News & Notes
We have so much good Bourbon right now I almost don't know what to do with all of it. Our K&L Four Roses cask has been a huge success so far and people are already coming back for seconds and thirds. Then we've got the return of some bargain wheated recipes with the Weller 12 and Weller Antique coming off of allocation (we used to have to ask nicely, but now they're fair game). If you're new to wheated Bourbons, the Wellers are made by Buffalo Trace distillery and are from the same stocks that eventually go into the younger Van Winkle releases (the 12 being the same whiskey entirely as the Lot B, albeit from a larger batch, and from barrels with different warehouse positioning). David OG has both in Hollywood right now and I'll have them later today in Redwood City (but my Weller Antique will be in liters! so you'll have to use this link to purchase). If you're unclear as to what "wheated" means, it's the usage of wheat instead of rye as the flavor grain in addition to the corn and barley. The Van Winkles have made this style muy famoso, so there's now a big demand for other expressions as well. The Wellers come in at $25 or less, so you're really getting your money's worth.
As David OG may have told you on an email recently, the new Faultline Cragganmore 20 is in the building, but a bunch of the beautiful labels got scuffed up along the way. We're waiting for shiny new ones to arrive in the post later this week so that we can attach them by hand. As soon as that happens we will launch it here on the blog. Can't wait for that. Should be about $75 for a beautiful cask strength whisky under the K&L label. Label issues continue to hound us.
Next week will mark the beginning of our Armagnac/Cognac revolution here at K&L - the one where we get rid of many longstanding labels and replace them with our own hand-selected, directly-imported gems. If you remember this post from January (appropriately titled "Jackpot!"), then you'll be pleased to know that both the Baraillon and Lassaubatju selections will be arriving shortly, followed by the Domaine d'Ognoas. We'll have about five different selections to start (all are masterful) that represent a distinct break from the overly sweet, all-about-smooth brandies we've carried to date. The prices will also be fantastic. I hope everyone has a nest egg stashed away because choosing only one or two will be very difficult. The Baraillon brandies are rich and textural (like the 85 Glenrothes) and the Lassaubatju barrels are woody and spicy with pencil shaving aromas like the Buffalo Trace single oak barrels. The d'Ognoas is going to be our bargain buster because there's nothing even close to it for the price we plan on offering it for. Stay tuned!
Since the weather is getting hotter, we're looking to do a little tequila remodel in Redwood City to prepare for all those outdoor parties. Arette tequila will make its long awaited return (once my favorite of all tequilas) with brand new pricing, along side a few other selections from David OG's far-superior SoCal selection. We're also hard at work on a bargain-priced Faultline tequila, as well as the hugely-anticipated release of our exclusive 21 year old tequila coming later this Fall.
So much to think about it almost makes my head spin. We've got three weeks until we leave for Scotland and hand the keys over to Kyle. So much to drink....er...do before we leave.
-David Driscoll