SMWS Comes to K&L

Remember when your favorite superheroes would team up together–like when Batman and Superman worked side by side, or when the Harlem Globetrotters helped Scooby Doo and the gang solve the mystery? Teamwork has been the new name of the game in the booze industry and the beer guys were actually the ones to start us off, collaborating to make multi-branded ales in the name of bearded fantasies across the country. Why shouldn't K&L team up with another crew in the name of bringing good booze to the masses? Why couldn't we team up with other well-respected establishments in the whisky industry?

Earlier this year the Scotch Malt Whisky Society reached out to us (and three other retailers) asking if we would carry exclusive casks on behalf of the organization. We wouldn't have a choice as to which ones, but since they were the ones supplying the hooch we figured beggers couldn't be choosers. Our cask for K&L finally showed up today with the secret code: 35.100. The label reads: "Cool and refreshing as a waterfall." I popped a bottle, poured a glass, and took it all in: fruity, hints of wood spice, and sweet barley on the nose. The palate is classic unsherried Speyside: fresh fruit, melon (canteloupe?), and soft malty notes with a bit of pepper on the finish. Overall, a very enjoyable little cask in the vein of the Arran cask strength whiskies. Distilled in 2003, weighing in at 57.1%, and running $115.99 on the till. 

The distillery? If you want to figure it out yourself based on the code then stop reading now. If you want me to ruin it for you then read David OG's description below:

SMWS 35.100 (Glen Moray) "Rare Release" Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky $115.99 -- The illustrious Scotch Malt Whisky Society finally comes to a retail store. Do not fret if you're already a member, the amount of whisky being released to the public is a tiny drop in the bucket, just a taste to show the world what the Society has for those who are not aware. We were lucky enough to be selected as one of the four retailers to carry SMWS, along with a few key on-premise accounts, and will be your only source for SMWS bottlings for non-members. This outstanding cask is highly collectable not simply because it's the 100th cask from this little distillery to be bottled by the Society, but also because it's one of the best whiskies I've had all year. Glen Moray is not a well known distillery in the states, but I think the utter freshness of this whisky will shock even those who know it well. Vibrant and brimming with life, it spent 10 years in a fresh bourbon barrel. The Society's stringent cask selection system is on display here, so it will certainly be sought out by SMWS members who pride themselves on procuring special casks like this one. Get yours now or wait and lose out on one of our most interesting casks of the year. SMWS tasting notes, "Fruity and Fresh, the nose has lime pastilles, apple sours and Midori, coriander leaf, flowers and rhubarb tart - refreshing as a waterfall. The palate has lime, orange sherbet, apple turnover and kiwi - wood shavings, pepper and chilli provide a punchy finish."

-David Driscoll

David Driscoll