Staff Favorites

WA: 91

Yellow Spot 12 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 6/18/2015 | Send Email

The big mama of Irish Whiskey. This whisky used to be a ghost, and thank the whiskey gods that Pernod Ricard have found their way to releasing this more widely. Ultra-soft, with a strong influence of orange fruit from Malaga casks. The subtle sherry notes definitely remain behind the unusual tones of Spain's other coastal fortified wine. Persimmon, candied orange peel, cinnamon, clove - the ease and openness of this whiskey cannot be overstated. Some prefer the more familiar Green Spot, but this whiskey stands out among its peers as something very different and very, very special indeed.

Price: $99.99

Ron Zacapa No. 23 "Centenario" Guatemalan Solera Rum

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 6/17/2015 | Send Email

Zacapa is the rum that changes peoples mind about rum. Distilled from partially processed Miel de Cana, the Zacapa Distillery is one of the highest altitude and highest quality rum distilleries in the world. Distinctly in the Spanish style, the special distillery near Tulula, creates rums of exceptional quality aged in the traditional solera style. Opulent and ultra rich, no question this should be in the running for world's greatest rum.

Price: $49.99

Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Rum Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 6/17/2015 | Send Email

The wildly popular Caribbean cask was thought to be a thing of legend, but William Grant has heard the people and re-released this special offering at only a slight markup! When they say Caribbean, they mean a large Spanish-speaking island whose name I cannot mention. The result is perfect and utterly enticing. Sweet, rich and spicy notes from the rum envelop the oily Speyside character of the Balvenie spirit perfectly. A match made on a beach in the Caribbean, i.e. HEAVEN!

Price: $79.99

Caves Messias Santola "Crab Wine" Vinho Verde

By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 6/12/2015 | Send Email

Beware the crab! This inexpensive summer sipper is a delicious, sweet-tart apple, slightly fizzy vinho verde and amongst our most popular wummer whites. Refreshing and so easy to drink!

Price: $9.99

San Venanzio Fortunato Brut Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 6/10/2015 | Send Email

This is stunning for the price. Light, airy, a touch of stone fruit with a hint of what seems like sweetness, but really is just ripeness. It's fresh and dry and lovely. And the price!

Price: $15.99

Billecart-Salmon "Le Réserve" Champagne

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 6/10/2015 | Send Email

Of all the grand marques, no one offers a cleaner, purer example of Champagne fruit and refreshment than Billecart-Salmon. The Billecart family pick earlier than most, and run the coldest, longest fermentations in all of Champagne to deliver their inimitable, graceful house style. If you are looking for the ultimate in balance aperitif Champagne, you have found it!

Price: $64.99

2005 Pichon-Baron, Pauillac

By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 6/4/2015 | Send Email

A superb wine for a great price. The 5s are wild for Pichon Baron. In May at the property they served us the mindblowing 1945 and the delicious 1985 in magnum. This wine is better than the 1985 and a touch behind the '45.

Price: $274.99

Billecart-Salmon "Sous Bois" Brut Champagne

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 6/2/2015 | Send Email

The current batch of the Sous Bois from Billecart Salmon is based on the spectacular 2008 vintage, and the combination of richness from the all barrel vinification and the extraordinary acidity of the vintage makes for one of the most impressive bottles in their line. If you haven't tried this newest addition to the great line from Billecart, don't miss out, the 2008 based wine is very special!

Price: $99.99

Leopold Bros. Aperitivo Liqueur (700ml)

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 6/1/2015 | Send Email

Leopoldo Bros has always been ahead of the curve. They've pumped out some of the best craft whiskey around while creating innovative products like their wonderful liqueurs, gin, and literally the only legit flavored whiskey on the market. Now we're bringing you a new phase in the Leopold Bros' dominance of the craft market. Competing with established brands is hard enough, but when a craft distiller goes after a category creating legend like Campari, we begin to question their sanity. Lucky for us, Mr. Leopold's insanity is second only to magnificent skill and attention to detail. This is truly the first product to scratch that Campari lovers itch (and if you have it you know what I'm talking about - the stuff creates a serious dependence). It may be even more soothing than the original. At the very least you'll know that the ingredients are of the very highest quality, plus it's not even that expensive considering the work that it takes to make a product like this good on this scale. Must-buy for Campari lovers, must-try for those yet to get on the aperitivo train.

Price: $34.99

Mas Codina Brut Reserva Cava Penedès

By: Jim Boyce | Review Date: 5/31/2015 | Send Email

The Mas Codina Cava is easily a top sparkler in the store at $14. It is the house sparkling wine for most of our staff and has even been the wedding sparkler of choice, which speaks to the quality! Well balanced with a touch of red fruit from the pinot, green apple skin, beautiful mineral qualities, and a dry finish.

Price: $13.99

Mas Codina Brut Reserva Cava Penedès

By: Kirk Walker | Review Date: 5/30/2015 | Send Email

This is no ordinary Cava. There is a good percentage of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are used in the blend. What that means is that there is breadth and depth to this sparkler that you do not find in similarly priced Cavas. Mix that with clean fruit tones, a moderate amount of yeastiness and a classic Brut finish and you get one of K&L's best sparkling values.

Price: $13.99

J. Laurens Brut Crémant de Limoux

By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 5/27/2015 | Send Email

One of the top producers in Limoux and always a favorite. Roasted pears with notes of green apples permeate the wine. Serve with some ultra creamy soft cheeses and be delighted.

Price: $17.99

DC: 91

Nikka "Coffey Grain" Japanese Whisky (750ml)

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/26/2015 | Send Email

Nobody expected this goofy little whisky to explode the way it has. It's odd, but so inviting and unpretentious. Sure it's column distilled, but that doesn't mean it's any less flavorful than it's malted potstilled brothers. Just different. Candied melon, sweet oak, fresh sawdust, and peanuts. Medium bodied, with a pointed finish that really turns up the oak. Not only is this awesome Japanese (distinctly Japanese) Whisky, but it's also available and relatively affordable. Can't say that about many products out there right now. Get it, drink it, love it, repeat.

Price: $54.99

WE: 90

Macallan 12 Year Old "Sherry Oak Cask" Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/26/2015 | Send Email

Often dubbed the "Royals Royce of Single Malt," the Macallan distillery continues to have one of the best reputations in the business. Of course with Scotch, a good reputation always equals a higher price! However, over the last several years as Macallan's competitors have chipped away at this behemoth of a brand, the lowly 12 year old hasn't really increased much in price. That means we're getting 100% sherry 12 year old whisky for Speyside's best regarded distillery for only $50. Is Macallan a value brand again? We see people selling young sherried malts of lesser quality for much much more than this. And it's taste good too.

Price: $89.99

WE: 93

Angel's Envy "Port Cask Finished" Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/26/2015 | Send Email

So what happens when one of Kentucky's most respected distillers source ultra high quality bourbon and finishes it in sweet Port wine casks, the bourbocalypse? Perhaps. But what's really going on here is one of the most successful examples of the potential of wine finishing in modern whiskey. Be it the Henderson's deft palate or their monumental experience - the Angel's Envy is unquestionably a sensation. Easy enough for you mom to love it, yet NOT boring in the slightest. The flavor profile is never dominated by the port, so it still tastes like bourbon, put the sweet rich flavors are there to enhance and envelop the already wonderful profile of the bourbon. The late Lincoln Henderson was clearly a genius and we know his legacy will be well looked after by the brands current custodians.

Price: $34.99

WA: 93

Dudognon "Vieille Reserve" Grand Champagne Cognac (750ml)

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/26/2015 | Send Email

Somethings in the world our are subjective. Other things are not. For instance, I can unequivocally that Dudognon is the most open, transparent, and honest producer in Cognac. They have some of the best terroir and use only the highest quality wood (100% of their cognac sees at least 1 year in new oak). They are the only producer who I can honestly tell you have not utilized additives in their cognac in any way. All of these things come together to make me say highly subjective things like, "Dudognon is the best producer in Cognac!" One might quibble with the details, but what is clear is that Dudognon makes their brandy like no one else in the region. Absolutely the purest expression of terroir with nothing in the way. The real complexity starts to show when their brandies at the Vieille Reserve level (20 years). Always drier than most people are used to with cognac, Dudognon's house style is this wonderful tension between freshness and age. Always keeping you guessing, this is the superlative product for the price point, a base from which I believe all others should be judged.

Price: $84.99

VN: 95

Benromach 10 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/26/2015 | Send Email

This is the stupendous new presentation of the well regarded distillery owned by Gordon & Macphail. G&M have established BenRomach as one of the most consistent and high quality Speyside malts on the market today since they purchased the distiller in 1992. Recent package changes have pushed the price up, but we're in the business of keeping our prices low, so this final batch of 100 bottles will be the last at this ridiculously low price. Expect an increase of as much as $15 when this stock is gone.

Price: Hidden

WE: 91

Mas Codina Brut Reserva Cava Penedès

By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 5/20/2015 | Send Email

Mas Codina is a humble family operation, and man do they make delicious sparkling wine! They have been slowly ramping up the amount of Pinot Noir in their otherwise traditional cava blend, in order to gain a bit more in color and mid-palate presence. These are very drinkable cavas, wines that strike a great balance between ripe, bright, snappy fruit, weight, and texture. For under $14, the detail and value of this wine is undeniable.

Price: $13.99

Amaras Espadin Joven Oaxaca Mezcal (750ml)

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/19/2015 | Send Email

This magnificent new Mezcal has been the darling of the Mexican mezcal revolution in the DF for a little while. It's definitely one of the categories most overtly palatable products, showing distinct character but with an openness that's rare in the category. 98 points from the well respect Ultimate Spirits Challenge, garnering them the Chairman's Trophy as well as the Great Value Seal. A tremendous product by any measure.

Price: $34.99

WE: 90

Daniel Bouju "Fines Saveurs" K&L Exclusive Grand Champagne Cognac (750ml)

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 5/19/2015 | Send Email

No caramel, no additives, just fresh, vibrant Grand Champagne brandy at a hot price. Nothing more to be said!

Price: $44.99

Sorelle Bronca Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Extra Dry

By: Greg St. Clair | Review Date: 5/13/2015 | Send Email

Valdobbiadene is the heart of Prosecco for me, perhaps not geographically but certainly stylistically. Here the wines have more soul; they vineyards are extraordinary, splattered over a maze of steeply sloping hills, not one big mass but a conglomeration of hundreds of small growers. It is here that the Bronca Sisters (Sorelle Bronca) make their Extra Dry Prosecco DOCG, theirs is an excellent expression of soil, sun and fruit, superb balance and incredibly refreshing, the hallmarks of great Prosecco.

Price: $23.99

VN: 90

Alexandre Le Brun "Tradition" Brut Champagne

By: Mike Parres | Review Date: 5/8/2015 | Send Email

It is medium-bodied Champagne that seems effortless and is very well integrated. This makes a great aperitif, but like many other Champagnes will also make a great partner with sushi.

Price: $37.99

Alexandre Le Brun "Tradition" Brut Champagne

By: Dave Genevro | Review Date: 5/3/2015 | Send Email

Great texture, very expressive fruit and a touch of acids. Well-rounded and full of life, this wine is based on a very lovely vintage of grapes from Champagne, the 2011 vintage. I love this wine too because of it's lower sugars at the dosage stage of production. It's a plus that this wine also spent more time on the lees, up to five months more or so. I love the toasty structure and character this brings to the wine. For a special occasion, friends and family, this is a great bottle of Champagne to enjoy for years to come!

Price: $37.99

Green Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/30/2015 | Send Email

Green Spot has been the holy grail of Irish Whiskey since my start in this business nearly 10 years ago. I remember a famous restaurant in Los Angeles used to display a bottle on the bar (smuggled illegally) but refuse to pour it unless you owned the place. When I finally convinced them to let me taste, I finally understood why everybody made such a big deal out of it. The legacy of the prominent Dublin wine merchant, Mitchell & Sons, who'd matured and bottled those original stocks of sherry cask pure pot still whiskey, is solidly considered one of the world's great whiskies. Today it's aged at Midleton to a specific recipe, from one of the distillery's three pure pot still recipes. This is not a smack-you-in-the-mouth powerful whiskey like the Red Breast cask strength. Instead, it's supple and soft and drinks like a dream. This is probably why Irish Whiskey was the best selling whiskey before Prohibition and they responded to the popularity of blended Scotch with consolidation and the creation of blended Irish, a style Irish distillers had resisted until the 1970s. We bought all we could get and have no clue when we'll be getting more.

Price: $62.99

WE: 95

WA: 91

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

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/30/2015 | Send Email

The south side of Islay is filled with magical places and none more so than the little inlet just beyond Lagavulin Bay. Ardbeg has been the darling of whisky geeks and professional drinkers for many years now, but the most astonishing thing about it is that we've keep the price low. Every other brand sees an explosion and works quickly to get their prices up. Ardbeg, however, have worked closely with us to keep their products affordable despite an incredible increase in popularity. Only the Laphroaig 10 year rivals this whisky for affordable heavily peated single malt and while Ardbeg doesn't match Laphroaig for power and intensity, it does deliver an absolutely unique and altogether elegant version of the typical south shore profile (i.e. SMOKE). This is the perfect whisky to cut your smoke tooth on and should be a staple in any serious drinkers repertoire.

Price: $59.99

Glenlivet 12 Year Old "Double Oak" Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/28/2015 | Send Email

Glenlivet is removing the 12 year old from many major markets in favor of the new "Founder's Reserve", which has no age statement and a higher price. Get your Glenlivet 12 before it goes the way of the Dodo.

Price: Hidden

Ketel One Vodka (750ml)

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/28/2015 | Send Email

$20 is a hot price for the biggest brand name in all of vodka. Get it while the gettin's good.

Price: $19.99

WE: 90

Westland Flagship American Oak Single Malt American Whiskey (700ml)

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/24/2015 | Send Email

The great American single malt has finally arrived and it's being made in Seattle, Washington. Don't believe me? Get a bottle and see for yourselves. This is made on real Forsyth pot stills just like in Scotland, aged in bourbon and sherry casks, and brimming with Macallan-like flavor. It's still a bit young, but man is it going to get better.

Price: Hidden

WE: 93

El Dorado 12 Year Old Demerara Guyana Rum

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/23/2015 | Send Email

A must-try-before-you-die spirit. One of the all-time greatest deals in all of spirits in general.

Price: $36.99

El Dorado 15 Year Old Demerara Guyana Rum (750ml)

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/23/2015 | Send Email

The best rum on the planet for under $50. It's made mostly from DDL's old wooden pot still with more of that funky molasses note through the mid-palate. Love it. All day, every day.

Price: $59.99

WE: 90 - 95

El Dorado 3 year Old Demerara Guyana Rum (750ml)

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/23/2015 | Send Email

In lieu of Havana Club 3 year, the El Dorado 3 year is just as good and made the same way: three years in wood, then filtered to be a white rum. It's round and easy-drinking with pure rum flavor. Why use anything else for Daiquiris?

Price: $19.99

Basil Hayden's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/20/2015 | Send Email

The best and the most classic of the Beam bourbon portfolio. Big oak flavor, smooth and rich on the palate, and a finish that brings baking spices and vanilla goodness. YUM!

Price: $29.99

WE: 93

K&L's "Faultline" 100 Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/20/2015 | Send Email

Every batch of Faultline Bourbon that John Little blends for us here at K&L gets better and better each time. The more we do this, the better we get at doing it. We're putting out some of the softest, richest, most delicious bourbon on the market and it's only for K&L customers at a fantastic price. If you haven't bought a bottle yet, you're really missing out.

Price: $39.99

Auchentoshan 18 Year Old Lowland Single Malt Whisky (750ml)

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/19/2015 | Send Email

I LOVE this whisky. This is my new Glenmorangie 18. A classic sweet barley and vanilla flavor, but with extra viscosity and more weight on the palate. It's thick and chewy. You can almost bite into it. The Glasgow distillery is becoming relevant once again. Watch out other distilleries!

Price: Hidden

Springbank 15 Year Old Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/19/2015 | Send Email

All the great richness and weight of the 10 with more sherry and more spice cake. A true classic.

Price: $189.99

WE: 96 - 100

Limit of 1 per customer

Germain-Robin XO California Alambic Brandy

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/19/2015 | Send Email

The king of California spirits. There's nothing else out there this good and this old with this type of heritage and history. A must try before you die type of bottle.

Price: $99.99

Springbank 10 Year Old Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/19/2015 | Send Email

Does it get any better than Springbank 10? I don't know. It's still my favorite whisky all these years later. There's nothing out there that combines the peat, richness, and oily nature of the Springbank spirits. There's also no other distillery that still does every step of the process from scratch.

Price: $109.99

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

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/19/2015 | Send Email

Still the best deal for 10 year old whisky. Still the best deal for peated whisky. Still the best deal in whisky--period. I'm never without a bottle on my bar. A true classic of the single genre. You're never too cool, too rich, too knowledgeable, or too refined for Ardbeg 10.

Price: $59.99

Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth (1L)

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/19/2015 | Send Email

The classic sweet vermouth. THE one. End all. Be all. Period.

Price: $34.99

WE: 95

Caol Ila 12 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/19/2015 | Send Email

The most classic and most reliable of the Diageo "classic" malts. God bless Caol Ila and its peaty goodness with a rich, round, fruity core of flavor to balance it all out. I'm never without a bottle.

Price: $59.99