Search Results

There have been few greater pleasures in my 20-plus years exploring whisky than the opportunity to taste blind. It happens so infrequently, and I have officially exhausted my credits asking my wife to organize tastings, that I simply never get to do it. So when our friends at Thompson Bros first mentioned this project a couple of years ago, I was absolutely floored. They proposed sourcing a huge variety of single casks and bottling them without revealing any specific details until the bottle was opened. I assumed the federal regulators might object, but it turns out the required information can be concealed beneath the capsule. The craziest part of the project is the extraordinary effort the brothers have made to balance the quality of every six-pack. Buy a sealed case and you are guaranteed six completely different single casks, carefully selected so that the overall quality remains remarkably consistent from case to case. It is a ready-made blind tasting requiring virtually no effort, and the list of possible casks is genuinely exciting and unusual. The project has now attracted significant international attention, and distillers increasingly see it as a calling card for their stocks rather than some goofy side project. As a result, the brothers have been able to source particularly compelling barrels for the series. I opened six and could not have had more fun. With a little care, you can easily avoid identifying the distillery when opening each bottle. Simply leave the foil around the cap intact, note which side conceals the round sticker underneath, and keep it facing away. You will have an instant blind tasting of the highest order. For several of these casks, this is the first expression from this distillery ever sold in the US. The list is HERE of what you might encounter: PLEASE NOTE ALL CASKS ARE BOTTLED 48% without Chill-filtration. Distillery AGE No. Bottles Cask Type Speyside 29 Year 89 Btls Refill Sherry Butt Inchmurrin 28 Year 24 Btls Refill Sherry Butt Inchgower 27 Year 29 Btls Refill Bourbon Hogshead Bruichladdich 21 Year 8 Btls First Fill Bourbon ASB Teaninich 17 Year 30 Btls Oloroso Hhd Tormore 17 Year 173 Btls Sauternes Cask Royal Bra 16 Year 19 Btls Refill Hhd Craigellachie 15 Year 64 Btls Refill Hhd Teaninich 12 Year 36 Btls Stout Barrel Bunnahabhain 11 Year 27 Btls Refill Hhd Wolfburn 11 Year 8 Btls Sherry Hhd Lochranza 10 Year 79 Btls Refill Sherry Hhd Kingsbarns 8 Year 133 Btls First Fill Bourbon Torabhaig 7 Year 149 Btls First Fill Bourbon Nc’Nean 5 Year 159 Btls STR Dornoch 5 Year 56 Btls Rye & Bourbon Lagg 5 Year 21 Btls First Fill Bourbon Glasgow 5 Year 10 Btls American Oak Virgin ASB Lochlea 4 Year 162 Btls Refill Bourbon Raasay 4 Year 120 Btls Dutch Oak Virgin Hhd

There’s simply nothing more fascinating in the whisky world than the inner workings of the big Scotch industry. From the outside, it looks like an industrial monolith of unfathomable proportions, and it’s easy to forget that the whole thing is run by people doing difficult, often dirty jobs. And people make mistakes! Sometimes someone accidentally empties a tanker of top-tier sherried single malt into a vat containing a tiny amount of young grain whisky. What can you do? In the old days, you might have ended up with a slightly better batch of Cutty Sark. Today, that malt is far too valuable to disappear into an everyday blend. Thankfully, our friends in Dornoch have excellent relationships throughout the industry and get first crack at some extraordinary parcels. Better still, they had the patience to give this one more time. While the front label says nine years, we understand that 99.999% of the contents is sherry-matured single malt from one of Scotland’s most prestigious distilleries, now aged 15 years. Incredible for $65. This is the final batch of this particular parcel, so we’ll have to wait for someone else to make a very expensive mistake before anything like it comes around again. Shall we? The color is a vibrant burnished gold (1.1). The nose is pure oloroso: roasted nuts, oxidative depth, leather, stone fruit compote, marmalade, roasted arabica, and the wonderfully evocative scent of an old dunnage warehouse. The palate opens sweetly with dense stone fruit, mostly apricot, before an oily mid-palate delivers old-school sherry rancio. It’s less sugary and less dominated by red fruit than many modern sherry bombs, but it sacrifices nothing in character. To my palate, these flavors are closer to great old sherry itself than the overtly wine-driven profiles we encounter so often today. This is one of the best Scotch whisky deals we’ve ever offered, a truly special bottle whose quality is immediately apparent, even without knowing the improbable story behind it.

One interesting aspect of creating store brands is the inherent skepticism many consumers have when presented with a product that looks too good to be true. That skepticism is understandable when more than one of our competitors is more concerned with the profits their store brands deliver than the quality inside the bottle. I stand by everything we've ever put our name on, from the lowly Faultline Blended Scotch for $20 to the single-barrel Buff Turkeys we bottled for many hundreds of dollars. If I'm going to put our name on it, I'm simply not comfortable having anything less than exceptional in the bottle. That said, it's very, very difficult to put great single malt into a bottle for under $50, and doing so in any meaningful quantity is simply impossible. Yet here we are with this incredible little Balblair, a rarity among independent bottlings, from a forgotten project that seems to have just been left to sit. Now, after many years finishing in old ex-Cognac octaves, this special little Highland malt is a pure joy. And while it won't be available indefinitely, we did get a nice little chunk of it, and I'm hoping we can periodically offer a great 10-year-old malt under our label for less than $40. So let's taste it. The color is a typical and attractive old gold (0.6). The nose offers an almost idyllic deep malt tone, with sweet, fudgy nougat and dense Highland shrubbery of heather and thistle, balanced by twinges of bright citrus and sweet stone fruit. It's not funky at all, as some naked Balblair can be, and the old French oak is extremely subdued, creating a beautiful frame for this special Highland malt. The palate offers chocolate and apricots, with a medium body and a pleasant spicy note that builds into a sweet, herbal finish. It's not a super powerful or in-your-face style, but it's damn drinkable and cheap enough to throw around or make a great Scotch cocktail with. We simply need more wonderful malt at this price point, and this is hands down my favorite thing on the shelf for the money.

Year after year, Signatory brings us some of the best casks anywhere in the industry, and over the past two years they have recommitted to putting absolutely insane deals on the table for us. This year it’s a selection of classic Islays alongside this impeccable Ben Nevis. There was a period just a few years ago when similar casks were trading for twice this price, but here we have an absolutely perfect refill sherry butt, still very active, that simply transcends the market. There’s almost nothing anywhere in the world that’s better on the market today in this style, dollar for dollar. Here we go! This is ridiculously dark for a second fill sherry cask, a gorgeous mahogany (1.6). The nose is a huge mélange of waxy, earthy funk, pulverized rock, and sweet roasted nuts. It’s clearly holding so much at bay in its cask strength form, and air opens it into a basket of walnut brittle, loose leaf tobacco, dried cranberry, carnauba wax, old bike parts, semi dark chocolate, and dashi broth. Not at all for the faint of heart. We love an idiosyncratic Ben Nevis, but for the uninitiated we may need to take baby steps. On the palate it’s rich and oily, offering huge savory underbrush and salty nuts balanced by sweet raisin fruit and an underlying oily texture. It’s simply quintessentially, unapologetically original Ben Nevis. With water it softens and sweetens somewhat, though in this rare case I truly prefer it with air and time rather than the softening effect of water. The only complaint might come from those hoping for a Nevis in skimpier clothes, but the sherry is so well integrated and never overwhelms the density of the spirit that even the most staunch anti oak brigadier general might admit the superiority of this style. If you have only $80 to spend on malt this quarter and don’t need something peaty, this is the obvious slam dunk you’ve been looking for. I’m buying three.

This special old barrel was bottled by our friends at Dornoch Distillery under the festive Dornoch Castle Hotel Anniversary label. This series of exceptionally curated casks was selected to commemorate 25 years of independent family ownership of the special property in the gorgeous little eponymously named town. The hotel is the site of both the original Dornoch Distillery and the fabulous whisky bar that Phil and Simon worked so hard to curate in the early years. It remains one of the world’s great whisky bars, tucked into a little corner of the hotel’s modest restaurant. It is simply unconscionable that the fabulous Glen Garioch distillery remains underappreciated by the wider whisky loving world. Founded in 1797 in the town of Oldmeldrum in Aberdeenshire, Glen Garioch is one of Scotland’s oldest operating distilleries. Long known for its robust Highland character, the distillery always maintained a muscular, cereal driven style that stands apart from many of its softer contemporaries. Today it remains a traditional plant with direct fired heritage and a reputation among insiders for producing spirit of remarkable texture and depth. That relative lack of mainstream recognition has translated into extraordinary opportunities at the higher end of the spectrum. It is remarkable that Thompson Bros has been able to secure such a high quality old Highlander at such a reasonable price. The obvious sleeper this year, but those who take the plunge will be greatly rewarded.

This gorgeous barrel of Braeval probably won’t strike a chord with the distillery’s devoted fans because, well, there really aren’t many Braeval fans. That’s not to say we haven’t sold plenty of excellent examples over the years, but the complete absence of official distillery bottlings and lingering confusion around the name, originally Braes of Glenlivet, have kept this excellent little malt off almost everyone’s radar. It doesn’t help that much of the spirit is destined for blending and often filled into less-than-inspiring cask stock, which may explain why only the oldest Braevals have historically achieved true greatness. But take this lovely Highland malt and place it in a fresh Oloroso hogshead, and you have a recipe for something wonderful. Here we go. The beautiful color tells us we’re firmly in sherry-bomb territory, a healthy auburn (1.4). The nose is explosive, with baking spices, roasted almonds, tinned stone fruit, and complex aromas of dark-roasted coffee. The palate is dense and chewy, offering surprising depth of roasted malt and zesty orange oil alongside rich, sweet dried fruit. It’s a classical, if not entirely unexpected, style. We might have assumed that enthusiasm for dense, dark, sherried malt would have faded decades after aficionados first embraced it, but drinkers both new and old still adore this profile. It may never have gone out of fashion, but it has certainly become far more expensive. For sherry lovers, this is the deal of the year. Hands down.

If you weren’t aware, I’m a total sucker for Caol Ila. It’s a very large distillery, but only a fraction of its output reaches the market as single malt. I’ve even heard rumors that significant quantities of unpeated malt are produced for blending needs. One thing I love about Caol Ila, much like some of its Islay neighbors, is how remarkably multifaceted it can be. It’s difficult to determine whether these stylistic ranges are intentional, as with Bruichladdich, or seasonal, as with Laphroaig, but this year we have three barrels of different styles and ages, each from classic refill hogsheads. The idea was to capture three faces of Caol Ila and present them at stupendous prices. This first cask is the youngest of the three, but also the most vibrant. The color is a juicy pale gold (0.3). The nose is shiveringly good, offering zesty citrus and salt, briny oiliness, salted capers, tense sea spray, and fresh green peat. With air, it moves further into a pure, taut vibrancy. The palate is intense, with a strong citrus character of lime and salt, followed by more brine and a long, peaty finish. An absolute laser beam for serious lovers of the high-intensity style but it also has plenty of sweet barrel and a deep rich texture to keep it balanced. Signatory is not officially offering top tier malt year after year at prices that outperform the market by larger margins.

Craigellachie remains one of the most interesting and complex distillers in the Highlands. One of just 20 or so distillers still using worm tubs, its characterful spirit has many sides to it. This is the home of the heart of the John Dewar’s brand and one of the most interesting plants in all of Speyside. What makes it unique are the fat, onion-shaped stills, the surprisingly steep lyne arm and the steel worm tubs. The resulting spirit tends to be oily and rich and can offer character ranging from industrial engine oil to the ultra-fruity. With that, we often see heavier wood or oak treatments, but it’s refreshing to see the spirit on full display here, with a feeling of great maturity alongside that freshness. Let’s try it! The color is pale gold (0.3). The nose is full of stone fruit and crushed rocks, white cherries, manzano bananas, crisp, fresh malt and baking spice. The beautiful fullness of flavor continues on the palate, but doesn’t wade into the aggressively greasy or weird, with a fruity front palate retaining the nearly tropical fruit and the big, juicy core building through the center. Adding water here is really interesting and adds weight and complexity, but only a couple of drops are needed. Now some of the oilier notes come forward, but the apricot-y tone takes over from the tropical banana stuff. It’s simply a lovely, spirit-driven whisky without obstruction. Considering where many other bottlers put their older Craigellachie, it’s quite a good value as well. A perfect one for someone really into exploring this special spirit, but pretty enough to attract any malt lover’s attention.

The groovy guys at Pursuit United are just as fun and cool to hang with as they sound on their show. They've successfully converted a love of whiskey into a proper professional life on so many levels, but what's most impressive is that they seem to have retained their passion for the whole thing. I meet distillers and producers from all over the country and world, and while it's not unusual for them to be interested in their competitors' products, it's extremely rare for them to exhibit high-level expertise about not only their competitors' products, but also antique versions of those products and pretty much every other category of spirits. So it's not a surprise that we got along well, geeking out about crazy Armagnac releases and gossiping about legendary bottlings. We've had a great affection for the wonderful whiskies that PS has been bottling, but I was just blown away by the QPR on their single barrels. This lovely rye is the perfect example. Named, Nec Evitare, a meaningless phrase in bad latin that signifies nothing. The point being this just doesn't make sense. I can't really find another rye single barrel over 10 years old anywhere close to this price point, and even fewer as good. Six months in toasted oak, taking the total time in barrel for the blend to a minimum of 10 years, is simply the icing on top. Let's get it. The color is a not totally restrained tawny (1.4); three different barrels will do that. The nose is dark and brooding, with big peppery rye notes softened perfectly by sweet American oak. Big blue fruit, fresh ginger, roasted oak, sarsaparilla, birch and fennel. The palate is chewy, dense and full of powerful dark spices. It's balanced by rich molasses, but the root beer character doesn't overwhelm the overarching intensity. It's simply out of the realm of most modern ryes and doesn't have a great analogue to compare it to, but it's heartwarming, vibrant and full-throttle in the best way.

I wish more bourbon tasted like this. Or perhaps more accurately, I want more bourbon to feel like this, because while the flavors are nothing new - toasted vanilla, savory oak, candied nuts and subtle spice - the concentration and integration of all these flavors remains unrivaled in bottlings at this proof. And the purity of it is similarly uncanny. I see a parallel between this and the Evan Williams 12, the Japanese export of which we also get from time to time. Where the EW shows herbs and pepper and at times feels a bit disjointed and hot, this Wild Turkey is seamless, immaculate and soft. Though it is by no means simple or boring. Poached pear, roast chestnut and pecan praline round out the range of flavors and aroma, while a distinctly honeyed and toasty finish makes every sip a soothing delight. Such a rare treat, this bottle should be a top priority for every whiskey drinker right now.

Founded in 1815 by Donald and Alexander Johnston on Islay’s rugged south coast, Laphroaig has long been one of Scotland’s most distinctive distilleries, famed for its medicinal peat smoke, iodine richness, and unmistakable maritime intensity. There was a period not long ago when independent bottlers across Scotland were sounding the alarm about the availability of Laphroaig. Widespread consensus held that named Laphroaig would no longer trade on the open market as it once had, and for a time many teaspooned or unnamed Islay malts took the place of clearly identified stock. The result was significantly higher prices for casks bearing the Laphroaig name due to their perceived scarcity, and the few we encountered were often too expensive to consider. Fast forward three years and the market remains largely devoid of named Laphroaig, save for a few scattered casks, usually with the requisite markup. So when our friends at Dornoch indicated they had access to well priced, decade old Laphroaig, we knew we had to act quickly. This young and punchy Laphroaig features the famed Bessie Williamson and a peat fork on the label, an ode to the old ways. The whisky in this barrel was distilled on June 6, 2016 and bottled in March 2026. Matured in refill bourbon barrels, it drinks like a single barrel version of the classic 10 year cask strength at a healthy discount. A classical style with plenty of iodine and smoke, balanced by a creamy purity that is undeniable.

I've always been a bit of a Scapa fan boy. I used to think it was cool to drink the "other Orkney" distillery. But then it just kind of disappeared and the owners seemed to basically forget how special it was. Now they're back and absolutely killing it. It's COOL to drink Scapa again. So many unique stuff about this distillery from the super long ferments to the absolutely weirdo Lomond pot still, creates an absolutely stunning spirit particularly with significant age on it. Let's have a go. A dense looking burnished color (1.1). Those is bursting with rich tropical fruit -mango, passion fruit, kiwi- sweet toasted vanilla and ripe orchard fruit. With a bit of water an incredible opening occurs further deepening the dense fruit. The palate is surprisingly lifted and has a lovely bite to balance the sweet malt and fruit. This one needs time and air, maybe a tiny drop of water but not more. It's really incredible how delicious and opulent this feels and the price seems absolutely antique just like the whisky. It's also presented in a gorgeous box and is not chillfiltered which is a huge plus considering this isn't from an independent owner. I'm very into these whiskies.

The Glenturret Distillery is one of Scotland's hidden gems. Founded in 1763 as the "Thurot" distillery in a hollow outside Crieff, it was undoubtedly the site of illicit distillation at least 50 years prior. They claim to be Scotland's oldest licensed distiller, which several other distillers dispute, but its clear distillation occurred here very early. This picturesque part of Perthshire was once the baronial lands of Sir Patrick Murray of Ochtertyre, whose records establish the distillery's early naissance. The Murray family sold to the MacInnes in 1814 and the distillery was renamed The Hoth distillery. Finally in 1873, it was renamed the GlenTurret distillery and would eventually become an important part of the Famous Grouse blend. While it was an important and well-regarded distillery to many, it was an afterthought to the modern owners Edrington (owners of Macallan and Highland Park) who didn't bother to market the single malts much outside of the UK. In 2019, the Swiss luxury lifestyle company Lalique -famous of course for their crystal- purchased the small distillery and began a journey to reposition the high quality distillery on the international seen. Now, the first US release is available, the second under the new ownership. The triple wood is a blend of three cask types - American and European oak sherry as well as ex-bourbon barrels. Expect a soft subtle character pointed by exotic fruit and rich malt.

Smells of ripe grapes, grape must and lead pencil in the initial whiffs; air contact stimulates baking spices, black currants, jasmine, pepper and paraffin. Entry is crisp, tart and intensely ripe; midpalate highlights black grape to maximum concentration. Finishes bittersweet to sweet. *Best Buy* (PP)

No other bottler is offering such a diverse selection of high quality casks at such compelling prices. The Thompson brothers entered the whisky business through pure passion, and that passion has opened doors within the complex and often opaque world of cask trading. As the exclusive US source for Thompson Bros whiskies, we are able to translate those relationships into remarkable opportunities for our customers. Hand selected by the team at Dornoch Distillery and approved by our own buying team, this exceptional cask underscores the uncompromising commitment to quality that has become synonymous with the Thompson Bros name. If you know anything about K&L, it is that we are enormous fans of independent bottlings from Bowmore Distillery. There is a tension and soul to the casks Bowmore releases to outside bottlers that is almost never exhibited in the official range. Perhaps the house style is sometimes shaped toward broad appeal, but no other Islay distillery offers such a wide spectrum of personality in its independent releases. Founded in 1779, Bowmore is a cornerstone of Islay’s whisky tradition. Situated on the shores of Loch Indaal, it maintains its own floor maltings and produces a spirit defined by a distinctive balance of coastal smoke and orchard fruit. This gorgeous, underpriced barrel was filled into refill bourbon on April 15, 2013 and bottled in March 2026. Casks like this serve as a timely reminder that greatness does not need to shout when it can smolder.

When I heard that the fellas at Pursuit United were doing single barrels, I knew we had to get on board. These guys have got a lot of knowledge and chutzpah, and they're committed not only to doing things differently, but to creating a better expression of the great American spirit using new methods. It was a pleasure to visit them at their fabulous tasting room and bar in downtown Louisville, and I can't recommend the stop more highly to anyone who's in the region. But what we came for was the fabulous whiskies they're producing. The idea to source and blend this way is so out there and unique, it must have felt like an incredible risk when they first started out. But now, many years down the line, they control their products inside and out and have incredible flexibility to produce interesting spirits at very reasonable prices. Here we have an incredible mixture of multiple mashbills and barrel types with a total time in barrel, including component aging and blended aging, of just over 9 years. It can't legally be labeled that way, but it certainly shouldn't be thought of as a 4-year-old whisky, the legally claimable age. There were almost 5 additional years in new wood after blending before a perfect kiss of a finish: 3 months in the highest-quality hybrid French and American oak barrels. That's smart because French oak can sometimes add austerity rather than depth, even in short finishes. The resulting spirit drinks light-years beyond its price point and offers familiarity alongside unique character. Here it goes! The color is an intense mahogany (1.6). A huge nose of rich spices, wildflower honey and maple syrup. Behind that, we've got hints of Coppertone, espresso beans, dried herbs, old leather, brambly fruit and kola nut. The palate is dense and dark, drinking almost like an antique whiskey, with huge spice and oak notes balanced by dense red and baked pome fruit. A gloriously rich and woody character that far outpaces its price point and even feels older than the implied age statement suggests.

This outrageous young hyper-peated single cask from Glasgow 1770 is one of the most exciting barrels we've come across in a long time. Their tiny stills produce a tense, powerful, peated spirit with deep, oily texture, and a complex, smoky Highland character. Add the sweet, raisinated richness of PX sherry and you're in for a treat. This isn't the salty, iodine-laced smoke you might expect from Islay, but rather a more heather-driven, barbecue-like style of smoke that feels distinctly Highland in character. This awesome collaboration with the famous Delmonico Steakhouse is every bit as exciting as it sounds. It may be the first steak whisky I fully approve of. Needless to say, this one isn't about regionality, but originality. Let's have it. The color is a vivid auburn (1.4). The nose is clear, tight, and wound full of energy, offering huge notes of Carolina barbecue, roasted chicory, pecan pie, turbinado sugar, and roasted arabica. This is coupled with a sweet salinity that feels more vegetal than coastal. On the palate, it's oily and rich with roasted nuts pushing forward and a dark, pungent smoke running through the center. Sweet oak and vibrant, sticky wine round out the mid-palate. The finish is smoldering and sweet, full of old mesquite embers and dense, chewy dark fruit. With water, the tension is released, and a huge wave of fruit battles the roasty aromas on the nose. The palate remains a battleground of dense flavors but the tannins soften, and the grippy finish relaxes into something surprisingly approachable, all things considered. An absolutely stunning young whisky and a perfect first single cask collaboration from this fabulous little distillery and the famous steakhouse. If you want to taste before you buy, you can grab a glass at Delmonico's in Las Vegas, but it probably won't last long at either venue once they pop these bottles and start pouring. It's too good!

This gorgeous barrel of Auchroisk is so classical and creamy it's a real drinker. I'm not sure what qualifies this to have been bottled for the inauguration of Ardnahoe, but if they were going for the most typical in style from this particular distillery, I'd believe it. Let's have a go. The color is white wine (0.1). The nose is big orchard fruit -tangy green apple, Bartlett pear, fresh malt, kiwi skins, graham cracker and creme anglais. On the palate it's equally juicy with big apple-y fruit and more pithy citrus. The creaminess of the nose is lost to some earthy malt character, but a dash of water bring is roaring back. It surely doesn't need the water and will drink nicely if you like the edge of full 100 proof. Perhaps not unusual or bold, but just damn good malty mid-aged Speysider for a wonderful price.

The famous nicely aged wheater from Buffalo Trace distillery package for the EU market and re-imported to the US. EU stock is shipped with a smart looking sleek black box. No quantity limits.

Founded in 1815 on Islay’s south coast, Laphroaig has more than two centuries of distilling history. Its Càirdeas series takes its name from the Gaelic word for “friendship.” The 2025 edition presents Lore at cask strength, connecting this annual release series with one of the distillery’s established single malt expressions.

Sarti Rosa is a thoroughly modern Italian aperitivo built on a surprisingly deep foundation. Casa Luigi Sarti & Figli was established in Bologna in 1885, earning a reputation for creative, distinctive liqueurs before the Sarti name joined the Campari Group in 1995. This vivid pink expression revives that spirit of invention without pretending to be an unchanged historic recipe. Made with the juices of Sicilian blood orange, mango, and passion fruit, it lands on the fruitier, more exuberant side of the aperitivo spectrum, balancing ripe citrus and tropical sweetness with enough tartness to keep the whole thing bright and refreshing. At 14% ABV, it is effortless over ice and absolutely built for the spritz. The house serve is three parts Prosecco, two parts Sarti Rosa, and a splash of soda, finished with lime. Less austere and overtly bitter than many classic Italian aperitivi, this is an inviting, crowd-pleasing option for warm afternoons, brunch, poolside drinking, or anyone looking to put a vivid new spin on the Italian aperitivo ritual. Colorful, versatile, and dangerously easy to mix, Sarti Rosa feels like a natural addition to the modern home bar.

Founded near Elgin in 1821, Linkwood is a long-established Speyside distillery. This Old Malt Cask release was distilled in 2002 and matured for 22 years in a single sherry butt, presenting an individually matured expression of Linkwood single malt Scotch whisky in a 700ml bottle.

Everything this place makes is fantastic. It's just super amazing really high end versions of your favorite amari. This is the Campari analogue, inspired by vintage Campari, and it's just pretty perfect. It has this depth and roundness that's just whacky in how finely tuned it is. There's cola, grapefruit zest, citron, Satsuma, and maybe Gentian all on the nose, it's so vivid and complex and just downright interesting. Fantastic mouthfeel and texture on the palate, really great depth with a lot of the same notes showing, there's more kind of a spiciness on the palate with clove, cinnamon, lots of citrus, vanilla, and then then a lingering finish with bitterness vying with sweetness and acidity and finding nothing but balance in the end. This makes me happy on a profound and deep level.

Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Old Bottled-in-Bond marks a triumphant revival of a historic bourbon brand first registered in the 1870s. Now produced by Heaven Hill, it follows strict Bottled-in-Bond standards and features a wheated mash bill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. Aged seven years in #3 char oak barrels, it offers rich, balanced flavors of brown sugar, baking spices, and oak. This release is the brand’s first permanent expression in decades

Vintage Bottlers’ inaugural 25-year-old Maiden’s Blend is an ambitious and deeply considered project, marrying carefully selected parcels from across Scotland into a single cohesive vision, further elevated through a collaboration with artist Jim Moir, better known as Vic Reeves, whose distinctive artwork adorns the labels and packaging. The youngest spirit in this blend was distilled in 1999 and laid into a first fill sherry butt for a full quarter century. This single cask expression (#8) was bottled at 43.8% ABV, offering a softer, more approachable take on the broader blend concept. Word is these are casks lost within the transitions through the many stages of Edrington Group's blending operations. The nose opens with nuts and gentle spice, followed by a pleasant oily vanilla with time in the glass. The palate highlights classic Speyside sweetness alongside lightly smoky malt and a subtle thread of treacle toffee. The structure is more delicate but well integrated, with grain and malt working in harmony. The finish is shorter, offering nutty toffee and a whisper of peat smoke. A balanced and quietly expressive cask.

UPDATE: The final blend is here and it's even more incredible than the test recipe - everything is married perfectly and it tastes exactly like we wanted it. A testament to the prowess of the excellent blender, Mr James Saxon, who incidentally is stepping down from his throne as lead blender at Compass Box. This will be one of his final projects. A fitting tribute to an undeniable talent. The privilege of selecting a custom batch of Compass Box cannot be overstated. Only a handful of venues have ever been invited to participate in a collaboration with the great modern bespoke whisky maker. The blending and bottling of a K&L Exclusive Compass Box led by the illustrious John Glaser is one of our crowning achievements in terms of sheer quality. It took us almost 5 years from the moment we first approached the brand before they agreed to it. That whisky, 5th & Harrison, was a blend of old Caol Ila and sherried Glen Ord, an eternal coupling. Thanks to a killer price and a mysterious label - that was definitely NOT a drawing of any former K&L Spirits buyer - it sold out in just days for just $180. Now the few bottles that remain fetch over $1000 at auction. Since then, so much has changed. John Glaser has handed the reigns over to a new generation of whisky makers and a new era of collaboration has blossomed. K&L has a new location in Southern California, and so much more. Nearly 10 years to the day that we began the process of creating 5th & Harrison, we’re ready to release a second custom batch bottled exclusively for K&L Wine Merchants by Compass Box. Blending whisky is one of the most fulfilling and complex tasks I’ve had the incredible luck to perform. Blending whisky isn't a materialistic endeavor that can be solved by wit and measure. The simple truth of blending is that 1+2≠3 and creating a whisky of great distinction and character is not as simple as just mashing three really good malts together. So, guided, as it were, by the deft hand of Whisky Making Director and all-around splendid chap James Saxon, I embarked upon a sublime journey. We loved the original 5th & Harrison style and wanted to stay within that realm. James had an incredible array of wonderful old sherried and peated whiskies to choose from, but it was quickly narrowed down to a few lots. They had old Ardbeg, Highland Park, Caol Ila, Bowmore, and sherried Glendullan or Tormore. I wasn’t simply looking to recreate the prowess of the original in flavor terms. Instead, I felt we needed to focus on creating the same experience of unbridled value for your dollar. That immediately cut the potential of working with Ardbeg out of the question – despite the quality of the distillate, it’s not only difficult to integrate but also VERY expensive after 20 years of age. I’d assumed the same fate would hold true for the other Islay options, but after running the numbers, we found that we’d be able to use significant portions of Bowmore aged for almost 23 years in ex-bourbon. That product on its own would fetch many hundreds of dollars in today’s market. To it, we married a gorgeous first-fill sherry butt of Glendullan of at least 21 years of age. This little-known distillery can offer some distinct character and complexity when aged in quality casks. So little sees high-value sherry it’s hard to generalize about character, but this barrel was absolutely first-rate. It brought out the deep tropical fruit and wild exotic side of the Bowmore. This original blend was supple and delicious - a 5th & Harrison redux if you will, but it didn’t really show the maturity of these two wonderful old spirits. In fact, the whiskies seemed to bring out the hidden youthfulness in each other, a noble trait, though now somehow masking some deeper complexities that the two exhibited apart. At James' suggestion, we began to explore the potential of introducing a small amount of old rugged Caol Ila into the blend. This I also assumed would be cost prohibitive, but we forged ahead anyway. After nearly two and a half decades in refill American oak, the wild jagged spirit has smoldered into a dense singularity of salty ocean flavors. The feeling of boarding a weathered schooner, salt and tar covered, the captain’s pipe wafting as he steadies the wooden tiller. Whiffs of salted fish, sea spray, and diesel smoke complete the harbor scene. Eventually, this final note brought the new batch together perfectly by retaining the wild freshness but pinpointing both a base and top note that draws the deeper elements of the first two malts forward. The resulting blend is easily one of my favorite modern bottlings of scotch in at least a decade. It exemplifies everything we are at K&L, providing a superior experience for an incredible price. The component whiskies, had they been bottled on their own, would have individually fetched easily 2-3 times the price of this bottle, but put them together, a testament the incredible value we've created here. I’ll attempt to do it justice here. The color is a stunning hue of deep copper (1.0). The nose offers an incredible sense of the finest and oldest things -old teak, cordovan, salt-encrusted rope, mango syrup, balsam, seaweed, bonfire, première eau, and marmalade. On the palate, the Bowmore shines at first, offering salted tropical fruit, fried plantains in honey, grilled lemons. Then our Glendullan adds wild nutty oxidized rancio, dense spices, and freshly chopped dark chocolate. The finish brings a heavy dose of lemon oil, old wood, baked orchard fruit, apricot jam, salted almonds, camphor, and smoldering tobacco. It doesn’t need a drop of water and certainly not more than that if you must. Bottled at very near cask strength - 0.1-.2% to round out the labels - and with no chill filtration, coloring, or other additives whatsoever. Today, to commemorate the expansion of K&L into new waters, we launch both 5th & Harrison II & Culver & Sepulveda. These two sister bottlings include the exact same juice, but each label celebrates these two wonderful cities that we call home. In some comedic twist of fate, we’re able to offer these wonders – an old blended malt scotch whisky at the exact same price as the previous K&L/Compass Box collaboration from over a decade ago, a true triumph.

The widely loved Four Roses Limited Edition bottled for the European Market in 700ml bottles, re-imported and sold in advance of its arrival. This extremely rare expression is about as rare as it gets Stateside, but our suppliers in Europe are able to offer stock at well below market prices. This is a blend of bourbons aged 12 to 20 years old. 39% of the blend is OESF at 16 years of age, 31% an OBSV at 12 years old, 23% is an OESK at 15 years, and the last 7% OBSV at aged to 20 years. The distillery describes the character, "creamy vanilla, honey and brown sugar on the nose are followed by the flavors of ripe berries and tangy citrus on the palate. Intertwined are herbal notes and Four Roses' signature mellow spice to balance out the layers of complexity and sweetness with a delicate finish."

One of the most exciting whisky releases of the last year, Kanosuke finally comes to an approachable price point, and I could not be happier. The quality on display here is unrivaled in Japanese whisky at this cost. It even gives single malt Scotch a run for its money. The nose starts strong with big oak and vanilla, but there's more nuance than apparent at first whiff. White flowers, tropical fruit, candied citrus and confectioners sugar lie just beneath the heavy base notes. The palate is soft but structured, offering far more complexity than you could expect from relatively young whisky. Peaches drizzled with condensed milk, sweet grain, toasted oak and a kick of spice make the first impression. But a thread of saline and earthy umami from the coastal aging and the recharred shochu casks counter the sweeter flavors and round out the whole package. What keeps me coming back though is the elegance and purity of it. This will strike some fans of Japanese whisky as odd or strong, but I believe it hits all the hallmarks that separate Japanese malt from Scottish. It's perfectly composed without a single note out of place. I dare say it will convert some Scotch drinkers who thought Japanese whisky too light or too expensive, because at the end of the day, it's just exceptional whisky.

With time in the glass, this gin becomes particularly aromatic, mixing citrus and floral notes. The palate leads with herbaceous sage and bay leaf, leading into a floral exhale—hibiscus is one of the botanicals—tinged with grapefruit peel and lemon verbena. *Top 100 Spirits 2020* (KN)

Delamain’s youngest offering, at 20 to 25 years old, is also one of the standard-bearers of Grande Champagne (the blend was created in the 1920s and hasn’t changed). Light amber, with a delightful nose full of pear, marmalade, quince and orange blossom. The pear and quince carry onto the palate, where a distinctive membrillo-like flavor emerges — a unique note I find in a number of Delamain expressions. There’s gentle spice and warm citrus on the palate, gliding to a long, delicate finish. The definition of elegance. (JW)

Kuju's inaugural single malt represents the realization of founder Shoji Utoda's ambition to make whisky in his native Oita Prefecture. A longtime whisky retailer who trained at Chichibu, Utoda helped finance the project through corporate bonds purchased by bartenders, liquor retailers, and other investors. When pandemic restrictions prevented Scottish engineers from installing the Forsyths equipment, local shochu equipment specialist Hirano Shoten completed the work using the manufacturer's plans and remote guidance. Distillation began in February 2021. The First is made entirely from unpeated malted barley and local underground spring water, with fermentation conducted over four days in Douglas fir washbacks to encourage lactic acid fermentation. Double distillation takes place in Forsyths copper pot stills fitted with straight heads and gently descending lyne arms, a configuration selected to produce Kuju's bold style of spirit. Matured for a minimum of three years in a combination of ex-bourbon and sherry casks, this limited release introduces the distillery's own single malt at its full cask strength of 58% ABV. All production, from milling through bottling, takes place at Kuju. Released without an age statement, The First is non-chill filtered and bottled without added coloring.

The newly redesigned Glendronach 15 year marks the beginning of a new era at the Glendronach distillery. No longer is the 15 year a triumphant revival of a lost label, but now it's the core malt in one of Scotland's most well regarded distillers. It remains exclusively filled into Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía in Glendronach's old dark dunnage warehouses located outside of the small eastern highland town of Huntley. Tasting notes from teh distiller, "Color: Antique copper with a golden hue. Aroma: An intoxicating burst of maraschino cherry, ripe bramble and dark chocolate mint with hints of orange bitters and walnut liqueur. Palate: Honey-glazed apricot and ripe fig with a crescendo of black cherry, angelica, and muscovado."

This is very pale in the glass, but with a zesty, savory aroma that suggests fresh oregano and basil. The palate melds that herbaceousness with hints of almond and lemon cream, plus cinnamon and white pepper on the elongated finish. Sip or mix. (KN)

The vast majority of the liquid from this Highland distillery that dates back to 1798 ends up in the Bells line of blended scotch whisky, but among enthusiasts, it’s highly regarded when found in independent bottlings. This one in particular highlights the classic highland style, dominated by the toasted oaky spice from the four-and-a-half year secondary aging in toasted French barrique casks. Honey and orchard fruits emerge in plenty, with the creamy toasted oak connecting the dots between floral and butterscotch notes. It finishes with a touch of nuttiness that emerges through the oaky spice. This is a lovely, rich dram that defies its age.

Scarlet Orange Amaro is a vibrant Japanese blood orange liqueur produced by founder Tatsuya Motonaga at Iseya Distillery in Sagamihara. The project begins with blood oranges grown on a friend’s farm in Ehime Prefecture, one of Japan’s most celebrated citrus-growing regions. Motonaga and a team of 70 volunteers hand-press the freshly harvested fruit, immediately transferring the juice to stainless steel tanks to preserve its freshness. Meanwhile, the peels are joined by more than 25 botanicals, including lemon balm, bramble leaves, ginger and camellia flowers, and macerated in a neutral sugarcane spirit distilled specifically for the project. The resulting aromatized spirit is blended with the fresh blood orange juice and bottled immediately. Japanese beet sugar provides sweetness, while traditional cochineal lends Scarlet its distinctive natural color. The result is an exceptionally thoughtful marriage of locally grown Japanese citrus, careful hand processing and classic amaro production techniques. Bottled at 20% ABV, Scarlet Orange is a fascinating addition to Japan’s rapidly developing culture of artisanal liqueurs and an exceptionally versatile bottle for cocktails or simple service over ice.

This might be my point of no return for the Fernet rabbit-hole. Such a consistent profile across all their amari. This one is at the digestif end of their spectrum. If you have a Fernet lover in your circle, they'll flip for it! Deep and herbaceous, slightly minty with a hint of chocolate. I will look back to this bottle from now on.

This is beautiful, soft, and elegant brandy that shows brooding notes of cocoa, roasted nuts, and baking spices. The dried fruit really comes through on the mid-palate and the finish is a burst of cinnamon with a silky smooth exit. To get a 25-year Armagnac for this price is already a great deal, but to have it taste this good is practically criminal. The Delord family has been making this spirit since the late 1800s.

Zesty and spicy, this highlands Tequila shows dried herbs, jalapeño, lemon peel and black pepper, all wrapped up in a clean finish. The alcohol levels feel surprisingly restrained for a blanco. Consider pairing alongside rich or fried foods. (KN)

A period of finishing in a combination of Pedro Ximénez and oloroso sherry puncheons and hogsheads distinguishes this release. The nose is fragrant, with spicy red wine, raspberries, ginger, milk chocolate, and nutmeg. Viscous on the palate, with lots of cloves, plus vanilla, raisins, and instant coffee with a slug of sherry in it. Dark chocolate, licorice, and black coffee feature in the finish. Overall, nicely balanced. (GS, Winter-2019)

The wonderful Craigellachie distillery remains underappreciated outside of core group of diehard fans. It's oily rich character can be exceptional both in sherry and when aged in fresh bourbon barrel like this one. The old home of Dewar's, this distillery isn't Speyside's prettiest but it is one of its best. Just across the river from the Macallan on the road to Dufftown, the old plant continues to produce full flavored rich malt of the highest quality. This little barrel was distilled in 2008 and filled into a fresh bourbon barrel for 15 years before being bottled at full cask strength without chillfiltration or coloring of any kind. Expect a fruity fragrant side of Craigellachie -Peaches, apple, and fresh fragrant floral aromas. The palate is full of spice, pears and fudge.

Mexico’s protected tequila category is made from Blue Weber agave in authorized production areas. Blanco tequila is bottled without barrel maturation or rested in oak for no more than two months. Madre Blanco presents this foundational tequila style in a 700ml format.

Arran 10 Year Old is an inviting, graceful expression of unpeated malt from the Isle of Arran’s first legal distillery in over 150 years, Lochranza. It drinks light and clean, with notes of soft, creamy vanilla and honey, followed by loads of bright citrus, baked pear, and mildly nutty pastry. One gets a slight note of warm coconut in the finish. An extremely balanced whisky characterized by the fruit-forwardness Lochranza is known for. The distillery utilizes water from Loch na Davie that’s naturally low in minerality, which is then filtered through six waterfalls before being used directly for production. This one is gentle enough for a daily dram, with a quiet complexity that lingers. Those new to single malts take note: none of Arran’s releases add coloring or chill filtration, and all are perpetually drinkable. Their transparency and simplicity only adds to their charm; much like the island itself.

Nocino is a traditional walnut liqueur often made at home in northern Italy. Importer's notes: "The first digestivo I remember drinking in Italy was nocino, made by the owner of a little restaurant near Brisighella, in the Romagna. It was dark, delicious, bitter and spicy and sweet at once, the perfect end to the meal. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant, but I remember that unlabeled bottle of nocino on my table. The best place for nocino, I have since discovered, is Modena, and the best Nocino I’ve had is made by a company called Il Mallo in Marianello. (‘Mallo’ means ‘husk.’) Nocino is made by harvesting plump green walnuts (from the English, or Common, Walnut tree), traditionally in June around the feast day of St. John the Baptist (the 24th), slicing them thinly, then macerating them for about a year in almost pure alcohol. The walnuts are then drained, pressed off (all of the press fraction is used, unlike with wine) and blended with a separate infusion of clove, coriander and true cinnamon, and sugar. (Il Mallo uses about 20% less sugar than the maximum permitted by the rules for Nocino di Modena.) After another 9 months of aging the mixture is bottled. As with any of these liqueurs that predominantly are made of a single ingredient, the quality of that ingredient is very important, and Roberta and her mother Giovanna have longstanding relationships with the farmers who grow the walnuts, some near their home in Emilia and some in Campania, around Avellino."

The bouquet is subtle and alluring, with distant notes of buttered popcorn and escarole broth; aeration stimulates aromas of peanut butter, rye toast and damp cobblestone. Silky palate entry is slightly sweet, concentrated and grainy; at midpalate, the flavor turns drier, lightly spiced and almost fruity (as in dried fruit). Aftertaste is long and spicy. Well crafted and quality driven.

This Tequila offers mild roasted agave and lime peel aromas. The soft palate opens with earthy almond and cocoa tones, perked up with lime-peel zing and clove heat. Best Buy. (KN)

Aultmore is one of those distilleries that kind of pisses me off. The owners do not seem interested in selling the product, even though they have gone out of their way to create a new, posh looking package. There is no visitor center or even a website dedicated to the distillery in any meaningful way. I really enjoy the little Aultmore that makes its way here, and I even really like the distillery bottlings, but they are simply impossible to find. So I am excited to taste this wonderful big butt of Aultmore, which yielded nearly 700 bottles, fewer than 80 of which made it to the US. Aultmore in old sherry barrels can be gorgeous, and I very much enjoy the character of this whisky, so I was glad to see one in this style, especially since the previous Aultmore we had was an absolute sherry monster. Here goes. The color is an inspiring old gold (0.6), and I think we will see more malt than wine here. The nose is soft and subtle, quite elegant, with gentle poached fruit and a bright malt base note. There is a third layer as well, almost like wet clay mixed with dry hay, but it is very subtle and does not protrude beyond the fragrant fruity nose. The palate offers a good medium bodied texture, with sweet malt up front and hints of sherry offering subtle spice and zesty citrus. Throughout, baked apples rather than fresh are clearly the star. With water, it becomes all apples and pear pomace, juicy and delicious. It might be a summer whisky, but it is sunny here so I am loving this. All in all, a very appealing and approachable whisky that will suit any lover of the softer Speyside style who is not after a big sherry note, yet still wants a bit more complexity.

I expected a Chartreuse substitute but instead encountered a sophisticated, balanced palate pleaser. Delightfully herbaceous but not sharp, all amari from this producer enrobe but do not overwhelm the palate. Fantastic!

Madre’s Oaxaca ensamble brings together Espadín and Cuishe agaves in a single mezcal. In mezcal terminology, an “ensamble” combines multiple agave varieties, highlighting a longstanding Oaxacan approach in which different agaves are produced together rather than bottled as separate varietal expressions.