: $49.99

Laurent-Perrier Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature Champagne

By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 12/8/2021 | Send Email

Now officially one of my favorite Blanc de Blancs! The richness of the Grand and Premier Cru Chardonnay shines through with no added dosage and the balance is impeccable. Citrus-y apple fruit, floral aromas, a touch of nuttiness, subtle smoke and toast from the lees contact and a bright, long finish with no cloying sweetness. One glass was not enough on this one.

Price: $89.99

WE: 93

WS: 93

Mars Shinshu "Iwai 45" Japanese Whisky (750ml)

By: John Flanigan | Review Date: 11/28/2021 | Send Email

Nose of dried cherries and wore-in leather. On the palate there are strong citrus and wood notes. Not oaky wood, but more outdoorsy forest wood. A nice hint of vanilla sneaks through towards the finish. Good flavors to experiment with some whiskey cocktails.

Price: $32.99

WA: 90

Mars Shinshu "Iwai" Japanese Whisky (750ml)

By: John Flanigan | Review Date: 11/27/2021 | Send Email

This is a light and delicate whiskey, extremely pleasant to sip before an evening meal. The nose evokes a cup of black tea sweetened with honey. That warm honey note gets stronger on the palate changing to a honey/lemon hard candy and follows through all the way to the finish. "Nuanced" is the best word to describe this whiskey. There are no hard edges or heavy flavors, just a pleasant afternoon drinking experience before the sun the sun goes down.

Price: $24.99

Old Bardstown Estate "101" Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 11/26/2021 | Send Email

This Bourbon offers is a power house whiskey both expressive and full bodied. It is rich and round with hints of cherry and a nice long finish. I am surprised that it is not a cult whiskey.

Price: $49.99

Willett Family Estate 4 Year Old Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

By: John Flanigan | Review Date: 11/24/2021 | Send Email

A robust cask strength rye that warms with every sip. The nose pulls heavily from classic rye spices and citrus zests. The taste opens up to a host of sweat breads, dried fruits and roasted nuts, the finish lingers for a quite a while. At 4 years, this drinks like a much older whiskey, one of the finest in the Willett line.

Price: $64.99

Rowan's Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

By: John Flanigan | Review Date: 11/24/2021 | Send Email

A hearty mid-proofed bourbon with a spicy herbaceous nose. Strong woody notes on the palate and nice crisp oaky finish. This is a solid choice for nightcap or a bit of elevation for your cocktail.

Price: $49.99

Noah's Mill Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

By: John Flanigan | Review Date: 11/24/2021 | Send Email

This is the type of bourbon that warms you up from the inside. The sweet honey tea aroma grabs you immediately and stays in your nose for a nice long time. On the palette you are treated to rich, round flavors of hot caramel, honey-drops, and candies cherries. Just like the nose, the finish goes on for days!

Price: $69.99

Redwood Empire "Grizzly Beast" Bottled in Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

By: John Flanigan | Review Date: 11/22/2021 | Send Email

This is everything you want from a Bottle-In-Bond bourbon. It's strong, nuanced, layered, and has taste for days. A 5-year distillate of their own making (a true grain-forward expression), this bourbon has strong cherry and honeycomb notes with a long buttercream finish. Perfect as an everyday sipper or as an after meal treat, Redwood Empire's "Grizzly Beast" is a fantastic choice as a gift for a bourbon lover looking for something new. As an added bonus, Redwood Empire plants a tree for every bottle sold!

Price: $89.99

Highland Park 15 Year Old "Viking Heart" Isle of Orkney Single Malt Scotch Whisky

By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 11/20/2021 | Send Email

This single malt is an absolute treat -- extremely mellow on the nose: this whisky invokes scents similar to fresh vanilla, hot honey, and soft touches of maple. The palate offers flavors reminiscent of a decadent angel's food cake. On the middle palate, there's the acidity and sweetness of fresh pineapple that's tied up by a soft cinnamon finish. Sweet and delicate - Highland Park has produced a whiskey at a great age statement, a must-buy for anyone looking to enjoy a subtle bottle by a well-seasoned producer.

Price: Hidden

Laurent-Perrier Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature Champagne

By: Dejah Overby | Review Date: 11/20/2021 | Send Email

This Laurent Perrier bottling is of my favorites in the Blanc de Blanc realm. A crisp and clean Champagne that leads towards lemon, fresh ginger, honeycomb, white peach and fragrant white flowers on the nose and palate. The finish is full, present and lengthy. This is a perfect Champagne for a lover of bright lifted flavors with med plus acidity. Enjoy this with escolar nigiri.

Price: $89.99

WE: 93

WS: 93

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