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After 18 years of buying spirits for K&L, this special parcel may be my crowning achievement. Just a few years ago, it would have been nearly unfathomable that we could gain access to stocks of this quality at such low prices. We have, of course, bottled similar whiskies before. Years back, we secured a 1991 version from Hunter Laing, and only last year we offered a Faultline barrel from 1998 that sold out almost immediately. Now, we bring you another "Single Vintage Blended Malt" a full decade that barrel's senior for exactly the same price. It is an absolute coup and, if I’m honest, may get me in a little trouble, but that surely will not stop me. My style has always been to ask forgiveness rather than permission. The true challenge with stocks like this is how you label them. We cannot, under any circumstances, place the distillery name on the label, even though it is beyond doubt where the whisky comes from. The once-accepted trade name Burnside belongs to our dear friends at Cadenhead, and out of respect (and good sense, given their well-known litigious nature) we would never infringe on it. So the question becomes, what do we call this whisky? Our friends at Duncan Taylor sold us that wonderful barrel for our Faultline label that they dubbed “The Huntley,” a reference to their hometown. That option was off the table for us. After some consideration, we settled on a playful nod to our friends in Campbeltown: “The Sideburns.” We are not the first to use the name, but ours is plural, because who on earth needs just one Side-burn? Needless to say, this is one of the most outrageous deals I have ever had the honor of brokering for our shop. It represents the pinnacle of my ongoing effort to push back against one of the most damaging trends in our industry: the erosion of value for the end consumer. If you destroy the primary market for great whisky by pushing prices beyond reason, you eventually destroy the market itself. Too many producers have forgotten the first rule of selling anything: give customers what they want at a price they can afford. Start with the customer’s experience and build the system backward from there, rather than forcing corporate projections and marketing jargon down their throats. What do customers want? Great old malt whisky. But in today’s marketplace, finding a bottle over 25 years old that delivers real value in the glass is nearly impossible. Certainly there are other ways brands create value for their customers through lifestyle, image, luxury packaging, or grand storytelling. But if the true measure is taste—and for me it always is—you will struggle to point to a single product that offers what this whisky does at anywhere near this price. This parcel is, without exaggeration, one of the finest opportunities ever presented to lovers of Scotch worldwide. I hope this is only the beginning. If we can continue to secure parcels like this through new channels, then perhaps we can begin to chip away at the barriers keeping customers from enjoying extraordinary old whisky rather than just looking at them. For now, I am confident in saying this is easily the greatest Scotch deal K&L has offered in its 40-plus year history.

There's no question in my mind that the most rewarding aspect of my job is the ability to create products for my customers that I truly love. When I first took over buying spirits at K&L, we already had a few store labels on the wine side, but at that time spirits was just a tiny blip on the radar, and considering purchasing enough product to merit a store brand was nearly unthinkable. But in a true “if you build it, they will come” spirit, we began traveling to Scotland and finding parcels of Scotch and rum that we simply couldn't leave behind. My colleague at the time, David Driscoll, and I spent hours driving around Scotland, ideating on what to call the new brand. We wanted something that connected our stores and also exemplified our commitment to doing things differently from our competitors. We wanted to show that we were not simply merchants, but curators and creators of the world's best products. The name Faultline fit that ethos perfectly. It has since become a somewhat legendary label, producing everything from inexpensive blended Scotch to absinthe, gin, old rum, and everything in between. The brand became more and more difficult to curate as the demand for great spirits exploded, stocks dwindled, and prices soared, but the tides do shift quickly in the world of wine and spirits. We're now entering a new era for spirits and K&L. We've opened a store in New York, what I consider an earth-shattering achievement, and we've begun to locate stocks of incredible value once again. We've also entered a new era for our department, with a new generation of exciting visionaries taking the reins to produce exceptional products like this. Candidly, it wasn't entirely easy for me to relinquish control of this special label. I've been intimately involved in nearly every expression we've ever put into bottle, but we couldn't have found a more capable and deserving steward of this great brand than the wonderful Stephanie Manning. I also cannot completely express in words just how much energy it takes to create a product like this from the ground up, and creating one with such incredible style and quality is next to impossible. This ridiculously wonderful rye whiskey is truly the single-handed work of one person. I'm certain that Stephanie would insist that I played some role in the creation of this product, but she'd be doing so out of politeness more than anything else. So now the most rewarding moment in my career is seeing this beautiful brand given a new chapter by the wonderful people I work with. I can sit back and simply enjoy it! A true gift from a great friend. So let's go! The color is a simply stunning mahogany (1.6). The nose starts tight but opens quickly into territories previously uncharted. There's something about experiencing a new flavor profile like this that is at once exhilarating and off-putting. Sometimes I forget I haven't tried EVERYTHING out there. The deep, dried plummy fruit couples perfectly with the dark rye spice and tense, almost wild earthiness. This is the “Sir Davis” recipe from MGP, but we're in a world apart from that whiskey. Expect a full-throttled cascade of aromatics: toasted pecans, stone fruit compote, cola nut, balsa wood, allspice, wildflower honey, birch, and coconut husk. On the palate, it's perfectly vibrant and balanced, with dense, jammy sweetness cut through the center by dark herbal rye, woodsy exotic spice, and a lifted early hint of new leather. It's simply delicious and unique without being weird or overtly odd in any way. The only problem with this one is we'll likely never be able to recreate it precisely, nor would we ever want to. The fleeting nature of any special product adds so much to its allure. All I can say is bravo, Stephanie, and thank you!

There was once a time when we could have nearly anything we wanted in the wonderful Willett warehouses. Back in the day, our friends the Kulsveens didn't have every liquor store in America breaking down their doors to get a barrel of their special bourbon. Until 2012, they had sourced every drop, yet something about those special ricks on the hill behind Bardstown seemed to uniformly create exceptional whisky. Honestly, they were extremely ahead of their time in almost every aspect of their business, but when the distillery opened, the doors to those rickhouses closed. Now we're extremely lucky to get our one barrel a year. It's funny because those stocks are actually controlled by the distributor, and so while we definitely feel like we should be getting the lion's share of the barrels for K&L - after all, we were some of the first to jump on the single barrel bus long ago - it's hard to fault them for only giving us one, considering they have to split their allocations between five states and thousands of stores. But, as I am wont to do, I must push every button when there's something I love and believe my customers will benefit from owning. So the choice to pick a 15-year-old barrel as our only Willett seems easy on paper - an incredibly delicious and rare barrel from the pre-distillation sourced stock - but it was actually incredibly difficult. That's mostly because of this special barrel. This is easily the best own distillate I've yet to taste, and while I'm sure there are many other, perhaps superior, barrels distilled since they opened in 2012, this one was so perfectly balanced and delicious that it absolutely sang to me. So while I ultimately picked the 15-year, I asked Ethan - the single barrel guru at Willett - to hide this sample for a few days while I worked my magic. I began to prod and pester our distributor for an additional barrel allocation, but their hands were tied. They'd already committed every barrel, and I was one of the few in California to get access to a 15-year, so my political capital seemed to be spent. Our final option was to get to the New York market, where our newly opened store had not qualified for an allocation because we were so new to the local distributor there. I begged and pleaded, but the rules in New York are extremely strict. You simply can't be allocated a barrel if there are other accounts that qualify ahead of you. So I simply left it up to fate and begged Ethan to continue guarding that sample. In an amazing stroke of luck, not a few weeks later, I got a call from our supplier in New York saying one of our competitors had backed out of their pick and the allocation had opened up. Without hesitation, I mentioned this incredible barrel, and the rest is history. K&L's first Willett barrel in New York and one of the greatest modern Willetts I've ever tasted. Sometimes the stars align and the gods of bourbon allow you to step through the gates. I'm very lucky to have people in every aspect of this business who care about what we do. They know how much I care for them. They are the bourbon angels who made this possible. I won't go into tasting notes or anything like that here today. I've already been effusive enough, but rest assured, no one who understands the potential greatness that modern Willett can deliver will open this bottle and be disappointed. The barrel is named for the song that came on as we drove up that special drive to the legendary spot, "This Must Be the Place" by Talking Heads. It's true of Willett and that special spot at 270 Madison Ave in the great state of New York. We have arrived.

This ridiculous barrel represents what I would consider the pinnacle of craft whiskey in the US today. Westward have been at this for a long time, and they've ridden out an incredible roller coaster as the industry has ebbed and flowed over the last 20 years. Part of what makes Westward so unique is the way they treat their wort, and the resulting spirit is unlike any in the US, Scotland or beyond. Anyone who knows me knows I'm all for experimentation, but the resulting product must be at least as good as or better than products made using tried-and-true methods, or it's simply a waste of time. And we've established that Westward is capable of making incredibly special whiskies on par with the greatest spirits in any category: see the Milestone Solera whiskey. But we've yet to find a single cask that was able to capture that same complexity, unique character and overt opulence...until now. This ridiculous little barrel offers a completely unique experience, producing a similar profile to the absurdly fruity Milestone with the added tension, powerful character and deep woodsy goodness of a cask-strength new oak malt. It may be my favorite malt whisky aged exclusively in new charred American oak that I've tasted in many, many years, maybe ever. Here it comes! The color is a truly dense shade of auburn (1.5). The nose immediately transports me to a forest in the fall: underbrush, dense oak, earthy spice. But with aeration, an incredible transformation occurs, offering tropical mango, coconut oil, cacao nibs, quince jam, persimmon and candied orange peel. On the palate at full proof, the oily texture is the first striking note, and the second is the ridiculous tropicality. While the oak is obviously powerful and intense, it doesn't feel hard or bitter at all. With water, the nose moves more toward red fruit, and the palate totally relents, softening and opening to a huge, fruity chocolate compote, like a chocolate-covered cherry filled with kirsch. This is simply one of the most impressive craft whiskies on the market today and provides a completely distinct experience while matching or besting the experience traditional distillers from either KY or Scotland offer at nearly any price point. BRAVO!!!

The wild success of the Sideburns 35 Year has rattled the cage of more than one large company in Scotland. If you haven’t seen my review of that product, I highly recommend taking a look: https://shop.klwines.com/products/details/1918829 . The short version is this: we may be on the precipice of a new golden age of Scotch, and K&L is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the market asymmetry. While our marketing of the previous batch was met with side eyes and raised eyebrows from the original owners of the stocks and trademarks, other suppliers with similar inventories saw it as a signal. This was an opportunity. It would seem our prayers have been answered. Another incredible value in old malt has landed in our lap, and this time the deal is even more impressive. There are, of course, differences in the stock. This distillate comes entirely from November 1989 and was matured in refill hogsheads, rather than the first-fill sherry hogsheads of Batch #1. The proof is slightly lower, but still a robust 47-48% for a whisky of such advanced age. Remember, Scotch typically loses up to 1% ABV per year and enters the cask around 63%. So yes, older, slightly lower in proof, and without the fashionable sherry influence, yet 25% cheaper. If you ask me, old malt like this absolutely thrives in refill hogsheads. While I often insist on first or second fill for younger whisky, at this age the nuance of second or third fill can be profoundly beneficial. In any case, if it’s not already clear, this malt is drawn almost entirely from one of Speyside’s most beloved distillers. Search “Burnside,” the Cadenhead/Springbank-owned blended malt, if you want clues to the source. We’re being intentionally careful about naming names, but suffice it to say this parcel comes from the cellars of one of the industry’s most powerful blending houses. Whether it was once destined as a top note for premium blends or simply forgotten stock, it now stands as perhaps the greatest value I’ve ever offered. Twice in six months. It really does feel like the start of something bigger.

Hooten Young’s Jack Carr Warrior Proof hits all the right targets for the bourbon bros out there, and to be honest, there was a time when this whiskey was nearly impossible to get. It’s got the age, high proof, dark color, and plenty of that cultural appeal that’s become synonymous with the category. The owners bring serious military credentials to the table, and in a whiskey business where relationships still count for an awful lot, they’ve certainly found some interesting lots to bottle. We were happy to offer this limited release to those who found value in its age and identity, but as availability improved, the compelling store wasn't enough to keep in on the shelf. Not because it’s bad whiskey, but because at around $160, there’s a lot of competition. Put this bad boy out there at $60, however, and you’ve got one of the best buys in American whiskey today. This isn’t an official price reset. We’re taking advantage of a local distributor’s inventory reduction and passing those savings on to you. What that means is sixteen-year-old American whiskey, made from 99% corn and 1% barley, bottled at 125 proof, for a remarkably reasonable price. Let’s see how it fares. The color is a surprisingly dark russet (1.4), particularly striking for a whiskey in a category that doesn’t require maturation in new charred oak. The nose is packed with sweet character: brown sugar, marzipan, maple syrup, vanilla extract, candied pecans, hints of caramel candy, and old leather. The palate adds a buttery biscuits, cooked apples, baking spice, and a full bodied texture. The proof is evident but not obtrusive, and a bit of water actually adds weight and spice to the whole thing. All in all, for $60, this is an awesome buy and a fun change of pace from the classic bourbon profile. Whether you like to read Jack Carr and chill or you’re simply looking to expand your understanding of American whiskey, this is an easy win. Just don’t count on finding it here at this price again once this parcel is gone!

The Perfect Fifth acquired this exceptional 36-year-old Glenrothes with every intention of releasing it as one of the prestige bottlings in its range, but somehow the whisky never actually made it to market. Had it been released as planned, a single cask Glenrothes of this age would reasonably have carried a retail price around $2,000. Instead, years later, we've managed to get our hands on this tiny parcel under circumstances that make the original economics almost irrelevant. Cask #2128 was filled on March 4, 1986 and matured for more than 36 years in ex-bourbon oak before being bottled on December 15, 2022. After more than three and a half decades in cask, it had naturally fallen to just 43.3% ABV, yet remained above the legal minimum and was bottled exactly there at full cask strength. Glenrothes of this age is already exceptionally rare, but the ex-bourbon maturation makes this particularly fascinating. So much of the distillery's reputation has been built around sherry-matured whisky that an ancient bourbon-cask Glenrothes offers an entirely different window into the character of the spirit itself. A 1986 vintage, 36 years in a single cask, natural cask strength, and a release that essentially disappeared before it ever happened. This is precisely the sort of old Scotch we thought the modern market had made impossible to sell at prices like this.

American Single Malt has been an "up and coming" category since I started in this business nearly 20 years ago. Part of the problem with the category is that it's extremely difficult to create value for lovers of Single Malt when Scotland is able to deliver such incredible price to quality ratio. So we have some people who do it different, just to be different, but it's not enough just to be different, you need to be different and delicious. That's why so many craft distillers have struggled, the ultimate experience does not deliver for many customers in the way that they expect for the prices that they pay. Another huge issue is the lack of aspirational products in the category. Until Milestone, there was no truly singular yearly release that demanded the attention of ALL Malt Whisky drinkers. But with the last two releases of Milestone, we finally have a product that delivers on both counts. Almost NOTHING out there tastes as delicious as Milestone does at ANY price point. And this whisky sells out ridiculously quickly and many many people reach out asking for me to magically create more. That's not possible of course, so we wait for next year. This is your only chance to snag your bottles as they will only sell us what we are allocated and won't likely get a second drop. So if you've known the previous Milestones, this is your chance to lock in another one of the great American Whiskies for one more year.

This exceptional release is exactly what I want to see when brands are resurrected from the dead. It’s not enough to just release a fun, authentic, old-looking bottle—although I’m ABSOLUTELY in love with the look and feel of this release. You need to put exceptional whisky in that bottle and charge a fair price. We’ve always loved the Yellowstone stuff and have supported them by doing single barrels and buying as many of the Limited Editions as they can put our way, but I’ve NEVER had a whisky from them that was this delicious. I don’t know exactly what they put in here, but they list a minimum age (always a good sign) and likely included some much older whiskey to round out the blend. We grabbed every bottle we could snag, and that was before I tasted it. Now that I’ve finally popped a bottle, I wish we could have gotten more. Let’s have at it. A classic auburn (1.4). The nose is absolutely stunningly sweet, with zero grainy character and piles of melted caramel butter, warm cherry compote, graham cracker, wild honey, sarsaparilla bark, candied apple, and roasted oak. The palate is sweet and spicy, extremely balanced, and gives the perfect little hug at 110 proof. It’s simply perfect going down. Big red fruit, cinnamon, clove, candied ginger, and burnt orange peel. It’s classic, but somehow feels like an extremely fresh and refreshing take. It’s simply a coup that we were able to grab enough of this to be talking about it here, because it really won’t last long once people start to taste it. Grab a few, as you’ll feel bad filling this beautiful bottle back up just to keep it on the back bar—and you’ll probably have trouble finding better juice for less, anyway.

This special Compass Box tasting pack brings together two of the house’s most celebrated expressions, offering a brilliant masterclass in the art of wood management, at an unbelievable price. While both whiskies showcase the blending house's signature richness and complexity, they approach flavor from entirely different geographic traditions, creating a beautiful study in contrasts.Together, this duo offers a phenomenal look at how the same high-quality malt distillate can be steered in wildly divergent directions by the hand of a master blender. Whether you are looking to explore the fiery depth of high-toast oak or the plush sweetness of European wine casks, this combo pack covers all the bases at a price lower than each individual bottle. And with the discontinuation of The Spice Tree expression, this may be your last chance to grab this classic at an unbeatable price.

Of the three New Zealand gins from National Distillery Company, this one is my favorite. I love how herbal and spicy it is. The native botanicals produce wonderful and exotic aromatics and the taste is unique. These are crazy deals for the price. These gins punch way above their price point and are a PERFECT holiday gift for the gin lover on your list (and why not take a case or two for yourself?).

The secret history behind K&L Faultline Indiana Bourbon is one of my most prized memories as a buyer at K&L. Nearly two decades ago, when we first began to deploy a larger-scale strategy for K&L's spirits department, my colleague David Driscoll and I were determined to launch a store label. For years, K&L had sold wine under several private brands, but we had never done the same with spirits. We did not want to simply repackage other people's goods as our own. We would seek out the very best products we could find and bottle them under a label that exemplified our commitment to doing things better. We were drawing a line in the sand, making clear that nothing less would ever go into this special new label. If we couldn't get the quality and price we wanted from our suppliers, we'd create our own products that met the highest standards possible. And thus, Faultline was born. It was a seismic shift in how spirits retailers operated at the time. The name was a tip of the hat to the very real fault lines running beneath our California stores, connecting them in both geological and metaphysical terms. After the success of our first batches of Cognac, gin, single malt, and rum, we knew we had to put a bourbon together. It was not so easy to buy barrels in bulk in those days. While there are old stories of fine MGP rye stocks being offered at ridiculously low prices, the bourbons had already become dear. So when my friend John Little sent us a huge set of samples of great 10- and 7-year-old MGP for Smooth Ambler's single barrel program, I asked how many we could have. He said there were no real limits. After tasting through the set and liking several barrels, but loving none of them, I dumped my samples into a glass to see what would happen. A sort of magic spell was cast at that moment. The beauty of blending revealed itself to me right before my eyes, or more accurately, my nose. Together, the two whiskies simply sang, without any effort or real work. It was an epiphany. With a world of possibilities now open, we began tinkering and blending the lot, selecting certain 10- and 7-year-old barrels and carefully bringing them down to 100 proof. The resulting blend would become a staple on our shelves for the next half decade. But with the sale of Smooth Ambler to Pernod Ricard in 2017, our source dried up. That, in conjunction with the unprecedented bourbon explosion, tabled Faultline Bourbon for many years to come. Now, nearly 10 years later, the cycle begins again: amazing bourbon, available at incredible prices, blended to the flavor profile we have always loved. This rich and complex bourbon does what mature high-rye bourbon can do so well. It melds the sweetness of corn and oak sugars perfectly with the deep, satisfying spice of the barrel. The whole thing is tied up neatly with a bow of beautiful rye character, while the slow proofing we employ adds texture and depth throughout. You might argue about the nuances of this batch or that, but nothing can dethrone Faultline Bourbon as the king of K&L's bourbon shelves.

We tasted three New Zealand gins from National Distillery Company, and I was amazed by how distinctive they are. The Dry Gin is bursting with botanicals with juniper on center stage. Strong aromatics but somehow really light and refreshing on the palate. Perfect for any gin-based cocktail or a just a splash of tonic!

This awesome little barrel of wheated bourbon was hand-selected by the K&L Spirits buying team with the team from the Augusta Distillery in spring of 2026, and it is, in fact, the first time I'm tasting this! Augusta has made waves sourcing exceptional casks from across Kentucky as their spirit matures. They seem to have done everything right and have managed to continue to garner interest from aficionados and the general public in spite of the challenges the industry has faced. We're happy to support this wonderful operation and all the excellent people involved, and while this whisky won't win any "affordability" awards, it's damn good juice and only yielded 90 bottles, so it's really very limited. Shall we? The color is a typical chestnut hue (1.2). The nose is pure sweetness with brown sugar, candied pecans and caramel sauce, punctuated only by hints of Tahitian vanilla bean and dark wood spice. With a bit of air, the unrelenting sweetness tames somewhat, releasing citrus oil, sweet, fresh chocolate mint leaf, new leather and golden maple syrup. On the palate, we get a huge vanilla character followed by waves of brown sugar, dense cherry compote, dense dark chocolate and a surprisingly long, dense finish that's full of that red fruit and big baking spice. If you sat me down and said this was a Weller 107 pick, I probably wouldn't have batted an eye. It's a fabulous pick from my wonderful team and will make the very, very few who get to taste it extremely happy.

I am completely in love with Longmorn, but the distillery has been sadly absent from our shelves for many years. We used to do exceptionally well with the well-priced 16-year, which was creamy, delicious, and easy to recommend. Eventually, though, the price went wild, and then the whisky was discontinued altogether. When the owners relaunched the brand, they got so much right: a limited-release 18-year-old, non-chill filtered, cask strength, small batch whisky from one of Speyside’s great underappreciated distilleries. There was only one problem: the price was absolutely insane. Nearly $300! Now, at more than half off, we are getting serious about this one. Apparently, this is the last discount they will be offering on the product, but who cares? If the price keeps going down, we will keep reloading. Let’s have a go. The color is burnished gold (1.1). The nose is absolutely classic Longmorn: rich roasted vanilla, a huge pan of roasted fruits, persimmon, pear, and pineapple, and dense, zingy barrel spice with galangal, cinnamon, more vanilla, and clove. With water, it opens toward Seville orange peel and fresh-baked biscuits, though the core remains firmly centered on roasted fruits and earthy spice. The texture is full-bodied and almost thick, with wildflower honey, wax fruit, roasted malt, dark chocolate, and buttercream. It absolutely loves a splash of water, softening and broadening in a wonderful way without losing its depth. This is still a special luxury whisky, but at this price it feels extremely fair rather than sort of silly and over the top. If you love Longmorn or Speyside whisky in general, this is an easy choice.

Fragrant and herbal aromas, with pine needles, basil, green bell pepper, pea pod, black truffle, peppercorn, and smoke from smoldering dry mosses and wood shavings. It’s very smooth and refreshing, with pear, peppermint, lemon, lime, green tea, kiwi, and herbal notes, finishing with chopped mint, more herbal layers, and gentle peppery spice. A unique composition and a quintessential Japanese whisky experience. (JM, Summer-2023)

The first thing you notice is the elegant fragrance of lychee, spring blossoms, lily, rosewater, and raspberry meringue. Deeper in, grassy notes with star fruit, kumquat, and kaffir lime leaves. The flavors offer perfection in their simplicity: silky honey, soft spices, crystalized pineapple, barley sugar, lemon, and orange. On the finish, the spices chatter on and on as the sweet citrus and honey fade in and out. One to cherish. (JM, Spring 2018)

Ok ok! We're we go with the new narrative in KY, if you know where to look you can get good old bourbon without dispensing a mortgage payment. Some people might point to the old days when 15 year old whisky was $60 but there hasn't been a period in the last decade where we could readily get 15+ year old whisky from anyone in KY at less than $150. And to be honest I think this price point is super for the quality you're getting here. We must assume this product was distilled at Old Barton as it was the only working plant in 2006 in the area. Aging occurred entirely in Bardstown as well. This is a great old distillery that has many people clamoring for their higher end marks, so unless you're one of the unlucky few who specifically doesn't like the Barton profile, there's a good chance they you're going to dig this. Non-chillfiltred and high proof like all the single rack series, only 19 barrels in the batch. Let's taste it. The color is a gorgeous russet. The nose starts immediately with exotic dark woods, fresh charred oak, sweet dried plum, subtle floral and dark tea aromas. With some air, there's a strong vanilla note, caramel candies, red cherry and French roast. On the palate it's medium bodied and rather dry with a lovely dusty not. Darker and woody with a strong oaky flavor down the middle. This is definitely on the drier side of Barton and very woody. It loves air and I'd reckon the middle of the bottle will be exceptional. Right now, I like to give this 30 minutes of nosing before I dive in deep. A fun old bourbon whiskey at a totally reasonable price.

This is one of the most exciting Cognacs we've ever stocked, particularly now that we're able to offer it at a price that better reflects just how extraordinary the age and pedigree are. It's a total bomb, not suited for most large-house Cognac drinkers, but it will easily win over lovers of old, unobtainable American whiskey, intensely sherried malt, or cask-strength Armagnac. Lovers of dense and powerful dark spirits of any kind, take note. This is a selection from Bouju's oldest stocks, with a minimum age of around 40 years and a not insignificant proportion of brandies much, much older, perhaps 80+ years old. According to M. Bouju, it's bottled without coloring, filtration, or reduction of any kind. He insists the excessively dark color is the result of that lack of reduction, something that normally happens several times during an eau-de-vie's maturation and blending. Instead, he distills and reduces slightly before barreling, then does absolutely nothing else for the next four decades. When it reaches 100 proof naturally, it's transferred into a special vat, from which only a portion is removed for each bottling. So the young, 40-year-old Cognac mingles with small portions of every previous batch that has gone into the vat. The resulting Cognac is a force of nature. The nose puts us squarely in bourbon land: dense, dry, and woodsy, with fruit compote of figs and plums, cacao nibs, sweet herbs, and all kinds of baking spice. Relatively gentle on the palate considering the high proof, but very dry, with dark fruit and a huge minty, herbal finish. A benchmark by any standard. 5 Stars.

A soft and delicate nose offers vanilla ice cream, ripe banana, peach, and honey-sweetened breakfast cereal. The palate is gentle and smooth, but packed with flavors—more vanilla, peach, coconut flakes, lemon meringue, cherry tart, and blackberry jam—all balanced by peppery spice and fragrant oak. A long, nicely spiced finish offers balanced fruitiness, Creamsicle, and dark chocolate. Complex, balanced, deep, and well-spiced; an easy sipper. (DF, Fall-2024)

This is a monster. We rarely see high-proof Cognac that's both affordable and delicious, but the Royal is exactly that. The Royal is bottled at an astonishing 120 proof, yet the nose exhibits no bitter ethanol or burn. The high proof is a vehicle for aroma and flavor here. Instead of harshness, we get a pungent mixture of dried stone fruit, varnishy old wood, tobacco, and wooden cellar. The palate is ultra-textured and concentrated, with a building peppery spice that overwhelms the fruit by the finish. A heavy, almost thick, and sweeter-than-expected entry leads to a bold, spicy, dry finish. It's an absolute treat. Bouju claims to add absolutely nothing to this special Cognac, and that big, dry finish might confirm his claims. A stupendous product with a cult following. It never lasts long when we have it.

Founded by John Glaser in 2000, Compass Box helped make blending one of the most exciting parts of Scotch whisky again. The company built its reputation on creative cask selection, unusual recipes, and a willingness to disclose exactly what goes into the bottle. Secrets of Smoke is a perfect example. Lead whiskymaker James Saxon set out to explore the natural sweetness beneath peated malt, using wine and sherry casks to reveal another side of the smoke. The blend brings together Caol Ila in first-fill Palo Cortado sherry-seasoned butts (33.1%), The Peat Monster in second-fill Spanish red wine casks (33.9%), and Ardmore in first-fill sherry hogsheads (22%). Smaller parcels of Laphroaig finished in Marsala barriques (5.7%) and Bowmore from refill bourbon barrels (2.5%) complete the recipe alongside a small blended malt component. Bottled in September 2024 at 52% ABV, with natural color and no chill filtration, only 9,792 bottles were produced worldwide. The original suggested retail price was $140. At just $60, ours is over 50% off the original price and the best price anywehre around. An extraordinary price for one of Compass Box’s most intriguing limited releases.

Never judge a book by its cover, they say, unless it’s gorgeously appointed and unrivaled in its beauty, I’d add. There is no question that in the booze business, your bottle is nearly as important as the stuff that goes in it. Indeed, it was the striking package that drew my eye to this product on the backbar of a Glasgow pub five years ago. I asked to see the bottle and realized that this was not some crass, overdesigned marketing exercise. This was a legitimate and thoughtfully crafted Scottish gin with a character unlike any other I’d tasted. One sniff out of that bottle and I knew I needed to have this stuff – EVERY DAY if possible, but for one massive hurdle. The tiny distillery on the far-flung island in the outer Hebrides was already struggling to keep up with local demand, and the incredible care in the design of the bottle meant that creating a bottle suitable for the US market, which only recently allowed the sale of spirits in 700ml bottles, was next to impossible. So, we waited. I staged a relentless campaign with emails and phone calls to the distillery to make clear our interest. And when this special product final popped up with a small distributor, I bought every single bottle they had on hand. I’ve called this the next great Scottish Gin, and I truly believe that. It offers a complex expression of flavors that are perfectly balanced and wildly appealing. The nose is an ever-evolving explosion of aromas beginning with an ocean breeze. This sensation of being near the sea is so distinct, one must experience it to understand. On second nosing, a flutter of citrus and a deep whole pepper note give way to a bright piney character before the sweet, earthy aromas of licorice, Orris, and cassia come online. The underlying sweetness balances the subtle salinity perfectly on the palate. Of course, no sugar added here, and perhaps it is psychosomatic, but the sugar kelp seems to give it a voluptuous richness that balances the savory perfectly. And while this is slightly lower proof than I usually like in a gin, the texture and balance seem to be perfectly suited for the gin's character. Altogether one of my favorite products to drink, hands down from any category. Plus, that bottle is so beautiful. Now one of the best values for artisanal hand crafted gin in the store as well!

The original red bitter is vivid scarlet, with a grapefruit peel-like aroma and flavor. The palate is bitter and bright, with a lighter body than many liqueurs and a hint of cinnamon on the bracing exit. Classic for mixing into a wide range of cocktails. (KN)

A port cask finish gives this Scotch a copper penny hue. The aroma suggests baked apple, while the palate has a chewy, concentrated vanilla-oak profile, leading to walnut, leather and espresso. The rounded finish sings with sherry and spice. Adding water coaxes out baked apple sweetness and dials back the oak. (KN)

We tasted three New Zealand gins from National Distillery Company, and I was amazed at how distinctive they were. The Navy Strength is a different blend of botanicals than the Dry Gin and is, of course, stronger. These NDC gins are really delicious. Do not let the price scare you. You are not stumbling into a trap. You are stumbling into the gin deal of the century. It came from blooming Middle Earth and it's $19.99!

Another ridiculously good barrel from our friends at Stoddard Spirits. Bill Binder is one of those guys whom everybody simply loves. His genuine love for this business is infectious, his legitimacy as an arbiter of taste is unquestionable, and his ability to connect with people is unparalleled. While he cut his teeth behind the bar, he is the ultimate front-of-house curator, making everyone who crosses his path feel welcome and special. So it is no surprise that his good name and equally good intentions have brought about one of the most remarkable partnerships this industry has ever seen. There are brands that have claimed to source whiskey from the famed Willett Distillery, but the mere public mention of that relationship could be enough to bring it to an end. Willett is fiercely protective of its trade name and contractual obligations. They have certainly created collaborative releases before, but never have they allowed their name to be used in association with products sold under another brand. It is therefore a significant coup that Bill and his team have secured access to this incredible source. Even more interesting is that the barrels they are sourcing represent some of Willett’s most prized and unusual experiments. This wonderful bourbon is proof that some of the experimental mashbills produced at Willett can occasionally outshine even the best Estate stocks. I honestly cannot remember a seven-year-old WFE tasting this good, although this whiskey remains distinctly outside the normal Willett profile. That is likely why it was never adopted as a core expression, rather than because of any issue with its quality or character. I think I’m ready. The color is a full, shimmering auburn (1.5). The nose, admittedly after the bottle had been open for a week and was already one-quarter gone, is extremely expressive, showing signs of maturity well beyond the age statement. Deep red cherry compote, stunning whipped caramel sauce, gingersnaps, hipster light-roast coffee, sarsaparilla bark, kola nut, sandalwood, and nutmeg all come pouring from the glass. On the palate, the red fruit dominates at first, with a juiciness that completely subdues the tannins. More stone fruit emerges through the midpalate alongside strong baking spice, strawberry candy, and exotic wood notes. The back end dries up beautifully, keeping the whiskey from feeling overly confectionary, while the tiniest hint of earthy, almost Wild Turkey-like funk provides balance. The lengthy finish brings back the clove-driven spice and a seemingly endless wave of candied red fruit. This barrel is both extremely distinctive and genuinely distinguished. A casual observer who does not understand the extraordinary care that went into crafting this special bourbon might scoff at the price-to-age ratio. For the initiated, who understand just how compelling even these younger barrels can be, the quality and potential here will be impossible to ignore.

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.

Bourbon begins with a grain recipe containing at least 51% corn and matures in new, charred oak. The Reveries’ eight-year-old “Toro” is a Kentucky straight bourbon offered as a single-barrel release, drawn from one barrel rather than blended with whiskey from several.

I've done some crazy things here at K&L over the years. $180 barrel aged Japanese Gin? 20 barrels of delicious single malt, declassified from that coveted category to meager Blended Malt to avoid tariffs? A whole barrel of Fernet?! Hell yes. Of all the crazy things I've done though, this one might just be the craziest. I was honestly astonished when my Oliver McCrum rep waltzed into the store one morning with six barrel samples from the lovely little Biodynamic farm in Fresno known for producing unusual spirits and collaborating with Thad Vogler and Bar Agricole on one of the best California brandies on the market. Even more intriguing were the random numbers and weird scribbles across the samples: 204 150 prof, 203 150 pr, 200 159pf, 199 160 proos, 178 164 p, 179 174 pF. 174 proof? Holy hell, there’s no way this is real. As is customary, I started with what appeared to be the lowest proof, a mere 75% alcohol by volume. Solid, oaky fruit, but hot. On we went until reaching the silliest of them all, barrel 179 at an astonishing 174 proof, or 87% alcohol. And somehow, it was absolutely incredible. Powerful citrus, deep florals, woodsy aromatics, tremendous concentration. I couldn’t believe I was enjoying it. It seemed almost too good to be true, but amazingly they agreed to bottle the barrel without additions or subtractions. As it turned out, the original proof reading was a bit off, and the final bottling strength came in at a mere 160 proof. It is remarkably drinkable even there, but slowly adding small amounts of good mineral water opens the spirit into something truly otherworldly. Give it a little time in the glass and it becomes so intensely orange confectionary that you might be forgiven for thinking our friend Thad had created some bizarre new Curaçao. This feels somewhere between an aged aromatic varietal of pisco and one of the funky single barrels we used to taste in the cellars at Copper & Kings back in the day. It is utterly delicious and completely unique, but do add the water slowly and give the aeration time to work its magic. So yes, this may be one of the craziest things I’ve ever bottled, but it is also, without question, the best single-barrel California brandy we’ve ever released. Bar none.

Eye-catchingly lurid red-orange, this classic liqueur has a mellow orange-y aroma. Though it's considered an aperitivo bitter, the vibrant flavor is more sweet-bitter than bittersweet, channeling orange and grapefruit peels. The viscosity, color and sweetness lends presence to Spritzes and other cocktails. (KN)

***THIS ITEM CANNOT SHIP VIA FEDEX - local delivery or willcall pick up only.*** This distinctive aged tequila comes in a handcrafted, hand-painted, Mexican ceramic bottle. Produced in Jalisco from 100% blue weber agave, the tequila is twice distilled and aged in fine oak barrels. With smooth flavors and aromas, this tequila is beautifully well balanced.

When we received the opportunity to get our hands on an uncommon single barrel of Sazerac Rye for the New York location, we all looked at each other with a smirk and a knowing head nod. Months later, the K&L pick arrived and those nods persisted albeit a little more emphatically. Coming in at 6 years and 10 months old, this 90-proof classic out kicked the coverage in every way. The nose is generous with hits of caramel covered apples, bing cherries, wafts of well-worn leather and herbal spices. The palate is super balanced carrying that signature Sazerac cinnamon, more caramel, tea leaves and rye spice which all give way to a surprising chocolate-mint on your pillow surprise. In the end it’s the rye spice and a dash of pepper that sits around awhile, like a party guest that doesn’t understand the evening is over. A great choice for fans of Sazerac and just really good rye.

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.

A good workhorse for all manner of cocktails, this bright amber Bourbon has a butterscotch aroma and oaky, relatively dry flavors that elongate into a rich caramel finish. *Best Buy* (KN)

Tawny and bright in the glass, this mellow, bittersweet beauty offers caramel and vanilla, braced by allspice and bitter orange. Although Nonino is best known for its grappas, this amaro, flavored with herbs from the mountains of Friuli, is worth seeking out. Consider it for dessert pairings or an edgy spin on a negroni. (KN)

Opening aromas are of sea breeze, cigar smoke, oak and malted barley; air contact releases light caramel, fudge, cocoa bean, burnt candle wick and heather. Entry is the most complex of any whisky; midpalate soars on oak, spirit and grain tastes. The greatest distilled spirit of this generation. Buy whatever you can find. *Best Buy* (PP)

The Balvenie remains one of the very few Scotch distilleries still practicing traditional floor malting, and this limited 12-year-old release takes that increasingly rare craft to its logical extreme. While home-malted barley contributes to the wider Balvenie range, this bottling was produced entirely from barley malted by the distillery, sourced from the Mains of Balvenie and partner farms. The process is famously labor intensive, with the germinating barley turned by hand as many as four times a day, seven days a week. Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie matured the whisky in American oak before finishing it in a European oak ex-sherry butt from Jerez, bottling at a generous 47.5% ABV. The result is classic Balvenie with an unusually direct connection to the distillery's oldest traditions: honey, warm biscuit and creamy toffee lead into barley sugar, ginger, raisin and beautifully integrated sherry spice. Created as part of the 1931 Collection in collaboration with contemporary artist Daniel Arsham, it's an unusually compelling combination of serious old-school whisky production and modern presentation.

The Cognac category is in a strange place. Once the absolute top dog of the spirits business, today the major houses are playing defense. The big brands are hurting, and the sad truth is that their struggles also hurt the small estates that support those giant operations. But if you care about the little guy, K&L has always offered access to great independent producers who would otherwise remain off most people’s radar. While the romance of small producers is undeniable, the real reason we sell these Cognacs over those from the big houses is that the price-to-quality ratio is simply astounding. This famous estate near the Gironde is situated in a unique little section of the Fins Bois around the town of Mirambeau, an island of higher-quality soils carved out of the less-regarded Bons Bois. As we have noted many times over the years, soil quality has less to do with the potential to make delicious Cognac than with the likelihood of distilling exceptionally age-worthy eau-de-vie. For that reason, we have often preferred younger spirits from the Fins Bois and Bons Bois to similarly aged examples from the highly prized Grande and Petite Champagne crus. But this special estate does not merely possess exceptional soils. It seems to be doing everything right, yet almost no one stateside has heard of it. Its old-vine vineyards are among the most picturesque in all of Cognac, while the château and cellars are second to none. Nevertheless, here we are selling a seven-year-old VSOP, which would have qualified as XO before the regulations changed in 2018, distilled from old-vine Folle Blanche for just $65. It seems that few people are listening to the Cognacais, but if you open your mind to the extraordinary value these products provide, you may discover that Cognac is ready to become one of the world’s great spirits categories once again. Let’s taste this special treat. The color is a radiant auburn. The nose delivers an absurdly ripe bouquet that seems decades beyond its stated age. Perhaps the magicians at Beaulon are blending some significantly older stock into this beautiful Folle Blanche. Aromas of sweet caramel sauce, apricot jam, roasted oak, Seville orange peel, cubeb, ajwain, and saffron leap from the glass. The palate is exceptionally well balanced and rounded without becoming syrupy or excessively caramel-driven. Instead, a vivid burst of baking spice cuts through the opulence and dries the mid-palate. Medium-bodied and impressively persistent, though not interminable, it occupies a beautiful middle ground, offering some of the aromatic depth of very old, rare Cognac while retaining plenty of zesty verve on the palate. Perhaps it is the Folle Blanche that creates this thrilling dichotomy, but at this price, it is simply a steal.

Cocchi makes my favorite red vermouth. I use it for Manhattan’s, in a Negroni, or in my favorite Champagne cocktail, the Negroni Sbagliato. If you are interested in seeing the recipe, search "Negroni Sbagliato" on the blog (blog.klwines.com) to find it, complete with video. If you don’t mind waiting, you can also send me an email with the button above, and I’ll send you the link.

The seductive bouquet offers wonderfully floral, fruity, guava- and melon-like fragrances of elderflower, becoming richly pear- and quince-like following aeration time. The palate entry is soft and firm; the midpalate is integrated, harmonious and exquisitely balanced between alcohol level, sweetness, acidity and floral impact. A perfect liqueur. *Best Buy* (PP)

Classic ‘southern shores’ Islay from the onset: salty and medicinal on the nose, with smoked haddock, citrus fruits, and milk chocolate. The palate yields full-on hot peat, pipe tobacco, black coffee, licorice, and more chocolate. The finish is long and malty, with sweet smoke. Non-chill filtered. (GS, Fall 2018)

Crystal-clear and pure. Nose is unabashedly smoky in the first nosings; aeration smoothes it out as fetching aromas of mint, harvested grain and grain husk assert themselves. On palate, the entry is intensely grainy, silky and off-dry; the midpalate offers moderate bite plus chewy tastes of cracked wheat and cocoa bean. Aftertaste is dry, cleansing and medium-long.

Silky and downright succulent, this Scotch is made with two types of oak casks—as the DoubleWood name suggests—but it’s really all about the influence of the ex-Sherry cask. Aromas suggest golden raisins and dried apricots. The silky palate starts out moderately smoky, but glides into a richer, honeyed, nutty profile that finishes with cocoa and clove accents. *Top 100 Spirits of 2015* (KN)

Little Book returns for its 10th chapter with "All The Wiser," a milestone release that shows just how far Freddie Noe’s annual blending project has come. What began as a tribute to Booker Noe, who gave Freddie the "Little Book" nickname, has become one of Beam’s most anticipated limited releases, bottled uncut and unfiltered except for standard quality screening. This 2026 edition is a powerhouse Blended Straight Whiskey at 122.6 proof, built from a remarkable lineup: 14-year Basil Hayden, 11-year and 9-year Knob Creek, 10-year Booker’s, 9-year Baker’s, and 4-year Jim Beam finished in sherry and toasted bourbon casks. That component list alone is wild, but the real achievement is the way it pulls Beam’s many voices into one coherent statement: mature oak, dark fruit, molasses, raisin, fig, caramel, cinnamon, and that unmistakable Kentucky depth. It’s a fitting 10th chapter, showing Freddie less as a rule-bound blender and more as an instinctive listener, shaping the whiskey without forcing it. Big, layered, and deeply Beam.

Worthy Park produces its rums in copper pot stills at its estate in Jamaica’s Lluidas Vale. This 16-year-old WPL rum brings together Tiki Kai and K&L in an exclusive collaboration, bottled at cask strength from a single cask.

Hungarian Oak

The Macallan's benchmark excellence is nowhere more evident than in the 18 year old, which is matured for a minimum of 18 years in seasoned sherry casks. Classic Macallan, with aromas and flavors of dried apricots and figs, spice, chocolate and orange zest. Made exclusively in hand-picked sherry oak casks from Jerez, Spain. As always, the Macallan is bottled with its natural color. This is the new package but the same old Mac 18!