Another New Barrel Announcement!

This week's special new Scotland cask is a mere octave of old whisky, so there are only going to be 60 bottles available for pre-arrival.  First come, first served!

1988 Auchroisk K&L Exclusive 21 Year Old Duncan Taylor Single Octave Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky PRE-ARRIVAL $89.99 - There are always a few winners and one or two disappointments from the annual release of Diageo's Rare Malt series.   The 20 Year Old Auchroisk was 2010's darling of the bunch, winning us over completely as well as the experts of the blogosphere.  The U.S. market sees very little from this young Speyside distillery, so Diageo priced their rare malt accordingly at $180 per bottle.  Hence, when David OG and I sat down with Euan and Scott from Duncan Taylor and discovered a 21 year old octave cask of Auchroisk for about half the price, we immediately perked up and took notice. Unlike a standard Speyside whisky, this small barrel is entirely without sherry and devoid of richness.  Because of the mild influence of the octave wood, the brilliance of the spirit is allowed to shine instead.  The nose smells of fresh cut melon with the perfumy aromas of a flower shop. The soft and smooth palate reveals a bit of vanilla and some vibrant stone fruits before finishing as softly as a whisper.  Discovering what makes Auchroisk really tick has never been so tasty.  This fun little number is grace defined and there isn't much of it.  At this ridiculous price, there won't be much for very long either.  Strictly by the name and numbers, this should be the fastest selling release we offer.  But guess what?  It's as good as you hope it will be!  Same age as the Diageo release, same distillery, half the price.

-David Driscoll