New K&L Exclusive Scotland Barrel Release!

It’s about that time everyone!  Time for us to make another new barrel available at a special pre-arrival price for you whisky club email members.

Today’s release represents what we hope will be the beginning of a great new relationship with one of Scotland’s best independent bottlers – Douglas Laing.

David and I sat in a Glasgow office and poured over samples taken from the Laing Brothers’ collection.  There were so many bargains and so many great whiskies at fantastic prices!  We were in heaven.

Of course, we’re always looking for something rather exclusive, interesting, fun, or rare, as well as tasty, so we decided to go with this little gem as the first step towards more business with the Laings.

1998 Blair Athol K&L Exclusive 12 Year Old Provenance Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky PRE-ARRIVAL PRICE $69.99 (retail price to be $79.99) - One of the most exciting parts of our recent trip to Scotland was the visit we had with the Laing brothers, a pair of independent bottlers who don't dabble too much in the U.S. market.  We were pretty sure that these guys were sitting on a veritable treasure trove of barrels, however, and our tasting with them did not disappoint.  One of the best deals our journey uncovered was an explosive little cask of Blair Athol, a Diageo-owned distillery in the Eastern Highland town of Pittlochary.  Located just a few miles from Edradour, this quaint little operation is one of the oldest in Scotland (founded in 1798), but is more widely regarded for its role in Bell's Blended than for its single malt potential.  This 12 year old barrel will open some eyes, however - big, rich, enticing aromas of dried fruits, a supple mouthfeel with roasted almond skin flavors, and, while we don't think it was peated, there are definitely traces of smoke on the finish.  David OG and I both double-starred this entry on our tasting notes as a sure-fire winner.  For the price, it may be the best overall deal we found in Scotland.

This Blair Athol represents what may be the value of the trip.  A stupendous whisky from a Diageo-owned distillery that we rarely ever see bottled as a single malt.  Only 150 bottles total in what was a smaller cask.  That made it a no brainer.