Whisky Season 2013 Continues!

Big news today: three very mature casks of Islay whisky will be part of this year's K&L bumper crop. David OG negotiated the deal and he is fierce. I'm totally pumped.

And we've got another cask to offer on a pre-order basis as well. We sneaked this one into the newsletter. Did you catch it?

1998 Arran 14 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky $89.99 PRE-ORDER - Our first attempt to visit the lone distillery on Scotland's Isle of Arran was disastrous - a gigantic blizzard blew through the south of Scotland, completely shutting down the available ferry system and knocking out power for the entire island. Despite our desire to finally see one of the true up-and-comers of the Scotch industry, we were simply out of luck this year. That didn't mean we couldn't taste through casks, however. Luckily for us, the Arran rep was stationed at Glasgow when the storm hit and had samples pulled in anticipation of our appointment. We met up with her shortly after the storm and immediately fell in love with an ex-sherry hogshead that was as complex and delicious as anything we had ever tasted from the young distillery. The nose is all golden grains, brandied fruit, and malty goodness. The palate has a short burst of bright fruit before settling down into faint sherry and sweet barley. At cask strength the alcohol makes these flavors even more powerful, but water doesn't hinder them in any way. Arran is easily the MIP of the malt industry - the most improved player. Recent releases have been top notch, especially for a producer that began in 1996. We have no doubt that this wonderful cask will make believers out of K&L customers as well. The richness of the finish lingers on forever, reminding for minutes how legit this whisky is. Of course, we knew that going in. That's why we were willing to brave the blizzard.

-David Driscoll