Madeira For Single Malt Lovers

As I've written before, I'm not in charge of the Sherry/Port/Madeira buying for K&L, but I still consider them to technically be part of the spirits category.  Vermouth is under my domain and it's very similar product, so in my mind I should be writing about fortified wines as well.  Joe Manekin, who is in charge, brought a new series of Madeiras to my attention the other day and I was flabbergasted by the quality of the drink.  The Rare Wine Co. has teamed up with Vinhos Barbeito, which has an amazing library of old Madeira, to release the Historic Maderia series.  These bottlings are representations of styles popular during the 18th and 19th century in America when Madeira was considered the most precious wine in the United States.  I've had three of the selections and was seriously shell-shocked by the complexity.  All have a 1985 Glenrothes-style of depth: sweet honey and caramel, dried fruits and spice, oily notes, and a finish that continues to evolve for ten minutes.  I'm considering using them as training wheels for my wife who loathes single malts, but had an epiphany when she tried these and refused to give me back the bottle.  Many of the flavors are the same, but the richness is obviously more pronounced and the alcohol is lower making it easier to handle.  We currently offer the following and I will be spending my hard earned money on all three today.

Rare Wine Company Historic Madeira Series New York Malmsey

Rare Wine Company Historic Madeira Series Boston Bual

Rare Wine Company Historic Madeira Series Savannah Verdehlo

-David Driscoll