The 2012 Season Has Begun

As if our bombardment of K&L customers with fantastic deals like the Kilchoman Machir Bay, Hirsch Small Batch Reserve Bourbon, High West Campfire and Camut Calvados wasn't enough, now is when the real shit begins.  The 2012 whisky cask season is upon us.  It's the time when our whisky fanatics will have to peruse the list of K&L exclusive casks, decide which selections are worth investing in, and determine which whiskies are the "must-haves."  You'll save some major cash by pre-ordering, as we lower the price by a significant margin.  Plus, our casks will sometimes sell out in advance, meaning pre-ordering is the only way to get one (see our Clynelish 27, Ladyburn 36, and Brora 30 that never made it to the shelf).  The pre-order process is our way of thanking K&L customers who want to invest in our program – we simply lower the price to those of you who are willing to believe in us.  Starting now we will begin releasing new K&L exclusive casks every week here on the blog.  To see what we've acquired on the recent voyage check in here as often as possible, or just keep track of the right hand margin where I'll be adding the 2012 selections to the ongoing list.  Tonight we're kicking off with a fantastic malt that really began our trip on the right foot.  Behold, the first release of the 2012 campaign:

1994 Laphroaig 18 Year Old Chieftain's Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky $124.99 - One of the great visits from our 2012 visit to Scotland was Laphroaig distillery, where we learned many new stories concerning its fascinating history. The whisky's special combination of sea, smoke, and brine has had a magical effect on people over the years. In 1908, manager Ian Hunter decided to make Laphroaig one of the first distilleries to market itself as a single malt, rather than sell it off for blends. What an idea! Shortly after that, a failed attempt to purchase Laphroaig (as well as a childish attempt to block their water supply with large rocks) led Peter Mackie to build the now-defunct Malt Mill with Laphroaig's exact specifications, hoping to recreate that unique flavor - he couldn't. Laphroaig was one of the first distilleries to have a female manager (Bessie Williamson) and they're one of the few today that still malts their own barley. Despite their reputation for forward-thinking, they continue to operate very traditionally, making only one type of spirit and filling into only one kind of barrel - first-fill Bourbon casks. While Laphroaig does not sell casks directly, we were able to broker one via Chieftain's exclusively for K&L. This 18 year beauty has everything we love about mature Laphroaig - medicinal notes, brine, and campfire smoke in a more subdued state, mixing brilliantly with soft vanilla and wood spice. It's classic in everyway and at full proof - no water added. A fantastic whisky from an iconic distillery's older stock.

-David Driscoll