March Wine Club Spirits Specials
ArteNOM Seleccion 1579 Blanco Tequila – CLUB PRICE $42.99 (NORMALLY $50) – This is one of the best blanco Tequilas in the business, part of my friend Jake Lustig's ArteNOM portfolio, a stable of selections meant to showcase the producers behind the heralded agave spirits rather than the brand. This deliciously fruit-forward blanco expression hails from NOM 1579 (all Mexican distilleries have a NOM number which is on every bottle of Tequila in the small print), in the mountain town of Jesús-María, Tequila’s highest altitude agave region. The El Pandillo Distillery is arguably one of the most forward-thinking and sustainable distilleries in the business. There, Felipe Camarena masterfully crafts this bright, aromatic tequila from stressed hillside agave plants, slowly roasted in brick ovens and macerated intact with fiber for a pronounced agave flavor. It's an instant classic, showcasing the fruit flavor from the huge agave pinas that grow at that elevation. This is a blanco meant for sipping and savoring.
Glengoyne 15 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky – CLUB PRICE $46.99 (NORMALLY $55) – Aged in both hogshead and sherry casks, the Glengoyne 15 year old is currently one of the best deals in single malt whisky at K&L with its creamy, unctuous texture and malty, sweetly-spiced finish. The chewiness of the sherry cask-aged portion shows through and adds richness to what is a lovely stone fruit character in the whisky itself. For those who love Glenmorangie 10 year or Glenlivet 12, but would like additional weight with finesse, this is the perfect step up. I’m heading out to this distillery for the first time in May as I’m loving EVERYTHING they’re going at the moment.
Henry McKenna 10 Year Old Bottled in Bond Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey – CLUB PRICE $24.99 (NORMALLY $30) – McKenna is one of those under-appreciated gems of the booze industry. A throwback Bourbon made by Heaven Hill (the home of Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, Rittenhouse Rye, and many other great brands) that's all from a single barrel, bottled-in-bond at 100 proof, and well-priced to boot. There's not much of a reputation for it out west, so it tends to go rather unnoticed, but the quality is highly-regarded by those in the know. Our inventory on McKenna is inconsistent and spotty so we tend to load up when it becomes available again. I taste inferior Bourbons every week that sell for $40, $50, and $60 per bottle based on hype and perceived rarity. But this guy just keeps truckin' along. What a deal. What a whiskey.
North Shore No. 11 Gin – CLUB PRICE $24.99 (NORMALLY $32) – In an era now brimming with hundreds of new “craft” gins, there was one original pioneer in this genre and it’s still among the very best. Chicago’s North Shore #11 broke the Beefeater mold and got us all thinking about gin in a new way. Elegant, refined, and incredibly packed with pure juniper flavor, this is still one of the top Martini gins in the world.
Ragnaud-Sabourin "K&L Exclusive Fontevieille #35" Cognac – CLUB PRICE $139.99 (NORMALLY $170) – The locals in Cognac told us about Ragnaud Sabourin on our first trip to the region: "the Cognac is perfect," and we couldn't agree more. It's rich, supple-fruited, and textural, almost luxuriously so, and the caramel comes in on the finish to warm your mouth. It goes on forever. I think it's easy to say that this is the one of the best Cognacs we've ever tasted and it should make many aficionados very happy. All it takes is one sip to realize why Ragnaud-Sabourin is widely respected throughout Grande Champagne. We couldn't be more pleased to represent them here stateside and offer you this awesome discount!
Stolichnaya Elit Vodka – CLUB PRICE $29.99 (NORMALLY $37) – Stolichnaya's luxury vodka, Elit, is distilled four times then filtered in a patented process that mimics the age-old Russian tradition of pouring the vodka into wooden barrels and keeping them outside in the Russian cold. The impurities are then frozen out, leaving only the best vodka in the liquid center. A clean, neutral spirit with just a whisper of toasted grain, the Elit is sumptuous yet light. Best served straight, chilled or over ice. Some places still sell this for $60!!
-David Driscoll